Skip The Frozen Goya Stuff And Peel Your Own Fresh Yuca

Let's get one thing straight: I'm not here to tell you to abandon all frozen produce like it's a plague upon your freezer. One study even shows that frozen fruits and veggies maintain just as much — if not more — vitamins than their fresh counterparts. Being a lazy cook myself, I'll always be pro-frozen veg for the ease it brings to mealtimes, but there are some plants that just hit differently when they're fresh, like yuca. Also known as cassava or manioc, this root vegetable is a staple in Latin American dishes, from beloved tamale variations to Belizean stews and breads. You could even whip up a batch of yuca fries to complement your pollo campero. Many African and Asian nations have a slew of dishes using the root, too.

But while frozen yuca may keep all its nutrients, the texture suffers a bit if you intend to fry it up — boiling, on the other hand, makes little difference! Peeling and preparing yuca from scratch isn't too hard, though. First, rinse your yuca and cut off the ends. Some people prefer making one big slit down the middle of the root and peeling the skin away from there, while others like cutting their yuca into 2- to 3-inch chunks and using a heavy-duty peeler to handle the thick, tough skin. However you do it, be thorough: Yuca skin is toxic to humans, so don't leave even a streak of brown behind, and always cook your yuca before eating it.

From shopping to chopping, here are tips to get the most out of your fresh yuca. When perusing the grocery store shelves, always go for a root that feels firm in your hand. No mush, no fuss! Avoid roots that have visible cuts, bruises, or missing bits, too. It's not just for aesthetics — the oxidation that happens on and around damaged areas could affect the texture and flavor of the whole root.

When you're handling whole roots, store them in a dry, cool place for up to two weeks. Once you've peeled or cut them, the shelf life drops by half. Keep your cut and peeled yuca in a container with water and leave the whole thing in the refrigerator, changing out the water when it starts looking murky. You can also freeze it, but that brings up the same textural concerns that store-bought frozen yuca has. Peeling your own yuca can keep it fresh for a whole week, though, which is well worth the tiny bit of effort at the front end.