Last week’s YOUR PRODUCE MAN’S PRODUCE PUZZZZLE still dealt with citrus: Which citrus has a belly button? Hundreds of correct answers came in. Some people thought the Navel Orange was named because it was the first orange used by the US Navy. The Navel Orange was so named because the blossom end looks like your naval, your belly button. Since wintertime is citrus season, this week's YOUR PRODUCE MAN’S PRODUCE PUZZZZLE still deals with citrus: What was the first citrus to be patented? See next week's "Fresh Tips" for the answer.

Oso Sweet Onions… from Chile, They are Ob So Sweet!

Oso Sweet Onions being cured in Chile.

SWEET ONIONS (Monday, Jan. 24): Did you know that onions had a lot to do with the California Gold Rush? On this date, 1848, James Marshall saw something sparkling in the shallow waters of a river in Coloma, California. Marshall worked at the John Sutter Sawmill, which sat right on the banks of the river. Marshall bent over and scooped up a little mud, which contained the sparkling…gold nugget. Most history books say that’s what started the Gold Rush in California. Well, that’s not the full story. A year earlier, a Mexican farm worker was out digging wild onions along the banks of the La Placentia River in Southern California. When he pulled up one onion, you noticed something shinning in the mud stuck in the roots of that onion. After rinsing off some of the mud, the Mexican farm worker was staring…at gold. Gold found in the roots of an onion. As word spread of the gold find in Southern California, many gold seekers from the East and Prairie States began making their way to Southern California…to find gold. When Marshall found gold in Northern California just a year later, word spread that there was gold throughout California. Thus began the Gold Rush. It actually began…with an onion. If you've never tasted a fresh, sweet onion you're in for a treat. Because they're so sweet and mild (forget the tears), yet still deliver great onion flavor, they're something you'll want to keep on hand all the time. Sweet onions, sometimes referred to as "short day" onions, because their growing season occurs during the fall and winter with harvest usually in spring /summer, are fresh onions, picked and cured for a short time, then rushed to market. Storage onions, or regular globe onions, are harvested in late summer and fall, stored in warehouses and delivered to markets throughout most of the year. Although there is no official industry standard, it is generally accepted that an onion should contain at least 6% sugar to be in the "sweet" category. Some sweet onions, like the OSO Sweet, have recorded sugar levels of up to 15%. Storage onions usually range from 3%-5% in sugar content. Unlike sweet onions, regular onions have high levels of sulfur compounds. It's the pyruvic acid in the sulfur that causes tears, harshness, and indigestion. That's why great sweet onions are always grown in soil with low amounts of sulfur. Typically, sweet onions have pyruvic acid levels that measure below 5%; storage onions usually run 10%-13%. Because a sweet onion is also a fresh onion it is very high in water content, which further dilutes the effect of the sulfur and increases mildness. The best sweet onions deliver a burst of sweetness when bitten into, are incredibly mild, with very little if any sharpness, and have a subtle, fruity flavor. They should still taste like an onion, but be much sweeter and milder. Sweet onions have a thinner, lighter color skin than storage onions and tend to be more fragile. Signs in produce sections usually differentiate between sweet onions and storage onions. Most producers also put stickers on each individual onion, such as "Texas 1015 SuperSweet," "Sweet Imperials," etc. Another indication is price - sweet onions are a premium product that can range anywhere from 79 cents a pound and up. It is hard to say when the onion came into being. They were grown in Ancient Egypt, and eventually arrived in Rome and became known as the word onion (from the Latin word UNIO, which means large pearl). In Middle English, it became UNYON. The status of the onion rose after French Onion Soup was made popular by Stanislaus I, the former King of Poland. Although it seems like sweet onions are a relatively new item, they were first introduced to America around the turn of the 20th century when a retired French soldier brought some onion seeds from Corsica to the Walla Walla region of the Pacific Northwest. But it wasn't until the savvy farmers in Georgia realized what a special thing they had in the Vidalia onion and began spreading the news far and wide that the sweet onion finally got the attention it deserves. It’s far from Spring here in the U.S., but in Chile, from the foothills of the Andes Mountains, Oso Sweet Onions are being harvested. Get out your onion ring recipe! The Oso Sweet is the first sweet onion of the new year on market shelves. Perfected in 1989 to take advantage of the rich, volcanic soil, ideal climate, and pure water at the foothills of the Andes Mountains in Chile. Because sweet onions are high in water and sugar content they require more care when storing, so treat them gently to avoid bruising. Store away from potatoes because they'll absorb water. Generally, sweet onions will keep for 4-6 weeks or longer. Cut onions should be wrapped tightly in plastic wrap and refrigerated. Here are some favorite ways to store "sweets":

• In the refrigerator: Store in a single layer in the vegetable bin on paper towels. Or, for longer storage, wrap in foil.
• In pantyhose: Take a leg from a pair of clean, sheer pantyhose, drop an onion into the foot, tie a knot and repeat as necessary. Hang in a cool, dry, well-ventilated area. Cut above the knot when ready to use.
• On racks or screens: Place on elevated racks or screens, not touching, in a cool area.
• In the freezer: For long-term storage, sweet onions can be frozen, but their texture changes so they should be used only for cooking. Chop and place on a cookie sheet and place in the freezer. When frozen, store in freezer containers or bags. To store whole onions, peel, wash, core and freeze in a freezer-proof container or bag.

