Category Archives: fruit

Healthy Watermelon Recipes To Try This Summer

by fruit, recipes, summer

I'm starting to see beautiful personal sized watermelons at the grocery store. They're delicious and a great treat.

One of the most alkalizing foods, watermelon is a refreshing, hydrating, low calorie wonderful addition to summertime menus. High in vitamin A and C while also providing some magnesium and potassium, watermelon is a great antioxidant fruit. It also provides high levels of lycopene which studies have shown to be helpful in preventing various types of cancer. Watermelon appears to also have some effect on lowering blood pressure.

There are many delicious ways to include watermelon into your summertime menus such as making watermelon water ice or granita, making agua fresca, fruit salads, or even a savory sweet salad.  My current favorite fruit salad is rich in lycopene and anthocyanins, those dark rich fruits which are supportive of cognitive function while helping to reduce inflammation in the body.  This salad is refreshing and satisfying, I've even been including it as part of my breakfast for a delicious treat.

Anthocyanin-rich Fruit Salad

Print Recipe

Ingredients
  

  • 2 cups watermelon, balled
  • 1 cup blueberries, rinsed
  • 1 cup strawberries, rinsed and sliced
  • 1 cup cherries, rinsed, pitted, and quartered
  • DRESSING:
  • 1 small lime
  • 2 tbsp fresh lime juice
  • 2 tsp poppy seeds

Instructions
 

  • Mix together fruits
  • Mix together dressing in a separate cup
  • Pour dressing over fruits and toss gently
  • Let sit 30-60 minutes in the fridge before serving

After you’ve enjoyed your watermelon there still a very tasty treat available. Pickling the rind is simple and easy to do. It doesn’t take very long and the results are delicious!

It's important to note that although you can process watermelon rind pickle for long-term storage, this recipe is for the refrigerator pickle version which is imho easier and faster.

Watermelon Rind Pickles

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Ingredients
  

  • Rinds from 1/2 of a large watermelon
  • 4 cups apple cider vinegar (with the mother)
  • 2 cups water
  • 2 cups cane juice crystals or other low process sugar
  • 1/3 cup kosher salt
  • SEASONING: 2 sticks cinnamon or 2” piece fresh ginger or 1 jalapeño (seeded) or 1 lemon thinly sliced

Instructions
 

  • When cutting watermelon leave 1/4-1/2” of red flesh on the rind
  • Using a vegetable peeler thoroughly remove the green rind
  • Cut rind into -1 1/2” pieces
  • Combine vinegar, water, sugar, salt, and seasoning in pot (large enough to also hold the watermelon rind)
  • Bring to boil, stirring to dissolve sugar and salt
  • Add the watermelon rind
  • Bring back to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for 2 minutes
  • Remove pan from heat and let cool to room temperature (about) one hour
  • Transfer rind to clean and sterilized wide-mouth pint or quart canning jars
  • Cover with pickling brine (do not include seasonings otherwise the flavor gets too strong)
  • Refrigerate overnight before serving
  • Keeps 2-3 weeks in the refrigerator

Bubblegum Flavored Apples Anyone?

by additives, FDA, fruit, questions, ,

Consumer Question:

"We came across these apples at Stop & Shop here in town. We could not believe our eyes when we saw flavored apples!! I told my husband to take a pic to send to you because I wasn't sure you would believe me when I tell you that they had bubblegum flavored apples. I believe there were four flavors total to choose from. 

I'm curious what your thoughts are. I walked away all kinds of confused. Was this an attempt to help kids with poor eating habits cross over the healthy eating or the other way around? How exactly did they alter this apple to make it flavored? And of course the obvious...yet another example of FAKE food.

Oh and as you can see it was placed right next to the apples and the packaging says ready to eat snack.  What's so difficult about preparing an apple for eating?  hmmm you wash it?!?!"

The Answer

Good eye and good thinking.  This is very similar to something I just saw in my local grocery store called grapples.

Research indicates that the flavoring comes from "natural" (read possible MSG ingredients) and artificial flavoring. It seems that the apples are marinated for several days in an undoubtedly chemical concoction which allows the apple to soak up the flavor.  This process has apparently been approved by the FDA.

