Results tagged “produce” from iVillage - Supermarket Guru
Everyone loves to save money, and since the average American goes grocery shopping a little more than twice a week, there is no better place to start looking for those extra dollars. You already know that you should have a list prepared before you head to the store (those shoppers save an estimated 25% on their shopping bill by eliminating impulse purchases) and bring those coupons (which now have an average face value of almost a dollar), but what you may not know is that WHERE in the store you shop may also make a difference.
Today every retailer seems to be selling groceries, and why not? We buy foodstuffs more often than any other category of goods and therefore so is the likelihood of us visiting a particular store more often. And when we are there...if the merchandising is doing its job, we will buy more items than we planned to and that leads to extra profits for the store. As a result, there is a battle going on between warehouse clubs, supercenters, drug chains and our traditional supermarkets to entice us to their stores and purchase our groceries at their check stand.
Here are a few tips that can turn your next shopping trip into a windfall.
All cooperative organizations are supported by memberships with a wide range of responsibilities attached, from paying up front to offering labor to pay-as-you buy. While states in the East and Midwest have the most of these farm-to-you arrangements, nearly every state has at least a few for you to explore.
CO-OP MARKETS
A cooperative market, or co-op, is both a stand-alone store and a concept of buying foods in bulk to reduce the per-pound selling costs. The members participate in all steps of the operation and benefit when buying produce at considerable savings. The members can be asked to do anything from planting and harvesting farms to staffing and running the in-store operation or, for those with time limits, paying higher membership fees for the privilege of buying the farm-fresh produce and other goods commonly found in a traditional supermarket. Membership fees are on a sliding scale commensurate with the amount of time and labor one puts into the co-op. Profits from the produce and other goods sold go for wholesale costs, rent, insurance and other similar business costs. Best of all, excellent choices for both conventionally grown and organically grown produce are made, fancy packaging and other disposable elements found in other food stores are eliminated, and this frills-free business can be quite a money saver for both individuals and large families even with a membership fee attached.
Visit the Coop Directory Listing for a location nearest you. The site also has information about starting a co-op market in areas where none currently exists.
It's springtime and that means some of the year's best produce is about to be delivered to your supermarket. Spring means more colors and more interesting fruits and vegetables. It can also mean extra nutrients for your whole family with very little extra work.
BUYING PRODUCE IN SEASON makes so much sense. When you buy produce which is not in season, it has to be shipped from where it is in season -- typically a location closer to the equator or from a hot house, which has a controlled environment. In addition, the produce has to be picked before it's ripe, so you lose a bit of flavor and nutritional value.
Produce in season tastes better. It's grown domestically so it is closer to where you buy it and it's less expensive (because of the lowered transportation costs). You can save anywhere from 10-50 percent. Twenty years ago, the supermarket produce section had about 50 items. Today they have 300 to 400 items! Ethnic or exotic produce is one of the fastest-growing produce sections of the supermarket. As Americans are more exposed to different cultures, they have become more willing to experiment with new fruits and vegetables. Supermarkets also are doing a better job of sampling their produce to their customers.
While Americans are more open to trying different produce, we still are not eating enough of them. Most doctors and dieticians recommend eating about 9 servings of fruits and vegetables a day but the average American is eating only 3.2 servings a day. Fresh fruits and vegetables are loaded with vitamins, nutrients, and fiber and have a lot of antioxidants properties.
Let’s get started with the 101 on some of the more exotic spring pickins:
Feijoas
Golden solo sunrise papaya
Kumquats
Lychee
Tamarillo
Mangos
Eggplant
Sugar snap peas
Asparagus
Tomatoes
Bell peppers
Brussel sprouts
Cantaloupe
More from Phil Lempert:
Most of us have heard that bananas are a terrific source of potassium – but did you know that potassium is found naturally in a wide range of fruits and vegetables, and many contain even more potassium than a banana?For example: a half a cup of raisins contains 1,126 milligrams – more than twice that of a single banana which contains just 451 mgs. A baked potato with the skin on contains 844 mg and half an avocado contains 742. An 8 ounce glass of orange juice delivers 474 mgs.
The next time you are in the produce section, read the nutritional information and you’ll find some pleasant nutrition surprises…and remember the Recommended Allowance for potassium is 3,500 mg every day.
