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Organic Fair Trade Cherry Tomatoes from Del Cabo

October 13, 2021 by The Natural Grocery Company

Changing Lives Through Food

The del Cabo Project’s roots stretch back to 1980, when husband and wife co-founders Larry Jacobs and Sandra Belin began farming in coastal California. By fate, their paths crossed with a group of struggling farmers in San Jose del Cabo, Mexico and together they embarked on a radical mission united by passion.

Today, they farm nearly five thousand acres of field-grown and greenhouse-grown herbs, tomatoes and other delicious veggies.

We Thrive Together

“Our mission is brought to life through the collaboration with our del Cabo farmers — who passionately grow organic products all along the Baja California coast. Our work together provides these farmers with thriving and sustainable farming economies that have transformed and empowered their communities.”, says the del Cabo people.

Putting People First

The del Cabo collective was born in 1985 when co-founders Larry and Sandra met a group of small-scale farmers in San Jose del Cabo. They found these farmers to be some of the best people on this planet who worked really hard, but were not in the right place to make a good living.

The goal of the del Cabo collective was to connect these communities with good products and teach them how to grow food in a way that’s healthy for them, for the consumer, and for the planet.

Less Plastic for Our Planet

Jacobs Farm del Cabo is excited to introduce their newest paper-based pack as an alternative to single-use plastic clamshells. In this year alone, the new paperboard pack is projected to reduce their plastic waste by half a million pounds!

The introduction of paper-based clamshells is part of our steady and multifaceted shift away from plastic toward more sustainable materials, and we’re proud to announce that Del Cabo’s new paperboard pack is as clean and green as it gets!

The pack is made with 100% recycled paperboard and provides a clear view of the bright and flavorful product inside with a plant-based, cellulose window that is certified compostable both commercially AND at home!

The Natural Grocery Company will always ask for this packaging from our distributors but it may not always be available.

Season: In October Del Cabo grows their Fair Trade tomatoes in Mexico

Flavor: Sweet & Juicy, “Nature’s Candy”.

Storage: Keep unwashed in their container on the counter. If they begin to soften you can pop them into the fridge for a few extra days of shelf life. Optimal storage is between 55F and 65F.

How to use: Crudite, snacking, pasta, and salads.

Nutrition: Promotes skin health, improves vision, decrease the risk of oxidative stress, and an excellent source of Vitamin C.

Choosing Fair Trade bananas makes a difference

October 10, 2021 by The Natural Grocery Company

Photo from Fair Trade International

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.

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!

October 2021 Sales Flyer

October 1, 2021 by The Natural Grocery Company

2021 10 October Sales Flyer

Equal Exchange Raffle, October 1-31, 2021

September 30, 2021 by The Natural Grocery Company

Fair Trade and Non-GMO Month start October 1! Our friends at Equal Exchange have put together some baskets of their products for us to give away. Starting tomorrow, come by any of our locations to enter to win!

The Bio-Engineered (BE) Food Labeling Law

September 28, 2021 by The Natural Grocery Company

BE_Infographic

The Bio-Engineered (BE) Food Labeling Law is going to take effect in January 2022. This infographic from The Non-GMO Project gives you some solid information about this new law and why The Natural Grocery Company supports stricter labeling standards like the one The Non-GMO Project provides. In our stores the shelf tags that are green indicate products that are certified Non-GMO by the Non-GMO Project. Products with blue labels still go through a process of verification conducted by our buyers and staff and we do our best to keep GMOs out of our stores but the best labeling program continues to be The Non-GMO Project Verification. We think it is important to “Follow the Butterfly”.

Organic Warren Pears

September 22, 2021 by The Natural Grocery Company

Organic Warren Pears from Frog Hollow Farms

Season: August to November in Northern California

Flavor: Sweet, juicy but mild.

Storage: Look for fruit that are unblemished and are slightly firm when you purchase them, unless you plan to eat them right away. They also smell fragrant. You can allow pears to ripen by leaving out at room temperature, uncovered, for a day or two; or you can stall the fruit’s ripening by keeping it in the refrigerator. In either case, don’t suffocate the fruit for long with airtight plastic. Without oxygen, pears will degrade faster and their natural moisture may encourage mold.

How to use: Pear ripen from the inside out; if the outside looks fully ripe then the inside may be too ripe! What pairs with pears? The answer seems to be endless. Fresh pears can be enjoyed on their own, as a snack, or in multitudes of ways. The refreshing sweetness of pears adds complexity to savory foods well, like a charcuterie or cheese board. Serving pears fresh showcases their crispness, which is lost in cooked preparations.

