Last week’s YOUR PRODUCE MAN’S PRODUCE PUZZZZLE still dealt with summer stonefruit: What is the original name of today's Donut Peach? The Donut Peach actually has nothing to do with genetic engineering. Scientists have not crossed the gene of a Donut with the gene of Peach. This peach is actually quite old, originating in China. It is flat with sunken center. Kind of looks like a donut. Probably a few marketing gurus got together one night at a bar and decided if they renamed this flat peach from China to the Donut Peach, they might get policemen to eat them. Flat Peach from China. The Donut Peach was once known as the "Chinese Flat Peach." This week's YOUR PRODUCE MAN’S PRODUCE PUZZZZLE deals with Kiwifruit: What Kiwifruit variety does not have fuzz? See next week’s Fresh Tips for the answer.

Storing bananas like this will cause them to bruise	Storing bananas like this puts most of the weight on the stem.

Buy greener fruit.

BANANAS (Monday, August 2): During the hot summer months, be kind to your bananas. There is a special way of buying and handling bananas during the hotter summer weather. Handling your bananas always takes extra care, but when summer temperatures hit, you really need to pamper your bananas. You see, bananas breathe, like all fruits and vegetables. A ripe banana will breathe four times faster than an unripe banana, which means once the banana heads down the ripening path in the summer, it moves faster and faster, and turns bad very quickly. Here are some helpful hints:
· Buy your bananas a little more on the greener side during the hot, summer months.
· Store your fruit in the coolest part of your kitchen, away from sun or light.
· Store your fruit with the stem end down. That way, the heavy fruit is resting on the stem. If you let the fruit rest sitting up, the heavy fruit is bruising the weakest part of the fruit.
· Treat bananas like fine china. As they ripen, they soften and are easily bruised.
· If you are using your bananas as an “ingredient,” then go ahead and refrigerate the ripe fruit. The outside skin will blacken, but the inside fruit will be just fine.
· Peel overripe bananas, place them single layer on a sheet pan, then freeze. Put them single file into a zip-lock plastic bag and store them until you need bananas for baking or smoothies, or dip into chocolate.

The bell-shaped Bartlett Pear

Add thinly sliced Bartlett Pears to your Quesadilla.

“Yeah, it’s time for a Bartlett again!”

BARTLETT PEARS (Tuesday, August 3): The new crop of California Bartlett Pears is now in the supermarkets. The Bartlett Pear is the most popular pear in the world, although in most other parts of the world, you will find it marketed as the “Williams” Pear, as it was originally known in England. When the Williams Pear crossed the Atlantic and landed in Massachusetts, a nurseryman named Enoch Bartlett began selling the tree. Unaware of its name, he named the tree after himself. The Bartlett was grown in most regions of the country until a Pear Blight destroyed virtually every pear tree east of the Rockies. That’s why today, all Bartlett Pear production is west of the Rockies. California grows about 60% of the nation’s Bartletts. The season begins in the Sacramento River district, just south of Sacramento. Along the banks of the Sacramento River, 3rd and 4th generation Bartlett Pear orchards are in full production. Harvest then moves to the Lake County region, surrounding Clear Lake. These early Bartletts need a little patience. Since it is the first of the crop, they may take an extra day or so to ripen properly. Don’t set the Bartlett out in the open air. With a lack of natural oils on the skin, the Bartlett would dehydrate before it really got to a nice ripe stage. When the fruit turns that beautiful golden brown, then you know it’s about ready. The Bartlett is great simply eaten out of hand. Roll up those sleeves. The Bartlett is great in many great recipe ideas. My favorite is to make some Caesar Salad, add some roasted chicken. Put that into a pita, then slide in slices of ripe Bartlett pears. Or, how about a simple chicken Quesedilla with pepper jack cheese and slices of a Bartlett. An incredible taste for pears dates back to ancient times. The alluring fruit even captured the praise of the well-known Greek poet, Homer (8th century B.C.), who referred to pears as a "gift of the gods." Evidently, the Romans agreed and proceeded to use grafting techniques to develop more than fifty varieties. They also introduced the cultivated pear to other parts of Europe. Since then, hundreds of varieties have been developed, and people have continued to benefit from the good taste of these early connoisseurs. The Bartlett Pear variety originated in Berkshire, England, in the 17th century, by a schoolmaster named John Stair. Stair sold some of his pear tree cuttings to a horticulturist named Williams, who further developed the variety and renamed it after himself. After pear seedlings crossed the Atlantic with the early colonists, the Williams pear found fame and fortune in 1812, under the tutelage of nurseryman, Enoch Bartlett, of Dorchester, Massachusetts. Bartlett, unaware of the pear's true name, distributed it under his own name. Ever since, the pear has been known as the Bartlett in the United States, but is still referred to as the Williams pear, in other parts of the world. Bartlett pear trees eventually made it out West in the covered wagons of 49ers heading for the Great California Gold Rush. Think of the pear, and your mind conjures an image of grace, sophistication and the ultimate in good taste. With its voluptuous contour, the pear is among the world's most alluring fruits. A teardrop shape and tender, golden skin surround a fine-grained, buttery-textured flesh with a juicy, sweet flavor and pleasant aroma. Fresh pears alone make a flavorful snack or appetizer. They're also great tossed in salads, made into jelly, jam or preserves, used in desserts and other baked creations, blended into fruit drinks, and used in a creatively fresh approach to salsas or chutney. What's more, California Bartlett pears provide a variety of nutrients, including important vitamins and minerals. One medium pear provides 16 percent of the daily requirement for dietary fiber (4 grams) and 10 percent of the daily requirement for vitamin C. Fresh California Bartletts also contain a healthful source of potassium. They contain no cholesterol or sodium, and are virtually fat free. Bartletts are the nation's leading pear variety and the golden state of California produces 60 percent of the total U.S. crop. The California Bartlett pear growing regions are divided into two districts relative to the timing of harvest - the Early District and the Late District. The heart of the Early District orchards lie in the rich soils along the Sacramento River Delta, stretching north to the Upper Sacramento Valley. Harvest in the Late District begins in the north coast county of Mendocino and moves on to the shores of Clear Lake. Pears from this area are sometimes called "Mountain" Bartletts. California Bartletts are normally harvested mid-July through mid-September, with two peak supply periods. However, because these pears store so well, the availability can extend into November. Bringing the California Bartletts to your own preferred degree of ripeness is quite simple. The key: Always ripen the pears in a bowl at room temperature. Once they have reached your desired ripeness, you can place them in the refrigerator to slow any further ripening. Depending on their degree of ripeness, California Bartletts can hold in the refrigerator for almost a week. When California Bartletts are "breaking," or turning from green to yellow and losing their firmness, leave them alone for a couple more days so they can ripen completely. But, if you prefer pears that are more firm, these are ready to eat. When California Bartletts are golden yellow, they are ready to eat - fully ripe and at their juiciest and most flavorful stage. Remember to handle gently to avoid bruising.