A rare photo of the original McIntosh apple tree. This was taken in 1890, with Allen McIntosh, the son of John.

MCINTOSH APPLES (Tuesday, Jan. 25): Today, in 1984, Steven Jobs sold his first Macintosh Apple computer for around $2500. To celebrate, let’s talk about the other McIntosh…the apple. John McIntosh was born in 1777. McIntosh's parents emigrated from Inverness, Scotland to the Mohawk Valley, N.Y. John McIntosh was a teenager when he had an argument with his parents. John wanted to remain loyal to England, even after the Revolutionary War was won by America. So John left for Canada. McIntosh spent time on the frontier before settling in Dundas County, Ontario, Canada, in 1796. The town where he settled was later called McIntosh's Corners, and is now called Dundela. In 1811, McIntosh swapped his home for some farmland owned by his brother-in-law. While clearing some undergrowth on that land, McIntosh discovered about 20 young apple trees. Since apples were important to pioneers, he carefully transplanted the trees to a garden area near his pioneer home he had built on the property. One of those trees produced a particularly red, sweet-tasting, crisp apple. By 1830, only one of the originally 20 trees, was still alive. John originally called this apple “Granny’s Apple,” affectionately after his dear wife. These Granny’s Apples were enjoyed by friends and neighbors, but no one knew how to reproduce a tree like that one, a situation that challenged John’s son, Allen, born in 1815 as the ninth child in a family of 13. He learned that planting the seed from the core would not produce the same fruit nor could bees carrying pollen. While still young, Allen became a weekend Methodist preacher or circuit rider, preaching in and around Dundela and nearby communities. As his reputation grew, he was invited by homesteaders in more distant settlements to preach to them. Invariably he packed not only religious tracts but also homegrown apples. This led to discussions about apple trees and rumours that there were itinerant Yankees roaming the countryside who knew how to grow good trees. By chance a farmhand hired at the McIntosh homestead in 1835 was one of them, and Allen, discovering this, quickly put him to work. He carefully watched him cut small tree branches called scions and tightly tie or graft them to another apple tree. The farm hand also showed him a second method — budding — in which he could remove a bud from the host tree and insert it into another branch of an entirely separate tree. By 1836, the original “Granny’s Apple” was being propagated throughout Ontario. Stemming from that one tree, there are now several million McIntosh trees. Allen McIntosh combined his own name with the colour of the fruit, and called the tree the "McIntosh Red". From the time the tree was first transplanted it produced an abundance of tasty apples. In 1895, the McIntosh house caught fire and the tree, located just 15 feet from the house, was badly burned along one side. However, the healthy side continued to produce apples until 1908. Since McIntosh still had family in New York, the tree was grafted there as well. Today, throughout New England, the Mac is King. In fact, the Mac is the official apple of New York State, and is the official apple of the New York City Marathon. The Mac is the Big Apple. It has a white, juicy flesh with a fairly thin skin. In fact, the McIntosh bruises easier than most other apples because of that thin skin, so treat them like a newborn baby. Nothing quite compares with Mac for fresh-eating. The crispy, juicy and tangy, firm, yet tender white flesh is perfumed and spicy in a way that no other variety can match. Mac is a good kitchen apple, although it doesn't hold shape when cooked. True McIntosh fans won't consider any other variety and eat them all winter. They do get softer in storage, but the flavor holds up very well. McIntosh offspring include Cortland, Macoun, Empire, Spartan, Jonamac, possibly Paula Red, Jersey Mac, and many others. Nothing evokes Fall better than the aromatic fragrance of McIntosh apples. McIntosh is a semi-tart apple. It works well in most cooked dishes, and is an excellent accent for pies, apple tarts, and cobblers. They add zing to cider and real pucker power to apple sauce. If using it for a pie, add a thickener to the mix. The flesh will cook down very quickly. McIntosh apples must be harvested quickly and stored in a cool place. Even when these conditions are met, McIntosh do not stay firm for long. Eat them quickly, or use them in a cooked dish or dry them for a delightful winter treat. Put a Mac in your hand. Don’t squeeze it with your thumb. You’ll bruise it. It should feel solid and heavy, not soft and light.

Brussels Sprouts are like miniature green cabbages, growing on a thick, woody stalk.