The Grapple company website assures the consumer that the product has not been genetically modified and there are no added sugars or calories.  Unfortunately, there is a huge chemical load, not just from the flavorings, but one assumes these are not organic apples and therefore potentially high in pesticide residue.

The Crazy Apple company website says they can't tell you how they do it but I assume it's the same sort of process.  They do however assure you that their apples are gluten free (duh!), dairy free (again, duh!), and contain no soy or nuts.

I believe this is seen as a way to market apples to kids but I'm not really sure why this sort of adulteration is seen as a positive.  Since apples by themselves are sweet, crunchy, and tasty I'm not sure what the appeal is here.  Unfortunately I see this as a big step backwards as items like these further dull the taste buds to what food should taste like.

Update:  It turns out these apples are being spotted all over the place and most of you are not happy about it.  My friend Adrienne suggests, "If you want a grape flavored apple take a slice of apple and some grapes.  Eat them together.  It's a party in your mouth!"  Good advice.

Eating More

by fruit, habits, health, produce, questions, snacks, vegetables

I recently got asked the question, “How do I eat more fruit and veggies, I don't think I'm eating enough?”  That's a good question.  And one that's faced by a lot of people.  Especially parents who are trying to encourage their children to eat a healthier diet.

One of the best ways I have found to encourage people to eat more fruits and vegetables is to have them on hand and convenient.  This means they are not in your fridge just rotting in the bottom of your crisper drawer.  I frequently encourage people to cut them up, prepare and make containers.  Set them out on the shelf in your fridge and it's a grab-and-go snack.  They can either be sorted by type of food or you can make “snack packs” with an assortment.  Either way if you're in the mood to munch and you open the fridge door to see a convient snack right there you may find yourself eating more healthy choices.

Another way is to add veggies to other foods.  You would not believe what gets added to my homemade spaghetti sauce.  Add shredded veggies to a lasagna.  Double the veggies in your omelette or frittata.  What about soups?  Loaded with pureed veggies, especially if it's a creamy style soup base is an easy way to boost your veggie intake without trying very hard.  The trick is to make sure that you put in things that will not overwhelm your soup.  Sharper tasting foods such as cruciferous vegetables (cabbage, cauliflower, broccoli, etc) or onions may not appeal to some.  Mucilaginous textured foods such as okra may not appeal to others.  Experiment and be mindful of what you are adding in.

Choose seasonal fruits and vegetables.  I can't stress this enough.  A tomato in season and from a farmer's market (if possible) tastes like the most delicious, amazing thing.  A tomato in the middle of winter with a waxy coating tastes like cardboard.  When foods are in season, and hopefully local, they are picked close to ripeness.  Otherwise they may be picked early, stored, and then force ripened with ethylene gas.  This forced ripening does not allow the flavor to come through, it just makes it look ripe.  If you're eating unappealing, non-tasty fruits and vegetables it does not encourage you to want to eat more.  As a side benefit, you really appreciate things when you can only have them in season.

Make different choices when you eat out.  There are tasty ways to add more veggies to your diet when you are eating out which allow you to still enjoy your dining experience but avoid getting bogged down by the simple carbs and other unhealthy choices.

Skip the juice and eat the fruit.  Did you know that it takes an average of 4 oranges to make 8 ounces of orange juice?  That's a lot of sugar and those extra calories add up pretty quickly.  It would be pretty difficult to eat four oranges in one sitting.  However each orange you eat comes with a significant amount of fiber which helps to slow down the glycemic effect.  The same is true for other juices.  Switch your juice to water (add a few slices of fruit for flavor if you like) and eat the fruit instead.

Keep a food journal.  An 8.5 x 11 sheet of paper folded into quarters gives you 8 spots to write down what you eat each day.  If you're looking to increase things like water consumption (always a good idea) and fruits and veggies set a goal for yourself and then keep track of it.  By looking back over the week you'll be able to see if you're meeting your goal and where you can make changes to increase your consumption a little at a time.

Small changes add up over time.  By making one or two adjustments you may soon find yourself eating more healthy fruits and veggies.

Persimmon Raisin Muffins

by baking, fruit, recipes, seasons, vegetarian, , ,

It's persimmon season!  I love these tasty little fruits, with their rich fragrant scent and amazing flavor. Luckily for me, there is a pick your own place not too far away.  Each year I go and pick pounds and pounds of them.  I eat as many as I can before they get so ripe and so soft that they are in danger of sliding out of the fruit bowl and off the counter.  They have to be pretty soft before they are ripe enough to eat so this window is pretty small.