Storing bananas like this will cause them to bruise

Put a ‘Bella on the Barbie for a ‘Bella Burger!

PORTABELLA MUSHROOMS (Wednesday, August 4): Get out the grill. Put a bella on the barbie. That’s a portabella on the barbeque. Anything you do with meat, you can do with a Portabella Mushroom. Have you ever had a ‘Bella Burger? If you are trying to reduce meat in your diet, then the Portabella is a great alternative for your “burgers.” But here’s a secret in grilling your Portabella: Make sure you bake it first. This way, the Portabella won’t dry out on the grill. It will be nice and moist. Simply drizzle a little olive oil on the Portabella, add some salt and pepper or marinate it like you would other meats. Bake it at around 425 degrees for 4 – 6 minutes. Slap it on your burger buns, add your catsup, mustard, onions, lettuce and tomatoes. You’ll be amazed how good it is. Recent studies show quite a lot. Mushrooms are a great source for the mineral Selenium. In fact, Selenium is found more in mushrooms than any other fruit or vegetable. Recent, and ongoing medical studies on both animals and men, strongly indicate that Selenium works with Vit. E to protect prostate cells from becoming cancerous. Every 18 minutes, another man (husband, father, brother) in the United States dies of prostate cancer. This year, almost a quarter of a million men will be diagnosed with prostate cancer. Before mushrooms were cultivated, people ate the wild varieties. The Japanese were probably the first to grow mushrooms, raising Shiitakes some two thousand years ago. Today there are thousands of mushroom varieties in the world of which only 25 are cultivated. The rest are not palatable. The largest cultivated mushroom is the Portabella, although it is nothing more than the grown-up version of the brown-top Italian crimini mushroom. The crimini mushroom beds are simply thinned more often, allowing more space for them to grow into the larger Portabella. In 1891, the first book on mushroom growing was published and it shed new light on the theory of cultivation. William Falconer, a mushroom grower and experimenter from Dosoris, Long Island agreed with the recommendations of agricultural journalists and compiled their theories in Mushrooms: How to Grow Them; A Practical Treatise on Mushroom Culture for Profit and Pleasure. This industry text suggested that mushroom growing was perfect for florists. Since they grew flowers on benches, florists could just slide mushroom beds right under their flower benches and gain a profit in growing two crops in the area of one. Falconer also thought that mushroom growing was ideal for farmers who had access to growing their own manure and spawn. At the time skilled labor was not a necessity of mushroom growing. It was recommended to housewives as well as a source of home income. Not only did Falconer’s book develop target groups for which growing was suited. It also contained much practical advice on building beds for cultivation, the perfect growing temperature and where mushroom markets were developing. Today, most mushrooms are still grown in these “flower beds.” Select plump firm and solid mushrooms. Avoid the limp or dried looking ones. They should not be shriveled or slippery (which indicates decomposition). The mushroom should have a nice earthy smell. If you smell the gills and there is an ammonia aroma, put it back. Those are old Portabellas. Remove the mushrooms from any wrapping and spread on a tray and cover with paper toweling. Don't moisten the toweling or the mushrooms and place them in the refrigerator in an area that allows the air to circulate. Avoid placing any other items on top of them. The mushrooms should keep about 5 - 6 days.