BRUSSELS SPROUTS (Wednesday, Jan. 26): I call them the “Rodney Dangerfield of Produce.” They get no respect. Mention Brussels Sprouts, and noses turn up. The Brussels sprout is a cool season crop, belonging to the cabbage family, and closely related to cauliflower, broccoli, kale, collards, etc. Like cauliflower, it thrives best in a cool humid climate, thus commercial production of this crop is concentrated in the "fog-belt" of California with limited production in the Long Island, New York area. The edible portion of this crop is the "bud" or small cabbage-like head which grows in the axils of each leaf. Brussels Sprouts most likely were cultivated in Italy during Roman times, possibly as early as the 1200s in Belgium. The modern Brussels Sprout that we are familiar with was first cultivated in large quantities in Belgium as early as 1587. It is the only vegetable known to have originated in Western Europe. It is named after the capital of Belgium. They were introduced into the U.S. in the 1800s by Italian immigrants and were grown in California by the early 1900s, with the first central coast plantings in the 1920s. With the development of the frozen food industry in the 1940s, Brussels sprouts production in California increased to its highest levels over the next 20 years. There are currently less than 3000 acres of the tiny cabbages currently being produced in California, producing about 70 million pounds a year. Brussels Sprouts look like miniature heads of cabbage. The resemblance is not surprising, since both belong to the same botanical family. The golf-ball-size sprouts grow in a tight spiral pattern on thick stalks with a burst of large leaves at the top. The sprouts are usually cut off the stalk before going to market. Similar to cabbage in taste, Brussels sprouts have a slightly milder flavor and denser texture. Nutritionally, they have the same cancer-inhibiting potential as cabbage and other cruciferous vegetables (such as broccoli and cauliflower) because they contain the nitrogen compounds called indoles and a significant amount of vitamin C. Brussels sprouts also supply good amounts of folate (folic acid), potassium, vitamin K, and a small amount of beta-carotene. Choose sprouts of comparable size so they will cook evenly. A bright green color is the best guide to freshness and good condition; yellowed or wilted leaves are a sure sign of age or mishandling. Old sprouts also have a strong, cabbage odor. Avoid puffy or soft sprouts by choosing small, firm, compact ones with unblemished leaves. Tiny holes or soot like smudges on the leaves may indicate the presence of worms or plant lice. The stem ends should be clean and white. Do not wash or trim sprouts before storing them. Except for removing any that are yellow or wilted, do not remove the outer leaves, since these contain the most nutrients. If you have purchased sprouts in a cellophane-covered container, take off the wrapping and examine the sprouts, then return them to the container, re-cover with the cellophane, and refrigerate. Place loose sprouts in a perforated plastic bag. Fresh Brussels sprouts will keep for three to five days. Before cooking, drop the sprouts into a basin of lukewarm water and leave them there for 10 minutes as this step will eliminate any insects hidden in the leaves. Then rinse the sprouts in fresh water. Trim the stem ends, but not quite flush with the bottoms of the sprouts, or the outer leaves will fall off during cooking. Many cooks cut an X in the base of each sprout. This nick helps the heat penetrate the solid core so that it cooks as quickly as the leaves. Whichever cooking method you choose, test for doneness by inserting a knife tip into the stem end, which should be barely tender. Brussels Sprouts are a cool season vegetable that is considered a delicacy by many people. It is a crop that is exacting in both its soil and climatic requirements. Because of these finicky habits, particularly the climatic requirements, it is not practical to grow Brussels Sprouts in most of the United States. A stretch of coastal land, just south of San Francisco, California, provides the near ideal climate and soil conditions. You’ve got to try my “Smelly-Free” Brussels Sprouts recipe.

These early California Strawberries are among the sweetest of the entire season.

Research on California Strawberries is done here, at the South Coast Research Station in Irvine.

It’s peak of the season for Strawberries from the Sunshine State – Florida.

From blossom to harvest, Strawberries take 30 days.

Virtually every strawberry you enjoy today was developed by this man: Dr. Victor Voth.

Some of the newest and coolest research being done with Strawberries is in Israel, where they are growing the berries in overhead troughs. No more bending over to harvest. It doubles the speed of harvesting.

Strawberries and Kids were made for each other.

