Skip to Content.
Sympa Menu

market-farming - Re: [Market-farming] quality produce in California?

market-farming AT lists.ibiblio.org

Subject: Market Farming

List archive

Chronological Thread  
  • From: road's end farm <organic101 AT linkny.com>
  • To: Market Farming <market-farming AT lists.ibiblio.org>
  • Subject: Re: [Market-farming] quality produce in California?
  • Date: Tue, 18 Sep 2007 09:36:41 -0400


On Sep 17, 2007, at 10:03 PM, sals wrote:

<x-tad-smaller>whets this guy going to eat in the winter that less that 24 hr. old.  ?</x-tad-smaller>
----- Original Message -----
<x-tad-smaller>
</x-tad-smaller>

Sals, the question isn't only exactly how old the produce is. This matters a great deal for some things (Su and Se sweet corn, for instance, and many varieties of peas) and much less for others (shallots keep close to a year, for instance). The question is also, was the variety chosen with the primary consideration being flavor and/or nutrition (which tend to go together) or with the primary consideration being how well it stands up to shipping (which for many species tends to be an ability that does not combine well with best texture and flavor for that item). This also makes much more difference for some things than for others: as I posted earlier, quality potatoes ship pretty well, tomatoes not.

As far as winter eating: there are some things I don't eat in the winter, here in NY State. Yes, there's something in the store labeled "tomato" or "strawberry" or "apricot"; but they have no flavor and terrible texture. I'm not going to waste my money on them. My own produce or other good local produce, stored in freezer or jars, tastes much better; or else I'll just wait and eat them in season. The joy of finally having a good fresh tomato on my sandwich is only increased by having waited for it.

Even something like potatoes, which I do eat all winter, out of storage: the flavor and texture change in storage. They're still worth eating; but they don't taste like the new ones. A few days doesn't make much difference on these; but many months in cold storage plus shipping from China makes quite a difference to garlic quality, even though garlic is a storage crop and I sell mine (from July harvest) as late in the year as March some years.

-- Rivka; Finger Lakes NY, Zone 5 mostly
Fresh-market organic produce, small scale



Archive powered by MHonArc 2.6.24.

Top of Page