Produce Notes

Organic Green Onions 99¢ per bunch

June 8, 2023 by The Natural Grocery Company

Greens onions are also known as spring onions, scallions, or salad onions. Green onions are actually baby, immature onions that are picked before they fully grow. The bulb is younger and is cut while the tops are still green. They have tiny white or pale-green bulbs at the end of long green tops. There are slight age differences and bulb types between scallions and green onions, but they are often considered the same vegetable.

Select green onions with white to pale green bulbs. Look for undamaged, unwilted tops. The tops should be bright green and about 8 inches long. When selecting green onions, be sure to look for crisp, firm bulbs.

Store green onions in cool moist areas in the refrigerator, preferably the crisper or vegetable drawer (32-36 degrees F). Scallions will last between 3 and 4 weeks if stored properly.

Great source of vitamin C, beta-carotene, and folate—even more than mature onions.
Good source of calcium.

Organic Open Pint Strawberries

June 5, 2023 by The Natural Grocery Company

Farmer Profile – Esteban Martinez

Have you tried the open pint strawberries recently? We’re sourcing them from Esteban Martinez of JW Farms and they are really, no REALLY, great tasting!

Farmer Esteban Martinez grows organic strawberries on 21 acres in coastal Monterey County. He’s been farming for 20 years and in 2017 purchased the land where he currently farms. The rolling hills and sandy soils make the landscape prone to erosion particularly during heavy rains.

To mitigate this erosion, improve soil health and increase biodiversity on his farm, Esteban has successfully planted a hedgerow along two edges of one 14- acre field including natives like ceanothus, coffeeberry, coyote brush and toyon. Esteban is working to extend the hedgerow and incorporate edible trees like mulberry and elderberry. The perennial hedgerows contribute to soil health by covering the surface of the soil, reducing wind and water erosion, and establishing deep roots that promote water infiltration and carbon storage.

As an ambitious and strategic farmer, Esteban is working to establish a farmer cooperative with other regional growers.

You will often see their packed strawberries in pressed card containers. Remember, you don’t have to take the plastic open pint baskets if you don’t want to and honestly your strawberries will arrive home in better condition if you do. You could bring your own container and leave the plastic basket behind or return the clean basket on your next visit and we’ll take care of repurposing it.

Enjoy!

March is Fairtrade Banana Month

March 7, 2023 by The Natural Grocery Company

Choosing Fairtrade makes a difference!

In March we are featuring Fairtrade Bananas for $0.99/lb

Photo courtesy of Equal Exchange

Fairtrade banana producers are paid a Fairtrade Minimum Price that acts as a safety net against falling prices. This price varies by region, factoring in local conditions and aiming to cover the average costs of sustainable production.
Plantation workers and small-scale banana farmers also receive a Fairtrade Premium – an extra sum of money that farmers and workers invest in business or community projects of their choice. Banana workers have often used the Premium to improve their housing, build schools and clinics, or offer other benefits they see a need for.
The Fairtrade Standards are designed to improve employment conditions and protect the rights of workers in the large plantations where the majority of export bananas are grown. In recent years Fairtrade has undertaken pioneering work to define and progress toward living wages for banana workers.
For smallholder farms, Fairtrade supports these banana growers to improve their income and their bargaining position in banana supply chains that are often dominated by larger entities.

Photo courtesy of Equal Exchange

Season: Bananas are grown in tropical areas and can produce nearly year-round, so seasonality is not particularly relevant to the fruit. Bananas are not grown in California.

Flavor: The flavor changes as they ripen. Green bananas are more starchy, very firm and less sweet. As they ripen the taste has been described as having melon, pineapple, candy and clove flavor notes. Yellow bananas have higher sugar concentrations and therefore taste sweeter. Finally, when the peel has become brown, the banana contains notes which are reminiscent of vanilla, honey and rum and the texture is very soft.

Storage: Ripen green bananas on the counter. You can also store them on the counter – but note that they will continue to ripen, and sometimes quickly, depending on how warm it is. If they are too green for you then put them in a plastic bag with an apple to help ripen them.