More from the Supermarket Guru:
Last week, in the middle of the afternoon, I had the urge for a snack. As I was walking down the streets of New York, passing by food store after food store, I finally decided that a banana in the chill of January, was just perfect.
As I peeled the skin back I realized just how little I actually knew about what is one of my favorite fruits. All the attention these days seem to be on those berries that are rich in antioxidants, but what of the bright yellow seemingly always available (and affordable) banana?
I made a note. This week we discover the banana! And also found out that it's possible that over the next few years we may have to search a bit harder to find one of our favorite fruits.
First off, it's important to note that this fruit - sweet, soft and season-less – is available year-round – and bananas are a good source of vitamin C, potassium and dietary fiber.
Bananas have been in cultivation since recorded history began. Some horticulturists believe that bananas could have been the Earth’s first fruit; here in the U.S. It was at the 1876 Philadelphia Centennial Exhibition that the banana was officially introduced to our shores.
Unlike the depiction in cartoons, bananas don’t grow on trees. They grow on plants that are related to the lily and orchid family. Bananas need temperatures around 80°F, an annual rainfall of about 79 to 98 inches, moist soil and good drainage. That means most bananas are grown between 30 degrees North and 30 degrees South latitude. As the largest plants on earth without a woody stem, banana plants are fragile and require intense care – including the clearing away of jungle growth, and propping to counter bend from the weight of heavy fruit.
Heat and humidity speed up the ripening process, so bananas must be maintained at 58 degrees Fahrenheit during shipment. Once they arrive in North America, they are ripened in a controlled environment. Many bananas are ripened artificially with ethylene gas – a substance that triggers maturation.
One of the few fruits that ripen off the plant, bananas sweeten considerably as the starch inside the fruit converts to sugar. The color of the peel is the ultimate determining factor for a banana's readiness for market. On a scale of 1 to 7, with 1 being hard green, and 7 being flecking and brown, most bananas ship to retailers at color stage 3.5 (more green than yellow). Interestingly, bananas can be stored in the refrigerator until desired ripeness is achieved. Even though the skin will turn brown, the fruit inside will be delicious and not overripe.
There are hundreds of varieties of banana plants, though not all produce bananas. The main store varieties include Cavendish bananas – the commercial variety available in most local supermarkets, Dwarf or Finger bananas – smaller versions of the Cavendish, Apple bananas – a short, plump variety with an apple taste, and Red bananas – sweet, chunky, creamy bananas with a red skin that turns purple when ripe.
On average, Americans consume over 28 pounds of bananas each year, with over 96% of households purchasing bananas at least once each month. That’s why it’s hard to believe – especially in light of these numbers – that the future of the banana is actually extremely uncertain. Since each banana is a genetic duplicate of the next, the fruit is extremely susceptible to blight.
The Cavendish, the most well-known variety, is currently battling a blight called Panama Disease, for which there is no cure. The disease has already ravaged the crop in many Asian nations, including virtually all the crop in Malaysia. It has even spread as far as Australia. Although the disease has not yet reached Latin America, which supplies all of the bananas we eat in the U.S., it could appear here within the next 20 years.
But before we panic, this isn’t the first time that bananas have faced such a threat and survived. For the first half of the 20th century, consumers enjoyed a banana known as the Gros Michel. By the 1960s, however, the entire crop had been devastated by the same Panama Disease that is now threatening the Cavendish. The more disease-resistant Cavendish moved in to replace the now extinct Gros Michel. So we may have our bananas after all, but who knows just what variety and what they might be called?
So this morning on TODAY we talked and tasted a few “exotic fruits” – but what about some of the basics like papaya? And mangos?
Here’s an exotic produce 101 to help you select the best!
FEIJOAS The feijoa (fay-joe-a) is an aromatic fruit that has a pineapple-spearmint flavor. Native to South America, the feijoa is also called the "pineapple guava." They are oval-shaped with a slightly bumpy, thin skin that ranges in color from lime-green to olive. The soft interior flesh is a cream-to-tan color that has a gritty texture.