When I get to this point I turn the rest into pulp to store in the freezer.  This allows me to make cakes, cookies, and other persimmon delights for as long as the supply lasts. Apparently you can make jam from persimmons but I somehow never seem to get around to doing that.  I'm also not sure if I would use it as I'm currently the only one in the house who likes persimmons.

One of my favorite things to bake with persimmons are these muffins.  They're a great treat with a rich dark flavor that is so reminiscent of the crisp fall weather.  I'm sure they would freeze well but somehow they've never lasted long enough for me to test that theory.

Persimmon Raisin Muffins

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Ingredients
  

  • 3 cups white whole wheat flour
  • 1 teaspoon cinnamon
  • 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • ½ teaspoon baking powder
  • 1 teaspoon sea salt
  • 1 cup persimmon pulp
  • 1 egg
  • 1 cup sucanat
  • 1 tablespoon vanilla
  • 1 cup raisins
  • 1 cup chopped pecans

Instructions
 

  • Preheat oven to 375°F
  • Grease loaf pans
  • Sift together flour, cinnamon, nutmeg, baking soda, baking powder and salt
  • In a separate bowl beat egg, add persimmon pulp and sucanat
  • Add vanilla, raisins and pecans
  • Add sifted ingredients and mix well
  • Spoon into greased muffin tins
  • Bake 15 minutes or until tops spring back when tapped
  • Remove from oven and cool in tins 3-4 minutes before moving to wire rack
  • Finish cooling on wire rack

Cherry Jam

by fruit, jelly/jam, pantry

Cherries were very reasonably priced at the grocery store leading me to buy an extra five pounds to make cherry jam.  I like making my own jam because then I know exactly what's in it.  And I manage to avoid all of the nasty ingredients that I do not want in my pantry, HFCS, artificial flavors, artificial colors, etc.  that I complained about in a recent post on grape jelly.

Jam is very easy to make.  I've taught a lot of people how to make it and invariably the response is, “That's it?”  Yes.  That's really it.  It's not that hard, it just seems complicated because most of us don't can food anymore.  Honestly I don't even make that much these days.  Now that the kids are older and most of them out of the house we just don't go through jelly, jam, chutneys, and pickles the way we used to.  So I tend to save my efforts for the more expensive items.  Like cherries.

After washing and draining the cherries comes the task of pitting them.  Without fail every single time I make cherry jam I wonder why the heck I have never invested in a cherry pitter.

I need one because, first it takes a doggone long time to pit five pounds of cherries.  Second if you've ever tried to get cherry juice out of a white blouse you'll appreciate that my fingernails look none too clean for at least a day or two afterwards.

Another challenge is trying to pit the cherries without attracting the attention of other people in the house.  Invariably five pounds of cherries turns into a fair amount less after certain unnamed people start eating them faster than you can pit them.

To make the jam simply combine the cherries with lemon peel, lemon juice, sugar, and pectin and let it cook for a while on the stovetop until it thickens.  There are lots of great recipes for cherry jam out there.  The one I use comes from the Ball Blue Book which is a great resource for recipes and information on preserving all kinds of things.

My other favorite canning/preserving book are:

Once you've created jam you put it into sterilized jars, hot water bath it and then you're done.  One of my favorite sounds is the little plinking noises made by the lids sealing after their hot water bath.
 
The jars will keep for up to two years in the pantry.  Each time we take one out and eat it we are reminded of the sweet, juicy taste of summer.  Believe me, in the middle of winter the hot, steam-filled kitchen and huge pots a-boiling on the stove are a far distant memory.  It's all worth it.
 
 

Raspberry Vinegar

by fruit, pantry, preserving, vinegar, , ,

Raspberries are coming in to season.  Their fragrant luscious aroma greets me every time I walk into the produce section of my local grocery store.  And their plump juicy red fruit temps me.  I love raspberries and truly miss the raspberry bed I had in Connecticut.  It was stocked with four different varieties each bearing at a different time pretty much ensuring a summer full of fresh flavorful berries.