You can also use bananas’ ethylene gas to your advantage: to ripen a hard avocado overnight, stick it in a paper bag with a ripe banana. The banana’s ethylene gas will work its magic on the avocado, making it perfectly ripe and ready for your next batch of guacamole.

How to use: The most common way to eat bananas is of course, out of hand. But they’re also used for a variety of sweet and savory dishes. Very ripe bananas are perfect for baking in dishes such as Banana Bread.

Bananas freeze beautifully — just peel them and stick them in a zip-top bag for use in smoothies or banana ice cream. If you’re going to freeze them, go one step further and make chocolate covered bananas for an instant dessert.

Nutrition: Bananas are really, really good for you! One medium-sized banana will give you about 12 percent of your daily fiber needs, plus lots of Vitamin C, Vitamin B6, potassium and manganese. Bananas even have a bit of protein, iron and calcium.

Our stores only carry organic produce!

More About “Moro” Blood Oranges

January 20, 2023 by The Natural Grocery Company

Organic “Moro” Blood Oranges on sale in January 2023 for $2.59/lb

“Moro” blood oranges have a rind that is orange, kissed with red blush, and has a leathery texture, pebbled with prominent oil glands. Underneath the surface of the rind, there is a medium-thick pith that is white, spongy, and tightly adhered to the flesh. The flesh ranges in color from orange with red blush, to maroon, crimson, to a saturated, almost black hue, depending on the climate that it is grown in. The flesh is also soft, juicy, and nearly seedless, divided into 10-11 segments by thin membranes. Moro blood oranges have a slightly sweet, floral fragrance and a sweet-tart taste with notes of cherries and raspberries. The oranges with the deepest pigmentation will exhibit more intense sweet berry notes characteristic to blood oranges.

Moro blood oranges, botanically classified as Citrus sinensis, are an early season Italian variety that grows on a highly ornamental, evergreen tree that belongs to the Rutaceae or citrus family. Their color is due to a pigment called anthocyanin, not usually present in citrus but common in other red fruits and flowers. Fluctuations in temperature greatly affect the degree to which blood oranges develop their characteristic blush. Though the Moro can vary greatly in this respect, no other blood orange variety is known to exhibit such deeply red colored fruits.

Moro blood oranges are a good source of vitamin C, potassium, folate, thiamine, dietary fiber and most notably antioxidants supplied by its anthocyanin content.

Moro blood oranges are both intensely flavored and colored, adding a unique citrus flavor as well as visual appeal to a dish. They are often used raw and can be sliced and mixed into parfaits, desserts, salads, salsa, and garnished over seafood and poultry. Moro blood oranges also stand up well in cooked applications and may be paired with sweet or savory flavors. Moro blood orange juice can also be served as a stand-alone juice, used in cocktails with prosecco, cooked into syrups, sorbets, marmalades, compotes, sauces, and vinaigrettes, or used to flavor cheesecake, pound cake, or muffins. Moro blood oranges pair well with meats such as duck, poultry, pork, and seafood such as Mahi Mahi, other citrus, mint, tarragon, soft cheeses, shallots, arugula, roasted beets, fennel, shallot, Dijon mustard, Greek yogurt, honey, rolled oats, pistachios, sweetened coconut, mango, cinnamon, avocado, ginger, lime, mint, and cilantro.

They will keep up to one week when stored at room temperature and up to two weeks when stored in the refrigerator.

Organic Celery

July 27, 2022 by The Natural Grocery Company

Season: Grown in California and available year-round.

Flavor: Celery has a mild and strong taste at the same time, giving it a bold flavor. It can remind you of raw or green onions in a way, with an earthy taste. It can also taste unpleasant to some people and has a plant-like taste much like lettuce and kale does.

Choosing & Storage: It’s a not good idea to keep celery at room temperature for more than a few hours at a time. If you want to avoid celery from going bad, you will need to use a storage bag and make sure it stays in the refrigerator less than five days. Don’t keep celery for too long since it will start to rot. The vegetable crisper is your safest bet, but it would be a good idea to use an airtight container as well. Celery (especially if cut) has a strong smell and may contaminate other foods, so be mindful.