Checking for freshness
Buy feijoas with a full, rich aroma. If they are not as tender as a soft pear, leave at room temperature for a few days (or speed up the process by enclosing them in a paper bag with an apple). Once feijoas are ripe, eat them within a few days.
Preparation
Feijoas are wonderful eaten fresh or sliced and added to salads. They also work well in jellies or used as a garnish.
Nutrition
Feijoas are low in fat, cholesterol free, and a good source of vitamin C.
GOLDEN SOLO SUNRISE PAPAYA
A member of the solo sunrise variety, the golden solo sunrise is unique due to its golden-yellow skin, which is firm and smooth. This variety comes from Brazil and doesn't get mushy inside. Its sweet red flesh is stringless which makes for a very smooth texture.
Checking for ripeness
Papayas are ripe when they turn all (or nearly all) yellow. Avoid papayas that are hard or too soft. Once miradol papayas are ripe, refrigerate up to one week in the refrigerator.
Preparation
Cut it in half and use it as a serving dish. Fill the papaya with other fruits, chicken salad, shrimp, tuna or cottage cheese. Golden solo sunrise papayas are delicious alone or sprinkled with a little lime juice. Nutrition Papayas are saturated fat free, cholesterol free, a good source of folate, high potency, with lots of vitamin C.
KUMQUATS
The name kumquat comes from the Cantonese for "golden orange." They resemble a miniature football in shape and are approximately 1 1/2-2 inches in length. Although they have a golden orange peel like larger oranges, the entire fruit is edible. The skin tastes sweet and the pulp is tart.
Checking for freshness
Select kumquats that are firm with no soft spots and no shriveling. Keep refrigerated up to two weeks or at room temperature if you will be eating the kumquats within a few days.
Preparation
Kumquats can be used to make a glaze for baked ham or a topping for ice cream or custard.
Nutrition
Kumquats are saturated fat free, cholesterol free, high in the antioxidant vitamin C, very low in sodium.
LYCHEE
The lychee has been relished in China for centuries where it originated nearly 2,000 years ago. A lychee tree can be up to 40 feet tall and take 15 years to mature. The lychee is a fruit that is small, round and has a tough, bumpy peel of reddish color. When the skin is peeled back there is a shiny white flesh surrounding a single center seed. Lychees have a very sweet taste and are similar in taste and texture to a grape.
Preparation
Once peeled, lychees can be eaten alone, added to fruit salads or make a great accompaniment to meat dishes. Lychees are only available May through October, so enjoy them now!
Nutrition
Lychees are low fat, cholesterol free, high in the antioxidant vitamin C.
TAMARILLO
The tamarillo is related to the potato and tomato families. It is a fruit that is mostly native to the Peruvian Andes and parts of Chile, Ecuador and Bolivia. Tamarillos are egg-shaped and have a glossy, smooth skin and a golden apricot-colored flesh with seeds and a stem. They have a tart, tomato flavor with a meaty texture.
Checking for ripeness
Look for firm, heavy tamarillos. Tamarillos are ripe when the fruit yields slightly to pressure and comes fragrant. Once ripe, refrigerate for up to one week.
Preparation
Tamarillos, available both in gold and red colored skins, must be peeled either by using a peeler or by setting in boiling water to slip off the skin. They can be baked or used in chutneys, relishes and sweet and sour sauces. Try cooking with bananas to balance the "aspic" flavor.
Nutrition
60 percent vitamin C with 4 grams of fiber
MANGOES
Mangoes are the world's most consumed fruit and were originally cultivated in India over 6,000 years ago. There are several varieties of mangoes available during different times of the year. The most common is the Tommy Atkins (red) mango grown in Mexico.
Other varieties include the Haden, Kent and Keitt. Other popular growing regions are Puerto Rico, Haiti and Brazil. Mangoes are measured in sweetness by their brix (sugar) content.
Preparation
Mangoes can be eaten out of hand, or added to meat dishes, smoothies, pureed for a dessert sauce or make a beautiful presentation when the skin is bent backwards and the flesh is cubed.
Nutrition
Low-fat, saturated-fat-free, cholesterol-free, high in the antioxidant vitamin A, good source of the antioxidant vitamin C.
