Eat This Now—Tuesday 12/01/09
2009
Best if Used By 12/07/09
Eat This Now for Tuesday December 01, 2009 features: Comice Pears, Blueberries, Long Seedless Cucumbers, Star Grapefruit, and Baby Peeled Carrots.
1. Comice Pears
On Black Friday a Christmas catalog came in the mail from Harry & David, the Oregon-based Gourmet Gift Basket company that is famous for their prized Royal Riviera Pears. The pears are large, super-juicy, creamy in texture and luxuriously sweet. Harry & David’s slogan reads, “So big and juicy, you eat them with a spoon.” Who wouldn’t want to receive a gift basket full of fancy crackers, nuts, cheeses, candies – and exquisite pears!
Wondering how you can find pears that good for yourself? The Royal Riviera Pears registered to Harry & David’s are actually a type of Comice Pear. Comice Pears originated in France, were introduced to the Pacific Northwest in the 1890s and have come to be known as the Christmas Pear since they are so often used in gourmet fruit baskets. These pears are round with a short neck and have green skin that is sometimes cheeked with red blush. You know they are ripe when the neck gives to gentle pressure from your thumb. Get ready for some juiciness!
Organic and Conventional Comice Pears can be found at most grocery stores right now and the crop is cleaner this year from the appearance standpoint. Though don’t be scared away from skin scars since they do not detract from the sweet taste. Buy some this week to try. If you like them, and you WILL, try making your own Pear Gift Basket this year for a friend. (Go to www.usapears.com for tips.) Or just buy more Comice Pears to gift yourself.
2. Blueberries
Healthy AND Tasty… but often Pricey and out of season. There’s good news, Blueberry fans! It’s late spring in the Southern Hemisphere. So Blueberries ARE in season in Argentina and Chile and import volumes are promotable for supermarkets right now. Keep an eye out for $2.99, 2/$5.00 and even Buy One/Get One FREE promotions this month on 4.4oz and 6oz containers at your store. Quality has been nice – sweet and plump, perfect for your yogurt, cereal, pancakes or as an antioxidant-packed fresh snack!
3. Long Seedless Cucumbers
Mild flavor, crisp flesh, very few seeds (and even those are barely noticeable), consistent and straight for easy slicing; Long Seedless Cucumbers are worth the higher price if those attributes make sense to you. Excellent for veggie trays, salads, sandwiches, julienning or plain old crunchy snacking; Long Seedless Cucumbers are sold individually wrapped. Called Hothouse Cucumbers, Greenhouse Cucumbers, Cello Cucumbers, Euro Cucumbers and English Cucumbers, by any name they are good right now. Both Canadian and Mexican greenhouses are in production so prices are reasonable and quality is good.
4. Star Grapefruit
Looking for Red Grapefruit with full-flavor, full-sweetness and full-red flesh color? Look for Star variety grapefruit: Star Ruby from Florida and Rio Star from Texas are some of the highest quality grapefruit out there right now. Check the fine print on the PLU sticker or bag, read the signage or ask your produce clerk if they carry Rio Star or Star Ruby Grapefruit.
5. Baby Peeled Carrots
Did you know that Baby Peeled Carrots are not grown as Baby Carrots? These convenient, healthy, tasty carrots are, in fact, regular carrots that are cut into sections and tumbled in peeler tanks to remove the skin and smooth them into the snack size pieces you’ve come to love. The process is amazing – from the field to the bag less than a day. And the popularity of Baby Carrots has turned them into a Produce Department staple.
OK, Challenge: Before the next round of holiday feasts, replace your Achilles-heal salty snack of choice with Organic or Conventional Baby Carrots as a sweet and crunchy way to improve your diet. Go for it!
December 2nd, 2009 at 10:58 am
We were in a Walmart in Ephrata, Pa and they must not of had the Blueberries you are talking about because the ones out at the store were small and some had mold growing on them. Very gross.
Where can I get these good blueberries in Lancaster County, PA?
December 4th, 2009 at 8:38 am
Sounds like that store has let their blueberries on the shelf too long. Conditions can always vary from store to store based on how good they are at turning their product. Giant, Weis and Stauffers of Kissel Hill are worth a try for fresh blueberries this week.
Thanks for reading!
The Produce Geek