How to use: Fresh – with peanut butter for snacking or finely chopped and added to potato salad, egg salad or tuna salad. Cooked in soups and stews. Juice and drink it fresh by itself or combine with other fruits or vegetables.

Nutrition: Celery is mainly made up of water, but it also provides dietary fiber. Beyond apigenin and luteolin, celery contains other plant compounds that have powerful antioxidant properties, selinene, limonene, kaempferol, p-coumaric acid. Celery also provides small amounts of vitamin K, folate, vitamin A, potassium, and vitamin C.

Organic Bananas

July 19, 2022 by The Natural Grocery Company

Season: They’re native to Southeast Asia but grown in several countries near the equator and are available year-round.

Flavor: Bananas have an interesting flavor transition during their ripening process. Unripe bananas which still contain the green peel have a bland flavor with apparent notes of grassiness. Furthermore, less ripe bananas contain higher levels of starch and therefore have a “starchier” taste. As they ripen a more distinctive fruity flavor develops accompanied melon, pineapple, candy and clove flavor notes. Yellow bananas have higher sugar concentrations and therefore taste sweeter. Finally, when the peel has become brown, the banana contains notes which are reminiscent of vanilla, honey and rum.

Choosing & Storage: Look for plump, firm, and brightly colored bananas. Occasional brown spots on the skin are normal. Avoid sunken, moist-looking dark areas, split skins or stems.

Bananas that require ripening should be left at room temperature, but away from heat or direct sun. To speed ripening, place them in a closed paper bag. Once ripe bananas can be held at room temperature for a day or two. Refrigerate to slow down ripening. Although the skins will turn dark, the fruits will remain edible. Keep refrigerated bananas for up to two weeks. Do not refrigerate unripe bananas because the exposure to cold interrupts their ripening cycle.

How to use: Eat them fresh! Bake them into “banana bread”. Use to thicken and sweeten smoothies. Dip in melted chocolate, roll in nuts and freeze for a sweet frozen treat.

Nutrition: Bananas are a healthy source of fiber, potassium, vitamin B6, vitamin C, and various antioxidants and phytonutrients. Vitamin C, Riboflavin, Folate, Niacin, Copper, Potassium, Magnesium.

Organic Red Watermelon

July 15, 2022 by The Natural Grocery Company

Season: July & August are the height of watermelon season in California. Watermelons are native to Africa.

Flavor: A watermelon is a large fruit that is green and striped on the outside and red and juicy on the inside. It is a very sweet, fresh, green and fruity taste with cucumber notes. It has a soft, crisp flesh.

Choosing & Storage: When choosing a watermelon, obviously you want to avoid any that show signs of decay, but that yellow spot – as long as it’s not mushy – merely shows where that watermelon ripened in the field and it’s perfectly fine. Ripe watermelons make a dull thud when you tap them with your fingers.

Place melons in a cool, shady spot or put them on ice. Watermelons can be stored uncut and unrefrigerated for about 10 days to 2 weeks. Place them in a very cool place to increase their storage time. If cut, watermelon will keep in the refrigerator for about 4 days wrapped tightly in plastic. Once refrigerated, they should remain refrigerated.

How to use: Fresh, eaten as is! Try grilling it and adding to salads or salsa. It’s easy to juice for a sweet summer drink. I like to add a bit of lime juice to balance the sweet!

Nutrition: This fruit is a good source of vitamin C, potassium, copper, vitamin B5, and vitamin A.

Organic Peaches from Frog Hollow Farms

July 10, 2022 by The Natural Grocery Company

Season: Now! A sweet and fragrant peach that’s ripe enough to drip juice down your chin is one of the ultimate joys of summer! Frog Hollow Farms grows over nineteen varieties of organic yellow peaches. How many will you try this year?

Flavor: White peaches tend to be sweeter than yellow ones. Yellow peaches have a bit more acid. Depending on the variety the flesh may be firm or soft, the flesh may cling to the pit (cling-stone) or separate easily (cling-free and free-stone). Frog Hollow hand picks and hand packs their peaches and we are so lucky to be situated close to their operations.

