Best if Used By 03/22/10

Eat This Now for Tuesday March 16th, 2010 features: Strawberries, Navel Oranges, Sweet Red Peppers, Red Potatoes, and Organic Eggplant.

1. Strawberries

Oh, it’s on! Strawberries are good to go, finally. Rainy weather and freezes dealt one setback after another to the three winter growing areas of Florida, California and Mexico, causing prices to be high and quality to be just fair the past 8 weeks. But that’s behind us and it is time for you to go buy some fresh, delicious Strawberries! Think about all the possibilities that will get you thinking Spring: Strawberries on your cereal, yogurt, cottage cheese and ice cream; Strawberries in your salad and fruit cup; Strawberries in your dessert or smoothie; or simply devour them as a healthy snack! Mmmmm…

Here’s what to expect. Florida is running into a massive flush of Strawberries the next two weeks. These berries will be inconsistent in shape and size, and will have occasional white shoulders (an unripe area near the stem), but they’ll also be priced to sell and will taste fantastic. California Strawberries are increasing in volume too, and their quality, size and appearance is picture perfect.

2. Navel Oranges

Late season Navel Oranges from California are particularly sweet right now – I’m talkin’ candy! This assessment is based on the samples I’ve tasted from multiple new arrivals this week and last. Try some yourself. There’s more good news for you: California Navel Oranges are likely on sale where you shop this week – be it in 4lb or 8lb bags, or loose. But late season Navels don’t stay this nice forever, so get while the gettin’s still good.

3. Sweet Red Peppers

You can’t go wrong this week with Sweet Red Peppers. Whether you find:

• Fancy, extra large, elongated-style, field-grown ones;
• Mis-shapen, but still delicious choice grade ones;
• or Bell-shaped, greenhouse-grown, premium ones – they’re all good and probably on sale.

Left: field-grown // Right: greenhouse-grown

Healthy, crunchy, mild, flavorful freshness at an affordable price – now that is sweet! Curious about an easy way to slice your Sweet Red Peppers? Watch this:

4. Red Potatoes

Red Potatoes for your St. Patty’s Day meal? – sure. Everyone’s favorite leave-the-skin on potato is likely to be advertised this week where you shop and quality is solid. Want to mix it up? Look for Klondike Rose or Butter Red Potatoes which feature thin, tasty red skins with a creamy-rich gold flesh.

Left: Red Potatoes // Right: Klondike Rose Potatoes

5. Organic Eggplant

High quality ingredients are the foundation for great meals. Right now the Organic Eggplant I’ve been seeing from Mexico has been outstanding. Pricing and availability are good too, though you may have to go to a natural foods store or coop to find it. Eggplant should have a nice thud when you tap it and should not be flabby. Find the freshest and start your own great meal!

Forward this to a friend if you think they’ll like it – Here’s to fresh produce!

The Produce Geek,
Jonathan K. Steffy

Best if Used By 12/14/09

Eat This Now for Tuesday December 08, 2009 features: Navel Oranges, Blackberries, Jumbo Apples, Organic Green Anjou Pears, and Broccoli Crowns

1. Navel Oranges

NOW it is Navel Orange season.  Sure, California Seedless Navel Oranges have been in stores for over a month, but this week starts a good run of quality, affordability and great taste.  First of the season Navel Oranges are just alright.  December starts peak of the season Navel Oranges which are deliciously sweet, full of juice but not seeds, and fairly easy to peel!  Plus, chances are the store you shop at is promoting loose or bagged Navel Oranges this week at very affordable prices.
Go buy some.

Given as a special fresh gift this time of year in decades gone by, Navel Oranges grown in California are known for their clean, bright orange skin and rich flavor.  Instead of seeds, Navel Oranges have a tiny second orange inside the whole orange near the blossom end.  This “conjoined twin” gives Navel Oranges the look of a… well, a “navel,” thus the name.  These seedless citrus treats are fantastic for eating as a fresh snack or healthy dessert.  They’re so yummy you may be tempted to juice them, but that is not recommended with this variety since the juice of navels does not hold up very long in the fridge – so stick to eating them as hand-fruit.

Medium, Large, XL and Jumbo Navels all taste the same, so choose your fruit based off of serving size preference. (Yea.  I know.  Just like with movie theater sodas nobody calls them “small.”)  Kid-friendly Medium and Large Navel Oranges are often packed in 4lb bags, while XL and Jumbo’s fill the 8lb bags.  Depending on your side of the country, loose fruit is sold by the pound or by the each.  Either way, select fruit that feels heavy for it’s size, that way you’ll get lots of juice.  Packed with Vitamin C, a Navel or two a day is delicious way to keep your immune system bolstered.  Hey, even the rinds are useful – give your garbage disposal a breath freshener.  But don’t worry, only the rinds will make it to that disposal, you’ll house the rest yourself.  Now you’re a Navel Insider.

FUN STUFF: I have a small collection of vintage crate labels I found online from the era of the lithograph when bright hand-drawn labels were nailed to the sides of wooden crates.  I love ‘em – some are really cool, some are just funny.  My collection even includes a Sunkist “Symbol” Navel Orange crate label from the 1940s.

Fast forward to the era of cardboard.  I see a lot of produce box labels in my line of work… a lot.  Most are standard-issue brands with nice labels.  But some are really funky and down right hilarious.
Click here to vote on wackiest.

2. Blackberries

Always plump and juicy, always bold in flavor, Blackberries are NOT always sweet nor always affordable.  Though right now, Blackberry supplies from Mexico are plentiful, making them the easy to find and priced where it won’t cost you an arm and a leg to buy some good ones.  How sweet are they, you ask?  Well, from what I’ve sampled this week in the cooler, I would rate most as kinda sweet – kinda tart, nothing a pinch of sugar won’t take care of, but much better than other imported Blackberries from the past two months.  Look for aggressive ads this week and next on 60z containers.  Make some cobbler, a smoothie, a shake – or add them to cereal, ice cream and yogurt.  Just don’t add them to your shirt, they leave a wicked stain.

3. Jumbo Apples

Jumbo-sized Apples are often featured around the Hanukkah and Christmas holidays when smart retailers stock the biggest of common varieties along with regular sizes.  Jumbo-sized Red Delicious, Golden Delicious, Granny Smith, Gala, Fuji and Braeburn Apples, referred to as “gift” fruit are perfect for your table-scape, holiday centerpiece, to use in homemade fruit baskets or to slice for sharing.  Part of the reason this is noteworthy is that 2009′s Organic and Conventional apple crop in Washington State came in with extra large sizing – lots of Jumbo apples where hanging on the trees.  If you find ‘em at your store – Go big.  Go fresh.

4. Organic Green Anjou Pears

Freshly sweet and full of juice when ripe, Organic Green Anjou Pears are a good choice this month for quality and price.  Green Anjou Pears stay green as they ripen, so don’t wait for them to turn yellow.  Press your thumb at the neck, your pear is juicy-ripe when it gives to gentle pressure.  Organic pears are grown without the use of pesticides and other synthetic compounds.

5. Broccoli Crowns

The quality of California Broccoli Crowns has looked solid on fresh arrivals lately.  There is not exactly a major flush of product right now, but supplies are steady enough to support pre-Christmas ad promotions.  Florida’s crop is just getting started.  Harvested without the long stem Broccoli Crowns are the preferred cut of broccoli these days for so many because with just a few cuts it is all usable product for a side dish or veg tray.

Forward this to a friend if you think they’ll like it – Here’s to fresh produce!

The Produce Geek,
Jonathan K. Steffy