Greetings and Peace!     

 Erika Muhammad

by Brett Blumenthal

1. Taste: The fresher the produce, the better it will taste.  If a fruit or vegetable isn't in season, it is shipped from across the country, or even worse, across the world.  To do so, farmers harvest their crops early and refrigerate them so that they don't go bad during shipping.  As a result, they aren't ripe when picked and don't always ripen to their full flavor as they would in their natural growing environment.  During chilling and shipping, produce loses freshness and flavor with each step of the process: when chilled, when transported and when held in warehouses prior to distribution.
2. Nutrition: Vanishing flavor from fruits and vegetables also means vanishing nutrition.  As mentioned, when farmers ship to far off areas, they harvest early.  In doing so, the fruit or vegetable doesn't have as many nutrients as it would have if it was picked when it was fully grown and fully ripe.  Further, because of the transportation process, produce is irradiated to kill germs and layered with preservatives, such as wax on cucumbers.
3. Variety: Eating produce that is in-season means that you eat a wide variety of foods throughout the year.
4. Cost: Buying locally grown, in-season produce means that the cost for that produce is lower.  Why?  Because in season produce is abundant, making supply high.
5. Environment: Eating locally grown, in-season produce means that you are supporting the health of the environment.  Shipping from great distances requires using tons of resources and expelling tons of pollution.

A great resource for finding in-season produce, local to your area is the Seasonal Ingredient Map at Epicurious.com.

Do you buy local, in-season produce?  Do you grow your own veggies or fruit? Can you taste the difference in quality and taste?

Asian Pears

by CDC 

Asian pears are cousins to the pears that are typically seen in grocery stores, but this fruit is similar to an apple and its many names reflect that characteristic. Other names that this fruit goes by are: Chinese pear, Japanese pear, Sand, Nashi, and apple pear.

Asian pears differ from the traditional European ones. These pears are usually round, firm to touch when ripe, and are ready to eat after harvest. Asian pears reach prime quality when they ripen on the tree, like an apple and peach. These pears will be crisp, juicy, and slightly sweet with some tartness, especially near the core.

While European pears have the bulbous bottoms and tapering tops, they are not ready to eat until they are slightly soft and must be picked during the green stage and ripen at room temperature. European pears will be soft and juicy, with a sweeter, mellower taste. European pears will be brown at the core and an unpleasant taste if they are tree-ripened.

There are several Asian pear varieties available. Japanese pears are more round in shape, while the Chinese pears are more oval or pyriform (pear-shaped).

In the United States, the Japanese type of Asian pear called 20th Century or Nijisseki is the most popular. It is easily identified with its round shape and smooth yellow skin. Other common varieties include the Japanese bronze-toned Hosui pear and the pear-shaped Ya Li, a pale-green Chinese variety.

Selection:

Select the most fragrant and unbruised fruit with little to no brown spots. Ripe Asian pears are hard and do not soften. They are ready to eat when purchased.

Storage:

Asian pears are known for keeping well. Store pears a week at room temperature or up to three months in the refrigerator.

"We must prepare and grow our own food, because this is a highly commercialized world. They graft a lot of food, and some of this food is not good for our stomachs."