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Post by Paws on Feb 19, 2006 20:37:18 GMT 12.75
With the local produce season just around the corner I thought it might be a good idea to talk about processing, storing, and preparing fresh fruit and vegetables. We might also want to discuss how we go about choosing our produce at the market and especially any little tricks we might have. ;D
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Post by OLKoot on Feb 20, 2006 5:04:35 GMT 12.75
At this time of the year, we're still getting alot of hothouse fruits and veggies, and they are some of the most tasteless things too eat.....Most do not have the pure color nor texture of fresh grown fruit, so for me even though I can only eat fruit in moderation , I tend to shy away from some of the produce......The good thing is, the imports have taken over this time of the year, but you have to pay a price......I'm waiting for the spring, where we will be doing some planting and I wont have to go without the good stuff.....
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Post by Two Tales on Feb 20, 2006 5:16:35 GMT 12.75
I try to buy my fresh stuff at fruit and veggie stands...you can normally get a better selection and they a fresher...supermarkets get their's from Calialnd and a lot from overseas..exotics you don't have a lot of choice..but your every day stuff is better from locals...
now why i choose this mater over that one or that ear of corn before the other...feel is an important thing..tomatoes have to bright red (if they are supposed to be...have thin skins and some heft to them..they must also be firm...in other words you don't leave dents from your fingers when picking them up...sure sign of hot house and picked too green...of course this also depends on what you will be doing with them..making sauces and such you'll want the kind that has equal moisture and flesh...different verities have different characteristics and are good for different things or dishes..for salads I'll pick one that has good weight but is somewhat firmer than the rest and possibly lighter (less weight means less juice) than another one of the same size..it has to have that fresh picked smell to it (they can't fake that) and be bright colored...I like to collect all my fresh stuff by feel, color, smells and if allowed taste...can't taste stuff in the Super Stores..they'll yell at you ;D If I'm doing a dinner or have "special" guests then I'll go to the Farmer's market in Hartford.. at least to get the exotics and tropicals...man I like that place...I'll also buy the fresh herbs and spices if I can find them there...
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Post by Two Tales on Feb 20, 2006 5:18:29 GMT 12.75
Steve, ya ol'Koot ,
ya jumped in there afore I could get my feet wet ;D ;D ;D
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Post by brittonfaith on Feb 20, 2006 5:52:59 GMT 12.75
Okey dokey, Paws. You asked... ;D Since I am both a grower/seller at the local farmers markets and a gal that does a lot of canning for the family....Be an informed buyer. Know how long an item has been out of the patch and if the seller actually grew it. (I pick and clean most of my crops in the late evening before my 8am market bell. Greens are picked as soon as the sun starts to break the morning of the market; around 5:30am and kept cool.) Ask lots of questions, questions, questions. Where was it grown? Do you use insecticides? When did you last spray? I'm not too much into organic, but you want to make sure the withdrawal period has elapsed. Snap a couple of beans to see if they are crisp. Pull back the corn husk to check for borers and if ears are filled out. But don't husk it at the market. The ears will be dried out by the time you are ready to fix them. Feel the greens to make sure they aren't wilted or leathery. A reputable seller should have no problem with a couple of broken beans or such. But please don't squeeze the tomatoes. It only leads to early spoilage for whoever buys them. If an item has that wax stuff on it, it was most likely grown by a large supplier. That wax is on there to prevent spoilage during long storage and shipping. Not to make it look pretty. There are lots of big produce auctions nowadays where smaller produce auctions and some local market sellers pick up their produce. I hate this practice since neither the reseller nor consumer have any idea as to the source or methods used in production. It makes a huge difference in taste, nutritional content, and end results of canning. Look at the boxes it came to market in. Are they special produce shipping boxes? A local grower will probably bring his stuff in any old box or beer flat he finds or use a laundry basket or Rubbermaid container. Those special boxes cost too much. There's usually plenty of local growers and home gardeners that grew too much who can provide fresher produce. It just takes a little bit of asking around to find them. If you're going to a market that starts in the morning, don't wait until almost closing time with hopes of finding a "steal". The good stuff was gone as soon as the market opened. You snooze - You loose. As for price. I try to price by local market trends. But I also take into consideration my quality compared to other sellers that day, quantity available by all sellers that day, and whether or not I have time to can what's left when I get home. And my final tip....Don't come to the market at 8am, buy $4 of beans and expect me to make change for a $50! Ain't gonna happen. Probably not even with a $20. ;D OK. Enough ranting and rambling for now. Enjoy the freshness of it all.
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Post by decivilian on May 23, 2006 7:01:06 GMT 12.75
Well, it is now really getting into the season, and my way of knowing the source of my fruiets and veggies is to go to those pick-yer-own farms and pick my own! This past weekend I brought fresh picked strawberries to our event and made ice cream and served it with the berries - yummy yummy! I think tomorrow I will hit the fields again and get a bunch to freeze. Oh, and we also had fresh asparagus. I was hoping for fresh peas, but they are not quite ripe yet.
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Post by brittonfaith on May 23, 2006 8:06:14 GMT 12.75
Rained for 11 days straight, then was at GT for 4 days. So needless to say, I've been neglecting my duties. Just went out to check on my patch. Weeds weren't too bad and the ground's just dry enough so I would walk through and check for bugs. Our first market will be this Friday and I needed to report to our local paper what will be available.
A lot of our local growers still haven't planted. Some haven't even plowed. They wanted to wait for it to warm up some. But then the rains came and now it's too late to plant a lot of stuff.