Like apples, though, pears can be cooked in baked goods like pies and tarts. They can be canned or turned into preserves and take on additional flavors in the process. Simply poached peeled pears in wine or brandy, until meltingly soft but still retaining their shape and serve with chocolate sauce.

Nutrition: Pears are an excellent source of dietary fiber and carbohydrates. It offers a sampling of essential minerals, including copper, iron, magnesium and calcium, although much of this nutrition is found in the fruit’s skin. The flesh alone is a good source of potassium and Vitamin C, although pears are not as strong of a source of antioxidants like higher-acidity fruits and leafy green vegetables.

Organic Hard-skin “Winter” Squash

September 12, 2021 by The Natural Grocery Company

Organic Hard-skin “Winter” Squash

Season: September to December in Northern California, but available year round.

Flavor: There are so many shapes, colors and sizes of winter squash that it’s a real treat to see them start to show up at the market each fall. Winter squash specifically refers to a wide variety of squash species that have matured long enough so that their skin is hard and their seeds are larger and tougher to eat than Summer Squash.

Storage: The best way to store winter squash is in a cool, dark and dry spot, where it will hold up for at least a month, even longer depending on the variety and if your storage space is well ventilated. Store cut squash in a tightly covered container and refrigerate for up to five days. You can also freeze raw squash for up to 6 months; cube first, then freeze in a single layer on a rimmed sheet tray and transfer to a freezer-safe container once frozen.

How to use: What can’t you do with winter squash? It’s wonderful roasted, stuffed, and pureed.

Thin-skinned cultivars like delicata squash cook quickly and are great combined with other vegetables or served as a side dish on their own. The skin can be eaten!

Nutrition: That beautiful orange and yellow flesh is the source of uber-powerful disease-fighting antioxidants that protect against cataracts and stroke, for starters. It’s rich in Vitamin A, B-6, C, potassium and fiber, for starters, and some heart-healthy omega-3 fatty acids as well.

Organic Seedless Grapes

September 11, 2021 by The Natural Grocery Company

Organic Seedless Grapes

Season: July to December in Northern California

Flavor: Sweet & Juicy.

Storage: Fresh grapes should be as dry as possible when stored in the refrigerator, as moisture accelerates decomposition. Fresh grapes will keep in the fridge between one and two weeks.

How to use:Grapes and raisins both make great additions to a whole bunch of different dishes, both savory and sweet. Fresh grapes are, of course, delicious eaten out of hand, but also make amazing additions to pastries, salads and braised poultry.

Nutrition: Grapes are good sources of Vitamins C and K, but not much else. What they lack in vitamins, they make up for in containing a number of potent antioxidant compounds that may provide cardiovascular benefits, lower blood sugar and have anti-cancer properties. (It should be noted that the scientific verdict is still out on many of these claims, however.) The fruit with red or purple skins contain the most of these compounds.

Organic Red Bell Peppers

August 25, 2021 by The Natural Grocery Company

Organic Red Bell Pepper

Season: May to December in Northern California

Flavor: Bell peppers turn red as they ripen and are sweeter than when they are green or yellow.

Storage: Can be stored for up to a week in the fridge but make sure the peppers skin is completely dry. Moisture causes rapid deterioration.

How to use: Raw, roasted, stewed, stuffed, or grilled.

Nutrition: Red Bell Peppers are very high in Vitamins A and C and are a good source of folate.

Organic Lil’ Gem Lettuce

August 23, 2021 by The Natural Grocery Company

Organic Lil’ Gem Lettuce

Season: Year round in Northern California

Flavor: Little Gem lettuce, botanical name Lactuca sativa, is an annual plant of the sunflower family, Asteraceae, also called Sucrine (French for sugar), or Sugar Cos. . Little Gem, the sweet, compact lettuce that resembles romaine after you you strip away the flimsy outer leaves. the best of both worlds! sweet like butter lettuce and crunchy like romaine.

Storage: Keeping it cold and preventing excess moisture build-up is the key to extending its crisp freshness. Try to put it in the fridge as soon as possible. It will not store well in bio-bags and should be used quickly. You can get a little longer life by putting it in a plastic bag or container.

How to use: Vinaigrettes love getting lost in the Gem’s nooks and crannies, and even grill time can’t subdue its crispness. There’s no waste on this lettuce. It’s perfect for individual salads, sandwiches and lettuce cup appetizers.

Nutrition: Like romaine, this green is packed with vitamins A, C, K, and folate, as well as minerals phosphorus, potassium, calcium, and magnesium.

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