12 Vegetables You Should Never Buy Pre-Cut, According to Chefs

Assorted plastic containers filled with precut vegetables including zucchini slices and spiralized vegetables — Credit:
Getty Images

Sure, pre-cut vegetables can be convenient, but when it comes to saving time in the kitchen, some shortcuts may not be worth it. If preparing vegetables from scratch is an option for you, a few extra minutes spent washing, peeling, and chopping can add flavor, texture, freshness, and value to your cooking. We spoke to chefs to find out which vegetables they recommend buying whole and why.

"Whenever I go to the grocery store, I usually stay away from the pre-cut or packaged items. While pre-cut items would save a lot of time, I still gravitate towards whole vegetables and fruit," says Alexis Brown, chef of Henrietta in Los Angeles. Prepping your own vegetables is often more economical and gives you more control over freshness, she says. Prepackaged vegetables can carry a significant markup and may not stay fresh as long as their whole counterparts.

Brown notes that pre-cut produce can be especially helpful for people with physical limitations in the kitchen and can be a great way to incorporate more vegetables into meals. If using pre-cut ingredients makes home cooking more accessible or manageable, they're absolutely worth buying. But for the vegetables on this list, chefs say you'll generally get better flavor, texture, and value when you buy them whole.

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Garlic

If chopping garlic yourself is practical for you, chefs say whole heads are almost always worth the extra effort.

"Please buy whole heads of garlic and do not buy the jars of pre-minced garlic," says Kevin O'Donnell, chef and owner of Giusto and Mother Pizzeria in Newport, R.I. "When garlic is chopped, especially in a more industrial way, it releases sulfur, the natural flavor breaks down, and the garlic starts to go bad. The companies try to slow down this process by submerging it in oil, but the resulting flavor is horrible."

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Onions

"Precut onions are some of the worst offenders in this category," says Andrew Black, culinary director of Counter Service, a premium sandwich shop with locations in New York. "They tend to take on a fridge smell or absorb the aromas of the plastic container they are put into. When precut, they also lose their pungent bite and can taste harsher than freshly cut."

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Scallions

Along with onions, David Benstock, executive chef and owner of Il Ritorno in St. Petersburg, Fla., advises against buying pre-cut scallions and other alliums. "You lose all of the sharpness and flavor pretty quickly," he says.

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Cauliflower

"I do not recommend buying pre-cut cauliflower as it starts to emit gas and oxidize when it's cut," says David Nayfeld, chef and owner of Che Fico, Che Fico Pizzeria, Via Aurelia, and Bubbelah in San Francisco. "It's actually a very easy vegetable to chop, and when you do it yourself, there is very little waste."

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Broccoli

You may just want the florets for your stir-fry, but think again before buying them prechopped. "Pre-cut florets dry out quickly and lose texture," says Charlie Palmer, chef at Paso Robles Inn. "Buying whole heads preserves freshness and allows use of both florets and stems." (And use the stems too, give our Broccoli Slaw a try!)

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Winter Squash

Assortment variety of squash — Murray Hall

Whole squash can be a pain to break down, but it’s also worthwhile. "Cut squash spoils faster and loses moisture and sweetness," says Palmer. "Whole squash stores much longer and maintains better texture." (Whole winter squash, like butternut and acorn, can last many months when stored in a cool, dry, well-ventilated place.)

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Carrots

Katarina Petonito, chef of The Duck & The Peach, La Collina, and The Wells in Washington DC isn’t a fan of precut vegetables, especially garlic, onions, and carrots. "Buying them precut sacrifices quality, flavor, and shelf life," she says. "Additionally, these three vegetables in particular tend to be the base of most dishes, and if you're using lower-quality ingredients to start, your end product will be mediocre at best. Once cut, vegetables begin to lose moisture, freshness, and aromatic compounds that contribute to their taste."

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Tomatoes

"As a chef, I always encourage people to buy whole vegetables and produce whenever possible. " Not only are they typically fresher and more flavorful, but they also give you complete control over how they're prepared and used," says Antonio Wormley, executive chef at Little Clam in Newport, R.I. "This is especially true for items like fresh herbs, tomatoes, and avocados." Tomatoes maintain better texture and taste when they're not sliced ahead of time."

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Avocado

Wormley also avoids pre-cut avocado, even if you’re pre-cutting it for yourself to use later on in meal prep or hosting. "Avocados stay fresher and are less likely to brown when kept whole until you're ready to use them," he says.

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Asparagus

"Asparagus is a product I prefer to buy whole," says Ignacio Zuzulich, executive chef at Dawn Ranch in Guerneville, Calif. "Once it’s cut and sitting in a package, it begins losing moisture, sweetness, and the snap that makes great asparagus so enjoyable. It’s one of those vegetables where freshness is immediately noticeable."

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Cucumbers and Melon

Eight cucumbers arranged on a wooden surface — Getty / Emely

"I usually avoid anything with high moisture content," says Brown. Produce like cucumbers and melon have a short shelf life when cut, and an even shorter one when packed in plastic, he says.