We’ve heard for years that it’s the dark and colorful fruits and vegetables that are the ones loaded with nutrients. But new research shows that mushrooms (even white ones) are a good source of nutrients. And yes, before you make THAT joke—mushrooms are actually fungi. They provide many of the nutritional benefits found in meat, beans and grains including riboflavin, niacin and selenium.
Antioxidants are all the rage, rightfully so, and I bet you didn’t know that mushrooms are the number one source of the antioxidant ergothioneine and the leading source of the antioxidant selenium in the fruit and vegetable category. White mushrooms contain about the same antioxidants as tomatoes, zucchini and carrots; brown mushrooms are comparable to green beans, broccoli and red peppers.
Mushrooms also contains Vitamin D (promotes absorption of calcium), B Vitamins (breaks down proteins, fats and carbohydrates) and are rich in potassium, which balances our fluids and minerals and controls blood pressure.
What I also like about mushrooms is that they are low in calories, fat-free, cholesterol-free and low in sodium.
Probably one of the unsung benefits, at least for me — is also that the careful slicing of mushrooms seems to bring on calm in the kitchen.
Some like it hot. And no one does hot better than the tasty, mouth-watering chili pepper. Legendary for their texture and taste, chili peppers have long been a staple in Mexican, Latin and South American cooking, as well as a favorite addition to many dishes native to the Southwestern United States.
Tasting chili peppers has become something of an art form over the years, with the most experienced tasters learning to accurately determine different levels of heat with their own senses. Those with less discerning palates have their pick of various scientific tests with the Scoville index being the most common.
Developed in 1912 by chemist Wilbur Scoville, a trained panel of tasters measures heat as Scoville Heat Units (SHU) in a given weight of fruit tissue. If your tongue can’t handle the heat, capsaicin content can also be measured in parts per million (PPM) by a machine called a high pressure liquid chromatograph (HPLC), in which case a conversion factor of 15 is used to convert between PPM and SHU.
In layman’s terms? Sweet peppers have 0 SHU, chilies with a slight bite may have 100 to 500 SHU, and blistering habaneros? Between 200,000 and 300,000 SHU. The Bhut Jolokia pepper, considered by the Guinness World Records to be the world’s hottest chili pepper, tops the scale at a whopping 1,001,304 Scoville Heat Units. Since heat is relative, and people have different tolerances for heat in food, SHU’s can be extremely useful in more accurately labeling products designated as “mild,” “medium” or “hot.”
But the chili pepper’s appeal extends well beyond its heat factor - which is actually concentrated in the chile membrane, not the seeds, contrary to what most people believe. Dr. Terry Berke, the senior plant breeder for hot peppers at Seminis Vegetable Seeds in Woodland, California, says that tasting peppers is like tasting wine. It is, he says, an experience filled with delicate nuances.
“You bite into a small piece, roll it around your mouth, and spit it out, noting things like mouth-feel (or crunchiness), sweetness, pungency, aroma and flavor. In the case of green bell peppers, their characteristic aroma – resulting from the chemical 3-isobutyl 2-methoxy pyrazine - is particularly distinct.”
So distinct, in fact, that the human tongue can detect the chemical at 2 nanograms per liter. That’s equivalent to approximately one drop in a swimming pool.
With dozens of varieties to choose from, and an incredible range of exotic flavors, peppers truly shine in a bevy of creative, diverse recipes. One mythic Mexican dish, called “Stuffed Xoloitzcuintles,” highlights ancho and pasilla peppers stuffed into the gut of a hairless dog – a dish that is, according to the recipe, “low in fat and cholesterol and high in protein.” Less adventurous, though no less tasty fare ranges from the jalapeño-based “Seconds” dish, created in honor of a recent presidential inauguration, to the health-conscious “Grilled Chili Rellenos,” a modern twist on a traditional Cinco de Mayo dish filled with poblano, jalapeños, and bell peppers.
And there’s more to the Chili than just taste! In addition to being rich in vitamins C, A and E, The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition found that meals containing chili peppers reduced the amount of insulin required to lower blood sugar after a meal – a fact that could potentially help diabetics. And a recent Taiwanese study discovered that, when mixed with capsaicin in a test tube, fat cells died before maturing.
And just remember when you take a bite of an “o’ too hot” Mexican dish – the best way to calm the burn – it to drink a glass of milk.