Sadly the drought here in Texas has done a number to my fruit bushes.  The trees seem to be holding their own but the elderberries, raspberries, blackberries, blueberries and goji berries are all shriveled and I'm not sure they're going to make it.

Raspberries are such a wonderful fruit because not only are they tasty, they're so versatile.  They go great in fruit salads, eaten fresh, baked into scones or crumbles, on top of oatmeal, in a smoothie, the list goes on.  Plus a little as one half a cup provides 4 g. of fiber, over 25% of your daily value for vitamin C and just over 20% of your daily value for manganese. One of my favorite, extravagant ways to use raspberries is to make a raspberry vinegar.  This way I can enjoy that fragrant summer flavor all year long.

This is my favorite recipe using raspberries from Fancy Pantry which is one of my best-loved preserving cookbooks.

Raspberry Vinegar

By Fancy Pantry cookbook
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Ingredients
  

  • 8 C. raspberries, cleaned, rinsed and drained
  • 3 C. white wine vinegar

Instructions
 

  • The recipe calls for the raspberries to be used in two portions.  You can freeze 4 C. for later.
  • Crush 4 C. raspberries and place them in a sterilized, heatproof 2 quart jar
  • Add vinegar and and cover the jar
  • Set the jar in a deep saucepan and fill with water to come halfway up the jar
  • Set over medium heat and bring the water to a boil
  • Reduce the heat and keep the water simmering for 20 minutes
  • Remove the jar and set aside, uncovered to cool the contents
  • When cool, add a lid to the jar and set it aside
  • Shake the jar every day for 2 weeks
  • Strain the jar to remove old raspberries, it is okay to lightly press the berries to extract all the juice
  • Crush 4 C. raspberries and pour infused vinegar over them
  • Repeat the scalding as done above
  • Let the vinegar rest for two weeks, shaking every day
  • Strain the vinegar discarding the fruit, it is okay to lightly press the berries to extract all the juice
  • Line a funnel with an unbleached coffee filter and place in a sterilized bottle
  • Filter the vinegar into the bottle
  • Cap or cork the bottle and store in a cool dark pantry

Notes

The vinegar may develop sediment as it stands, this is okay but the vinegar can be re-filtered if you wish

tomato - eating seasonally

Seasonal Eating For Best Health

by fruit, grocery, locavore, seasons, vegetables

I regularly teach a class on seasonal eating.  What the benefits are and why we should look to consume more seasonal (and local) produce.   Obviously part of the benefit is that seasonal foods are picked when they are fully ripe, especially if they are local, rather than being picked under-ripe and either stored or transported before being force ripened.  This means that the nutritive value of the food is fully developed as well as it's flavor.  Anyone who has ever eaten a truly fresh tomato knows what I am talking about.  

Benefits of seasonal eating

  1. Better for the environment: Eating seasonal, locally produced fruits and vegetables also helps to reduce the environmental impact of your food.  If you think about it, why eat tomatoes from 2,000 miles away when you can get better tasting ones closer to home without burning massive amounts of fossil fuels?
  2. More flavor: as mentioned above, food that is picked when it is ripe, rather than when it is convenient to harvest, is going to taste better. The texture (which contributes to the taste and the enjoyment) is also better because the produce is not artificially chilled and then force ripened, all of which changes the produce.
  3. Support your local farmer: most often when you're buying local, in-season produce you're buying it direct from the grower. This helps to cut out the middle man. Farmer's markets and CSA's are a great way to meet those who are actually growing your food and to be able to talk with them about how they are growing your food.
  4. Less pesticides and toxins: most local, small farmers don't use massive amounts of pesticides, insecticides, and other chemicals. This is where getting to know your local farmer is a big benefit. They'll tell you what they're not doing and explain why. Most often it's because they're growing your food in a way that nourishes the soil and that is more beneficial for the plants. Sure it may not look as consistent or “pretty” as what you see at the grocery store but it smells and tastes far better and has more nutrients.

 

Defining the seasons

At my last class I got a question that I've gotten a couple of times before and I wanted to address it because I think it's an issue that tends to get a little confusing for folks sometimes.  It's about the seasonality of food.  I live in Texas.  We have a very different growing season here compared to most of the rest of the country. We essentially have the equivalent of two spring-like seasons, one very hot season sandwiched in between them, followed by a cold, often rainy season.  Learning to grow food here has proven to be a bit of a challenge. It's nowhere near as easy or intuitive as what I'm used to having grown up in the Northeast.  Luckily I have several local CSAs and Farmer's Markets that help supplement our supply of seasonal foods with their expert skills.