First planting of spinach is still growing great. Beet greens/thinnings are ready. Kale, radishes, romaine lettuce, mustard greens, green onions, and spring greens (mesclun) are all good to go. First blossoms are setting on the tomatoes and blackberries
One of our local growers has red raspberries and strawberries ready. He grows them in tarped tunnels.
By next Thursday, I should be picking snow peas and maybe the first kohlrabi and collards, too. Second planting of spinach will be just ready to start on.
Beans are up and about 6" tall. The first plantings of beans, chard, and beets should be ready by June 10. Noticed the cabbage is just starting to form heads.
Watermelon, cukes, zukes came through the ground while I was gone. Muskmelons are starting to shoot vine. Looks like it's gonna be a good growing year!! (Knock on wood)
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Post by Paws on May 23, 2006 12:01:17 GMT 12.75
Looks like my source of produce will be the Farmer's market this year. ;D
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Post by Paws on Mar 6, 2007 2:56:37 GMT 12.75
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Post by Paws on Mar 6, 2007 3:08:09 GMT 12.75
Time for "Produce College Bowl!" (1) Why are many of the fruits and vegetables we buy at the grocery coated with an edible wax? (2) Why should we not raw sprouts? (3) How many servings of fruits and vegetables are recommended for the diet per day? (4) What is the recommended temperature range that our home refrigerators should be set? (5) What are your very favorite fruits and vegetables?
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Post by Toby Benoit on Mar 6, 2007 6:00:02 GMT 12.75
1, to make them shiny and more aestjetically pleasing to the consumer? WRONG!2, not a clue. 3, 8 Close4, 50? WRONG!5, fruits? Bananners, apples, oranges, tangerines, pineapple, black berries, blueberries... Veggies? Mustard greens, collard greens, field peas, pole beans, butter beans, cabbage...
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Post by raingauge on Mar 6, 2007 6:20:58 GMT 12.75
1. To help preserve them
2. Not a clue (copied from Toby)
3. 5
4. 42
Blueberries, bananas, apples, oranges, apricots, huckleberries, Spinach, green beans, corn, turnip greens, summer squash,
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Post by geiyserq on Mar 6, 2007 7:13:21 GMT 12.75
1.) protection from nasties that could absorb into the item during transportation as well as to retain moisture longer.
2.) Whos said we shouldn't? By raw do you mean uncooked or uncleaned?
3.)I'll go with 5 as well.
4.)Unless you have a refrigerator dedicated to just fruits, and vegis. you better keep it set between 35- 40. If you have meat and dairy anything above 40 is too high. If you have cut produce you need to keep it right at or below 41. Your supermarkets have NSF guidelines they have to follow for all perishables. Non- critical produce (whole, unprocessed. such as apples, onions, etc.) are not required to have a product temp of 41 or less. Critical temp produce (cut watermellons, partially processed letuce & cabbage, bagged salads, etc.) must maintain a 41 or less temperature.
5.) peaches, bannanas, broccoli, asparigus, tomatoes, potatoes, green beabs, carn, plumbs, grapes, mangos, pinapple......
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Post by Paws on Mar 6, 2007 10:00:28 GMT 12.75
Oh Yummy!! Got some goodies on there alright! I really don't think there is a thing that grows that is edible I don't like. Avocados tasted like bacon grease to me my first try but I even got used to them! Well, let's see. The wax is added for protection. Surprised me to learn that many growing things actually produce their own wax which gets rubbed or washed off during initial picking and packaging. The edible wax is very small in quantity and is added to hold in moisture and protect the item during transport. Sprouts, they say, can not be sufficiently cleaned to be eaten raw. Like our old pal Gomer might say "Surprise! Surprise! Surprise!"[/i] Sure did me! Might explain my bout of "Quick Step" when I was experimenting with growing my own bean sprouts. Well every ding donged thing I see that goes in the fridge indicates that somewhere under forty three F is proper. Meat, dairy, etc. Fruits and veggies need to be kept around forty degrees with just a few exceptions. One particular fruit I can think of off hand should never, ever be refrigerated because it destroys the flavor while stopping the ripening process. Anyone know what fruit that is?
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Post by geiyserq on Mar 6, 2007 13:37:10 GMT 12.75
bananners
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Post by Paws on Mar 6, 2007 15:28:36 GMT 12.75
Nope! Next guess please. Refrigeration of bananas will retard maturing; however, it will not affect the flavor. (Good guess though!)
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Post by Two Tales on Mar 7, 2007 2:51:15 GMT 12.75
I don't know what one in particular but I don't put citrus, apples or pears in the frigidair untill the night before I plan on eating them fresh/raw..if cooking with them or using them in a dish they stay out
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Post by geiyserq on Mar 7, 2007 3:26:08 GMT 12.75
figs?
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Post by Paws on Mar 7, 2007 3:28:15 GMT 12.75
Not exactly what I had in mind!
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Post by Paws on Mar 7, 2007 3:35:21 GMT 12.75
I don't know what one in particular but I don't put citrus, apples or pears in the frigidair untill the night before I plan on eating them fresh/raw..if cooking with them or using them in a dish they stay out Good point TT. Those fruit and veggies that are "storeable" in a "cool dark place" include apples, pears, onions, potatoes, and cabbages These ordinarilly do not need refrigeration until they have been cooked or pared and will keep fresh and useable through the winter months if kep it a cool, dry, dark place such as a root cellar. Citrus fruits are excellent examples of fruit that are stored short term before use and do not benefit significantly from refrigeration. The fruit I am thinking of produces an enzyme in the field which creates the flavor of the fruit and when refrigerated the enzyme is neutralized. That help?
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