Processed Produce

I saw something this past week at the grocery store that made me weep for the next generation. I was in the produce section picking up carrots and celery and peppers when I walked by a section of apples. But not just any apples. Individually wrapped apples. I thought that was odd until I took a look at the wrapper. And it was a:

Bubble Gum Flavored Apple

I kid you not. This apple was apparently bubble gum flavored. I'm not sure how they make it flavored but I stood there, dumbfounded, and couldn't figure out if I wanted to run away screaming or break down weeping right there. I didn't buy one to find out how they flavored it. Heck I couldn't even bring myself to pick it up. I didn't want to be seen with it. It was terrible.

I've been on a "real" food kick lately. The processed cereals that I've been buying are starting to smell too chemically for me. I can't bring myself to eat the processed frozen meals for lunch. I shop mostly in produce with some dairy. I'm trying to start using the grains and beans I buy. It's not really a health conscious decision, it's more based on what sounds good. I like things made without chemicals. Fresh is starting to mean more to me.

And I guess I stupidly assumed that produce would always be real. That a tomato (particularly an organic tomato) was just a tomato. That grapes had no artificial flavors to make them more grapey. That celery was made up of just celery. And that apples would always taste like apples in all their wondrous variety. So this scares me. Are we trying this to make kids interested in fruit? Because the fruit that they're eating doesn't taste like fruit anymore. They won't grow to love apples. But they will crave bubble gum. And even more scary, I'm sure that there are parents out there that will buy them. We have no idea how they flavored these apples but a few parents will think "hey this is tasty and healthy" and buy them for their kids. And the kids will never get to know how tasty a real apple can be.

I've become cynical about food processors and marketers. The more packaging something has the less likely I am to buy it. This week I finally figure out why that is. Soon I'll be able to buy chocolate flavored grapes and artificial raspberry-flavored strawberries. And a little more naturalness will be gone. I weep for the next generation.

What my favorite snack is worth?

For the last hour I have done nothing but stand at the counter, plucking delicate seeds, avoiding juice stains, and slowly losing feeling in my back. Twice I had to stop and sit down in order to ease the pain in my neck from bending over. My fingers were so cold and wet that they pruned within the first thirty minutes. But it's all worth it. I now have a huge tupperware container filled to the top with pomegranate seeds.

November makes me incredibly happy for a number of reasons. It's my birthday month which always means a nice dinner out with my family. It's the month of my very favorite holiday, Thanksgiving. More food and family. And it's pomegranate season. Can you tell I like food?

In these days of supermarkets where I can get grapes, asparagus, apples, and strawberries year round, pomegranates are a bit of an oddity. They only appear in the store during the end of October and throughout November and December. The rest of the year you simply can't get them or at least not good ones. You can always tell a good pomegranate by how heavy the fruit is. It should be much heavier than you expect it to be. It should also be firm and a deep red.

Now pomegranates have to be one of the most difficult fruits to eat. I've heard of people who peel the skin and then eat both the seeds and the pulp between but I'm not willing to stoop to such lengths. I am picky about my pomegranates and am willing to put in the work to get the flavorful seeds while avoiding the stringy pulp. They are quite simply my favorite snacks and are worth every minute of extra effort.

At the store today, I bought three of the largest ones I've ever seen. I took them home and scored the fruit into quarters. Then comes the delicate work of pulling the seeds out. I'm pretty picky and only take the full and clear seeds, leaving behind the cloudy and smooshed ones. Inevitably I will get juice all over the counter, my hands, and my clothing. But it is all worth it. I can now open the fridge and take a handful of seeds to munch on whenever I want. And this will be my only snack for weeks. All during pomegranate season the fridge is never without a container filled with seeds. I literally eat myself sick of them. I will eat them until the thought of their juice makes me slightly ill. Luckily by that time the season will be over and I can start working on craving them again next year. I love pomegranate season.

The ultimate summer snack

Since I've been writing down my calories lately I've been looking for new healthy snacks to eat. I tend to be a bit of a bored eater so I like to have something that I can snack on without too many calories. And I've rediscovered my absolutely favorite summer treat: frozen grapes. 

When I was young we ate a lot of frozen fruit. My mother always stocked the freezer with frozen blueberries, raspberries, and strawberries. We would open a bag and not wait for them to thaw. The blueberries would dye our fingers purple but they were so incredibly delicious. The raspberries were my favorite. After I left my parents house I stopped buying frozen berries. I didn't have a good enough freezer to keep them in any of the crappy apartments I lived in. 

It was finally after college that a friend of mine introduced me to frozen grapes. I would buy two bags of grapes on every shopping trip. One would be washed and left on the counter to eat fresh. The other would be washed, pulled off the stem, and put into a tupperware container for freezing. They become little frozen popsicles and I can eat almost unlimited numbers. I've frozen them for years now and love the cold sweet taste and the fact that they are good for me. I've also started buying other frozen fruits as well. I simply eat them plain but you can cook with them, add them to yogurt, or even cereal. 

A couple years ago I found that the Mayo Clinic offers a Healthy Weight Food Pyramid. I have this tacked up on my fridge as a reminder of how to eat healthy. And the big thing for this pyramid is the fruits and vegetables. As you'll see, they are unlimited. And with treats like frozen grapes, that's an awfully sweet deal.  

Fruits of Winter

Last night we had freezing rain, tonight we'll have snow. It is now officially winter in my book. Anyone who knows me, knows that I hate winter. I've always said that people should only complain about one season. Winter is it for me. You won't hear me say a word when it hits 100 degrees with 80% humidity. But the moment it drops below 32 degrees, expect some swearing. 

So I find it strange that I absolutely love the fruit of winter. Yes I'm talking about the Pomegranate. Pomegranate are not easy fruits but they are incredibly tasty. And it's also why (according to the Greeks) we have winter. When I was in the grocery store this past Sunday I noticed that they were starting to stock pomegranates in the produce aisles. This early they aren't quite right yet. Wait until right before Thanksgiving and they will be perfect. 

The Greek story of winter focuses on Persephone, goddess of the harvest. One beautiful day she was playing in a field when Hades, lord of the underworld, appeared and carried her down to the underworld to be his bride. Persephone's mother Demeter, was furious with the abduction and vowed that the earth would not produce food until she was returned. Finally Hades relented but before doing so he gave Persephone some pomegranate seeds. She ate those, and according to Greek tradition, became bound to the underworld. The agreement reached is that Persephone would spend some of her time in the underworld, during which time nothing would bloom or grow(winter). And then after three months she would be returned to the upper world, and the plants would begin to grow again (spring). 

So of all of my hatred for winter the pomegranate, the "cause" of all that misery, is still one of my favorite fruits. If you have never had one I would recommend trying one. As I mentioned they are not easy fruits. They are reddish color outside and seem to grow in an almost square shape. The fruits inside are full of juice and very delicate. I tend to peel the fruit very gently until I reach the seeds. Then I pull off each seed separately adding them to a tupperware container. This is time consuming. The juice doesn't stain but it can be messy. Normally I buy two at a time, prep them right away, and then snack at my leisure. You eat the whole seed including the pit. A handful of these is not only healthy for you (good antioxidents) but very flavorful. A beautiful fruit. Even if it does cause winter. :-(