One question that comes up a lot is about what constitutes a season.  The answer?  Well, it depends on where you are living.  I think the first, most important place to start is to understand the concept of seasonal eating and decide if this is something that you want to follow.  We try to do so in our house for most things because we then get the ripest, best tasting produce by waiting for the season.  It also means that we more fully appreciate our food by having to wait for it.  I'm going to be honest and put in a disclaimer here to say that there are certain foods that we do not eat seasonally because we use them too much (such as onions, garlic, carrots, and celery) but in general we eat berries in the spring and summer, squashes in the winter and so on.

Resources

In addition to learning to appreciate the seasonality of your food, you need to learn what exactly your seasons are.  If you're not sure of what's really in season in your area here are some websites that  can help:

If you're looking to find a farmer's market and get fresh, seasonal, local product a great resource for the United States is Local Harvest.

Of course, once you've gotten all this fabulous seasonal produce you'll need to know what to do with it. Here are a few cookbooks to help with that:

The High Density Orchard

by fruit, garden, herbs and spices, vegetables
Indus Valley Sustainable Living Institute

Recently I visited the Indus Valley Sustainable Living Institute run by my friend Priyanka.  It was wonderful to see all the amazing things that they do there and learn about recycling and reusing on a bigger scale.  One of their tag lines is “eco-logical design.”  I love it.  What a perfect phrase and concept for living sustainably and in harmony with our environment.

While I was there I was able to see the high density orchard.  It's amazing to see all the different fruit trees that are planted in a very small space.   They can be grown closer together in part because there is no need to plant them wide enough for commercial machinery to get through for harvesting.  There's also no need to prune/thin to maximize production.  The trees will be shaped to make getting through the orchard and around the trees easier, but they will produce enough to be sustainable.

I was very happy to see the way the orchard was laid out.  Priyanka shared that they have 6 citrus, 3 figs, 3 persimmons, an avocado, 2 apples, 4 bananas, an olive, two pomegranates a loquat, black berries, blueberries, grapes, strawberries, and “a few more growing around here.”  Their combined orchard and vegetable garden is all in within a 1/6 acre piece of the 1.25 acres that encompass the property.

It made me realize that what we are doing with our little 1/4 acre property is just right, at least for us.  It also made me realize that yes I can have an avocado if I simply move the butterfly ginger just a pinch to the right.  Another interesting concept was that in the orchard squashes were growing in between the trees.  Priyanka told me that many times vines are encouraged to grow up the tree trunks as a means of support.  I think that's great and plan to figure out how I can protect baby squash from the ravages of my little terrier-mix puppy and try to put some in there.

Having your own vegetables and fruit is a great way to connect with your food.  On a very basic level there is just something fabulous about picking tomatoes and basil from your own garden to toss into the pan and make a meal.

I have been using Mel Bartholomew's Square Foot Gardening for years.  It's been great and allows me to grow a large number of vegetables in a relatively small space.  For those who don't have a yard, container gardening can be the way to go.  There is quite a lot that can actually be grown in containers and a well done container garden is very attractive.  From Container to Kitchen, The Vegetables Gardener's Container Bible, and Bountiful Container are all good choices to help you get started with container food and herb gardening.

Another good book is Rosalind Creasy's Edible Landscaping.  With a lot of great information about incorporating food plants into the garden in an aesthetic and pleasing way it's a good resource and has a lot of useful ideas for those of us (okay mostly me) who aren't good at landscape design.

While there isn't a similar book that is specifically focussed on growing fruit trees and bushes there are a number of books related to small scale homesteading.  These include The Backyard Homestead, Mini Farming, and The Practical Homestead. I'm going to check them out and see if there is information there that I can pass along.

