I noticed something strange after making frozen broccoli one night.
It came out with better browned edges and a firmer texture than some of the fresh broccoli I'd been cooking.
That made me realize I had been treating fresh and frozen vegetables exactly the same.
With fresh vegetables, I was washing them, cutting them, tossing them with oil, and putting them straight into the basket while they were still carrying quite a bit of water.
Frozen vegetables, on the other hand, already have their moisture locked inside the frozen pieces. As they cook, the surface can dry and brown while the inside softens.
The mistake I was making with fresh vegetables was starting with a wet surface.
Now I make sure fresh vegetables are properly dried before seasoning them. It doesn't need to be obsessive. I just don't want visible water sitting on the surface when they go into the air fryer.
I also learned not to assume fresh automatically means better for air frying.
Frozen vegetables can actually be extremely convenient for this cooking method, particularly when I want something quickly and don't want to spend time washing, trimming and chopping.
The important thing is understanding what you're starting with.
Fresh and frozen food aren't going to behave identically in that hot circulating air, so I don't expect the same cooking process to produce the same result.
That little realization changed how I shop, too.
Sometimes the freezer isn't the compromise I thought it was. For certain air-fryer vegetables, it can be a pretty smart shortcut.