In the summer, 45 states grow Cabbage.

Summertime Cole Slaw belongs on any picnic menu.

CABBAGE (Thursday, August 5): During the winter months, only a handful of states will be upplying the whole nation with cabbage. Texas, Florida, Arizona and California. But in the middle of summer, that’s a different story. About 45 states are now commercially supplying cabbage to a Cole-slaw hungry nation. That of course means supplies are at their peak, quality is excellent and prices are at their best. The best cabbage will come from growing regions that have nice cool nights. The cooler the nights, the sweeter the cabbage. A little apple cider vinegar, mayonnaise and sugar mixed with thinly sliced cabbage, and you have a quick cole slaw. Summertime is time for cole slaw, which comes from a Dutch word that means “cool cabbage.” We also add thinly shaved cabbage into our tortilla soup and even into our tacos instead of lettuce. In fact, in Mexico, the number one vegetable used in tacos is indeed cabbage. In many parts of Mexico, where refrigeration is still not very common, cabbage will be used. It holds up better in the heat than does lettuce. Look for cabbage that is firm, but not hard as a rock. The lighter the color, the sweeter the cabbage. The stem should be clean, not soft, dry or split. Make sure there are no soft spots. Sometimes, if it rains on the crop or there is heavy dew on the heads, followed immediately by very hot temperatures, the water droplets on the cabbage actually acts like a tiny magnifying glass, burning the head of cabbage with the sun’s rays. The Lord's Prayer is 66 words, the Gettysburg Address is 286 words, there are 1,322 words in the Declaration of Independence, but government regulations on the sale of cabbage total 26,911 words. Why do cabbage salads become so watery? Well, cabbage cells are full of water that leaches out once the salad is allowed to sit. One way to solve this problem, we figured, was to get rid of some of this water before making the salad, and the easiest way to do that was to salt the cabbage to draw out the liquid. While this method does take just a bit of crunch out of the cabbage, the salads made with it have a nice pickle-crisp texture, and no one could call them watery. To shred the cabbage, cut it in quarters, remove the core from each piece, and separate the quarters into stacks of leaves that flatten when pressed lightly. You can then cut thin strips by hand or with a food processor fitted with a slicing disk.

It’s prime time for Red and Green Bell Peppers.

GREEN AND RED BELL PEPPERS (Friday, August 6): Finally, summer bell pepper prices are where they should be, and not just for Green Bells either. Red and Gold field-grown bell peppers are in full harvest and producing great supplies and that means some of the best prices of the season. Red and Gold Bells have far more Vit. C and Vit. A than does the Green Bells. Remember, a general rule of thumb is that the produce with the most color has the most vitamins and minerals. When choosing the best Bell, first look at the stem and calyx. They should be bright green. That’s a sign of freshness. Next, just hold the bell in your hand. The heavier it is, the more “wall” on the bell. That simply means more meat on the bell. If the bell is very light for its size, then the walls will be thin and will dehydrate faster. Next, rub your thumbs along the skin of the bell pepper. If the skin wrinkles up, then that is an older bell pepper that has already started dehydrating. It still may have good flavor, but it won’t last as long, so use it quickly. With very thick-walled Bell Peppers, if you love Stuffed Bell Peppers, then this is your time of year. (Friday, August 6): Finally, summer bell pepper prices are where they should be, and not just for Green Bells either. Red and Gold field-grown bell peppers are in full harvest and producing great supplies and that means some of the best prices of the season. Red and Gold Bells have far more Vit. C and Vit. A than does the Green Bells. Remember, a general rule of thumb is that the produce with the most color has the most vitamins and minerals. When choosing the best Bell, first look at the stem and calyx. They should be bright green. That’s a sign of freshness. Next, just hold the bell in your hand. The heavier it is, the more “wall” on the bell. That simply means more meat on the bell. If the bell is very light for its size, then the walls will be thin and will dehydrate faster. Next, rub your thumbs along the skin of the bell pepper. If the skin wrinkles up, then that is an older bell pepper that has already started dehydrating. It still may have good flavor, but it won’t last as long, so use it quickly. With very thick-walled Bell Peppers, if you love Stuffed Bell Peppers, then this is your time of year.

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