Planning to display vegetables in a fair or other
competition? Be careful how you get
them to the show, says a University of Georgia expert.

“To prevent bruising during travel, wrap or pad them in
baskets or boxes,”
says Wayne
McLaurin, an Extension Service horticulturist with the UGA
College of Agricultural and
Environmental Sciences. “A lining or loose wrapping of
plastic can prevent drying,
too.”

Keep your prized veggies out of the sun to keep them from
discoloring. On potatoes,
light can cause greening.

Be Careful With
Plastic

Plastic films can protect vegetables during travel or
setup,
he says, but should be
removed before judging.

“Don’t enclose moist vegetables in films during hot
weather, as rapid decay might
occur,” he says. “A judge may understand slight
wilting under hot conditions,
but decay is inexcusable at any time.”

If cool-stored vegetables “sweat” when brought
into a warm room, he says,
don’t wrap or place them in closed containers until they’ve
warmed and the moisture
condensation has stopped. Wipe them dry before packing.

“Always take a few extra vegetables, too,”
McLaurin says, “in case of
damage or injury during handling and moving.”