Bare Fruit

Our family loves fruit in all its forms, including dried.

My struggle with buying dried fruit is that it often has added sugar and preservatives.

Short of drying fruit ourselves (which we do sometimes), our only option was preservative laced dried fruit -- until now.

I came across Bare Fruit the other day and it is nothing but bake-dried organic fruit.  No added sugar or preservatives.

We bought the dried mangos, but the Washington based company also sells dried cherries, pears and Fuji, Granny Smith and cinnamon apples from Washington State.

The taste is fantastic and you can feel good knowing that only organic fruits are entering your body.  Find them at a grocery store near you or on Amazon.com.

What is a "Meyer Lemon"?

I've read multiple recipes lately that call for a Meyer Lemon.  I always just use a regular lemon, not thinking there was a substantial difference.

I saw Meyer lemons in our grocery store last week and thought I better figure this out.

It turns out the Meyer lemon was brought to the U.S. in the early 1900's from China.  Compared to traditional lemon plants, the Meyer lemon is squat and considered an ornamental garden pot plant.

While still grown in China, California is a major supplier of our Meyer lemons.

Popularized by Martha Stewart, it is believed the Meyer lemon is a cross between a lemon and an orange, providing both flavor profiles.

I'm certain to try one in the future, but it seems to me that if a recipe calls for one, a mixture of orange and lemon juice will result in a similar flavor substitute.

Have you used a Meyer Lemon?

Aronia Berry -- the filler fruit

We made "blueberry pomegranate" juice from concentrate the other day.  Interesting that apple, grape and aronia juices were the first ingredients (ingredients are labelled from highest to lowest percentage) -- but that's for a different post.

What I really wanted to know was what is an aronia berry?

An aronia berry is inedible raw (except for the red variety) because of its astringency, though birds dine on them frequently as they cannot taste the astringency.

The berry can be found in the wild or as an ornamental shrub that many of us have seen in various parts of the U.S..  Perhaps you have this shrub in your own yard.  There are three varieties identified by color: black, purple and red (the red is edible raw).

The berry can be made into a jam, syrup or wine.  But why was it in my blueberry/pomegranate juice?

Aronia berry juice is a filler juice, that does have antioxidant properties, but who's value is a color enhancer in mass produced juices.

Now you (and I) know.

The Fate of the Banana and its Probable Extinction

I just finished reading Dan Keoppel's book, "Banana:  The Fate of the Fruit That Changed the World".

Published in 2008, it's a fascinating journey through the history of the banana and how civilizations, government rulers, wars and mega-companies have evolved from this relatively inexpensive and humble fruit that outsells apples and oranges combined.

Dan briefly glimpses at the strong chemicals (the banana requires more pesticide than any other fruit) used in the growing of bananas and the significant physical harm it causes to the workers bodies (the movie trailer below shows the physical harm caused by Dole spraying chemicals on their farms) and the surrounding landscape, but the bulk of the book is focused on the bananas remarkable global growth (especially since the male portion of the banana tree is sterile) and the Panama Disease that threatens its very existence.

The most fascinating elements of the book to me were:

• learning that the banana tree (it's really classified as an herb) reproduces through a Mother/Daughter relationship offering new shoots from the original tree that can be transplanted since the male portion is sterile.
• learning that the banana our grandparents and parents grew up eating, the Gros Michel, is virtually eliminated from existence due to the onslaught of Panama Disease -- of which there is no cure.  The Gros Michel (or Big Mike) was bigger, hardier fruit that had a better taste and texture.
• learning that the new banana plant, the Cavendish (originally considered rubbish by Chiquita when the Gros Michel was still around), is under the first rounds of attack from Panama Disease and may sadly only be viable as a commercial fruit for 10-30 more years.
• learning that Chiquita and Dole are feverishly working to create the next banana that will withstand the attack of Panama Disease and that hopefully they can pull it off through cross-breeding and not genetic manipulation -- though both methods have proven unsuccessful for more than a decade.
• learning that the forbidden fruit in the story of Genesis may have been the banana with a strong case for that being the case.
• learning about the politics and mergers that created Chiquita and Dole.

If you're a foodie, you will appreciate this book and will appreciate even more your next banana.  People 30 years from now may not have the same opportunity.

Sulphur Dioxide and Grapes

Sulphur dioxide are two words that don't give me a warm fuzzy feeling.  Whether you know exactly what it is or not, usually thoughts of something negative and chemical come to mind.

So imagine my surprise when I found it on our grapes this morning.

I frequently buy organic grapes, but none were available at the store last night.  So I purchased regular grapes and headed home.

This morning as I was washing the grapes for our son's class snack I noticed "product of Chile" on the bag.  I usually see "product of California", so I read on with curiosity to discover the phrase "treated with sulphur dioxide to preserve freshness".  I figured, this couldn't be good.

After a little research I discovered sulphur dioxide is a poisonous gas which is sprayed on fruit, and acts as a preservative, enhancing its color and preventing mold.  Airborne inhalation of this chemical has lead to a rash of breathing problems, premature birth and premature death.

Grapes from Chile need to be picked and shipped with plenty of lead time before they hit the grocery shelves.  Sulphur dioxide, allows the grapes to be picked early and arrive looking fresh and ripe.

Asthmatics seem to be most at risk from ingesting sulphur dioxide.  For them, ingestion can increase chances of an asthmatic attack, skin rashes and upset stomach.

While generally deemed safe for consumption in small quantities in healthy people, why chance it?  I also wonder what the long-term effects of small daily doses.

Turns out California grapes are not in season and organic grapes are only in dreams this time of year.  With my only option being imported grapes,  I'll choose to pass.