Storage: When buying peaches, choose fruits that smell sweet. They should have a creamy, yellow, or yellow-orange color and unwrinkled skin. Avoid green skin or bruising.

Once picked, mature peaches do continue to ripen and soften. If you must store them then let them breath, don’t stack them and keep them dry. Too many ripe peaches on hand? Consider washing, slicing and freezing them.

How to use: Fresh – whole, juice dripping down your chin! In a mixed fruit salad or combine with berries and blue cheese and serve in little gem lettuce cups as an appetizer. I like using firm peaches to bake in pies or galettes and for grilling.

Nutrition: Peaches are a rich source of carbohydrates, fiber, and natural sugars with little fat or protein. Peaches provide vitamin A, vitamin C, vitamin K, and B vitamins.

Organic Strawberries

May 19, 2022 by The Natural Grocery Company

Season: March through November in Northern California

History: There are native varieties of wild strawberries in both the Old and New Worlds, ranging from South America to Europe to Asia. A member of the Rosaceae family (along with roses, apples and blackberries), they have been cultivated in Europe since the 14th century, though there is some evidence that Native Americans may have gardened the North American wild variety even earlier (and created one of the first versions of strawberry shortcake, made by mixing them with cornmeal). The varieties of the berry commonly grown in the United States today were developed in 19th century England — until hybridization with larger, juicier varieties, earlier cultivated strawberries were tiny, much like wild strawberries and the highly prized fraises des bois variety available today.

Flavor: Sweet and juicy with a touch of acidity. When shopping, look for glossy, red fruit without visible bruised, mushy or moldy spots.

Storage: Fresh strawberries deteriorate quickly after purchase — the culprit primarily being mold. You can keep the fruit fresher by waiting to wash them until just before eating, and by storing them in the refrigerator in a paper-towel lined basket or bowl.

How to use: Strawberries are a versatile fruit. They can be roasted, stewed, baked into a pie, made into jam, pickled, churned into ice cream or frozen into an icy sorbet.

But strawberries really shine when eaten raw, either completely unadorned, or sliced and tossed with a bit of sugar, orange juice, red wine or balsamic vinegar. Tossing a fruit with sugar and a bit of acidic liquid (“macerating” the fruit) draws out the delicious juices, enhances the flavor and makes a natural “sauce” for topping shortcakes or ice cream.

Nutrition: Strawberries are high in Vitamin C, fiber and manganese. The berries are also a fairly good source of folate and potassium, and are low in calories.

Organic Sugar Snap Peas

April 21, 2022 by The Natural Grocery Company

Season: Snow peas are cooler climate vegetables and are often planted in early spring. Snow peas can be found most easily throughout the spring, summer and even into fall in California.

Flavor: Snap peas are also known as sugar snap peas and are a cross between snow peas and garden peas. The whole pod is eaten and has a crunchy texture and very sweet flavor.

Storage: Sugar snaps should be plump and crisp (they should “snap” when you break one in half); floppy sugar snaps are a no-go. Store peas in cold refrigeration in a bag in the crisper drawer with other vegetables. Snow peas should be kept at 32-36 degrees Fahrenheit, and usually last for 1 week.

How to use: Snow peas can be eaten raw or enjoyed cooked atop rice, salads, or just as a side. Natural partners with garden peas and sugar snaps include mint, butter, cream, bacon and prosciutto, lettuce, onions (especially spring onions) and mushrooms. Snow peas and sugar snaps are at home in stir-fries, pairing beautifully with garlic, sesame oil and soy sauce; sugar snaps are also pretty excellent raw.

Nutrition: Every variety of pea is really good for you. They sort of combine the nutritional benefits of veggies with the good stuff in legumes. Garden peas are higher in calories than most other veggies and are rich in fiber and protein. They also have huge amounts of Vitamins C, A, K and folate, and are high in manganese, iron, zinc and magnesium. They even contain a little bit of calcium. Snow peas and sugar snaps have a crazy amount of Vitamin C — just one cup provides you with 128 percent of your daily Vitamin C needs. They’re also super high in Vitamins A and K and are good sources of iron and Vitamin B6.

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