In the meantime if you garden, in the yard, in a container, on your windowsill, I'd love to hear about it.

what's in season: june

Superfoods Trending Down

by eggs, fruit, immune system, legumes, nuts, super foods
According to a recent news article, superfoods are trending down.  Not all superfoods, just the ones that have been the media darlings, acai, goji berries and the like.  I actually like this trend because as I wrote previously (back in 2008 I might add) we don't need to import superfoods. Bringing them to your table from other countries that adds to the environmental impact of sourcing them. We would do better to utilize those that are readily available.  It's more sustainable, eco-friendly, and also easier on your wallet.

What are superfoods

While there isn't a true definition for a superfood, it's generally accepted that they are foods with high levels of vitamins, minerals, and/or antioxidants. Eating them is supposed to be beneficial due to their increased nutrient values. To take advantage of their health benefits, choose local, or domestic, options.

Domestic superfoods

Berries– with lots of fiber and antioxidants they're great and easy to add to the diet in cereal, yogurt, salads, plain, anytime.
 
Eggs – high in protein (1 egg provides 6 g) with lutein and zeaxanthin (good for your eyes) eggs are nourishing, versatile and satisfying.
 
Nuts – raw and unsalted are the best. Soaked nuts are optimal for good nutrition. Providing monosaturated fats they are a great heart-healthy choice.  Add them to foods such as cereals or baked good or take some along for healthy nutrition boosting snack.
 
Broccoli – yes, it is a super food.  With an amazing nutritional punch, it provides not only fiber and a wide range of vitamins, but it also has sulforaphane which is a potent cancer-fighting detoxifier.
 
Beans – with a hefty dose of fiber and iron beans are an all-around good for you food.  Soups, stews, and dips are a great way to add them to your meals.
 
Beta-carotenes – okay so this isn't a food but rather a group of foods.  Found in orange foods (think sweet potatoes, winter squashes, carrots, etc) and dark leafy greens (the chlorophyll hides the color) like kale, spinach, collards, and more betacarotene is a powerful antioxidant that supports immune system health, reproductive health, and it's very good for your eyes.
 
So while imported superfoods may be trending down I'm rooting for an overall upward trend in the concept of nourishing foods.
 
watermelon for agua fresca

Quench Your Thirst With Agua Fresca

by drinks, fruit, seasons, summer

Agua fresca is Spanish for fresh waters. It's a refreshing non-alcoholic summer-y drink with origins in Mexico where it is sold by street vendors.  In South and Central American stores or restaurants you can sometimes you can find it in large containers where it is ladled out by the glassful.  Agua fresca is a great drink for warm weather. It's a hydrating and satisfying thirst quencher that is much better than soda or over-sugared bottled drinks and fountain drinks.

Agua fresca is usually made with fruit, lime juice, and water.  Watermelon, cantaloupe, strawberry, and pineapple are popular flavors.  When you make them at home the ingredients can be adjusted for personal taste.  Often there's no need to add sugar, because the fruits are sweet enough on their own.  Because you don't strain the agua fresca after blending it (unless it's too thick in which case you can lightly strain to remove larger pieces) you're also getting some of the healthy fiber.

What fruits to use

Just about any fruit or fruit combination is fair game when it comes to agua fresca. Of course you'll need water and lime juice.  Substitute lemon if you're out of limes, but trust me it's somehow better with lime juice.  Mangos, peaches, pineapple, there's really no limit to the tasty and refreshing combinations you can make.

One of my personal choices for a great agua fresca is watermelon which is abundantly available in the summertime. Juicy and delicious, watermelon is in vitamin C  and lycopene, as well as being rich in the electrolytes potassium  and sodium.  This makes it a fabulous choice for summer time when we tend to lose a lot of electrolytes through perspiration.  

Luciano Pavarotti once said, “Watermelon, it's a great fruit. You eat, you drink, you wash your face.”  If you're eating it that's certainly true.  With an agua fresca you can still enjoy the wonderful flavor and not have to worry about the wash your face part.  Here's my favorite recipe:

 

Agua Fresca
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Ingredients
  1. 2 C. strawberries, dehulled
  2. 3 C. watermelon, removed from the rind and pitted
  3. juice of 1/2 a lime
  4. 1/3-1/2 C. of ice cold water
  5. mint leaves for garnish
Instructions
  1. Place berries, watermelon and lime juice in a blender
  2. Blend until well mixed
  3. Add water until you reach a consistency that you prefer
  4. Garnish and enjoy!
The Ingredient Guru, Mira Dessy https://theingredientguru.com/