STRAWBERRIES (Thursday, Jan. 27) Although Florida is supplying about 80% of the nation’s Strawberries this time of year, growers in California were just gearing up with their new crop. That’s when strong rains and winds pounded the Strawberry fields of Southern California, halting harvest, and will most likely disrupt harvest and supplies for the next month. Even so, it’s time to Get The Red Edge: Strawberries. You can thank Dr. Victor Voth for the new crop of California strawberries, right in the middle of the winter months. Dr. Voth is known as "Mr. Strawberry" around the world. In his breeding programs, Dr. Voth spent over 40 years tinkering around with the chromosomes of Strawberries, making them bigger, better, redder, sweeter, and earlier. Most of his work was done at the South Coast Research Station in Irvine, California, just south of Los Angeles. Dr. Voth retired in the mid-90s, but before he did, he released his final Strawberry variety to the industry. It was the 1996 "Camarosa" variety, which has become the preeminent Strawberry grown in Southern California. In the 1970s, Dr. Voth had released the Douglas variety, which was another early producing Strawberry. It took Dr. Voth another 20 years, looking at well over one million seedlings, to find the next Strawberry variety to produce early. Strawberry plants need "chilling hours," just like fruit and nut trees, grapevines and asparagus. These chilling hours help the plant store up energy for spring growth. By developing a Strawberry variety that needs fewer chilling hours, you can plant earlier, and harvest earlier. Growers take plant seedlings to Redding, in Northern California. The elevation is higher, which helps trick the plants into chilling. Most plants are then taken from the Redding plant beds from early November to early December. These plants are then able to start production by February and March. But the Camarosa variety can be dug from the Redding plant beds by early October. These plants are then transplanted in Southern California fields. Growers will put black plastic on the ground, which helps warm the soil and the root system. By warming the root system, the plant will have more vigorous growth, and helps early production. The Camarosa variety can begin new crop production, usually by Christmas each year, depending on weather conditions. The fruit is some of the finest of the year, although prices would be high. Driscoll's Berries also has its own breeding program. For over 50 years, Driscoll's Berries has been breeding their own plant varieties. At the foot of Mt. Shasta, in Northern California, much of their work is done. They have developed plant varieties that can be planted in June, for harvest in October through December in the Oxnard area. Driscoll's Berries grows and develops new berry varieties around the world. There was a time, just a few years ago, when California growers were out of production for several months. Now growers count the time out of production in weeks and even days. California is closing in on being in Strawberry production year-round. And believe me, some of these early season California Strawberries are some of the very sweetest of the entire season. Right now, Florida is supplying about 80% of the nation’s supply of Strawberries, mostly from Plant City, Florida. Did you ever wonder how Plant City, Florida became the “Winter Strawberry Capital of the World?” It all started over a hundred years ago, when Henry Plant decided to build a railroad to Tampa. The new railroad offered unique potential for local growers to market their winter morsels of sunshine. The Plant City-Dover area is a mecca for sweet, luscious strawberries. Yes, the statistics are impressive. Hillsborough County produces about 15 percent of the nation’s strawberries and virtually all the berries grown during the winter. Although, from November to April, Florida growers will be supplying about 75% of the nation’s sweet Strawberries. Growers in Florida harvest about 16 million flats of Strawberries each year. Many people are surprised to find out that strawberry growers plant bare-root plants rather than seeds. The reason is every strawberry seed contains different genetic material, the product of a myriad of potential gene combinations. Because the genetics of strawberries are so diverse (humans are diploid, strawberries are octoploid), each of our varieties came from a single seed, which was cloned from a single mother plant. The mother plant puts out runners (called daughter plants) that were essentially identical to her, which in turn also put out runners. Last year, strawberry growers in the Sunshine state planted over 40 million plants from one variety, each of which was identical to their great, great, great grandmother found to be a good selection maybe ten years earlier. The major varieties of strawberries grown in Florida are Earlibrite, Strawberry Festival, Camarosa and Treasure. However, there is considerable interest in the newest Florida variety just released this year, the Carmine. Strawberries are naturally fat-free, sodium-free, and cholesterol-free. They are high in Vitamin C and folate, which helps the body metabolize protein. Cancer researchers sing the praises of strawberries for their large quantities of allagic acid, which they claim reduces the risk of cancer. Strawberries are a good source of potassium, too. Obesity is a common theme in the media these days and the statistics are alarming. Kids are of primary concern with only two percent eating a healthy diet and 25 percent with high blood pressure. In fact one panel of nutrition experts said that "today's generation of kids may be the first in American history to face a shorter life-span than their parents." Studies are being conducted that may show strawberries give your body the nutrients (antioxidants, folate and potassium) it needs to maintain a healthy heart. Preliminary studies conducted by Gene Spiller, Ph.D., of the Sphera Foundation in Los Altos, CA, show that eating strawberries helps maintain heart health by providing a good source of folate, a B vitamin that is important for cardiovascular health. Now Spiller is using these results to begin a more comprehensive study of strawberries and heart health. A controlled study of 20 adults, conducted in 2003 by Spiller, demonstrated that the consumption of a serving of strawberries each day for four weeks increased blood levels of folate. Study participants also showed some reduction in C-reactive protein, a measure of artery-damaging inflammation. After eight weeks of eating a serving of eight strawberries each day, systolic blood pressure also declined by an average of four percent. “The preliminary study in 2003 confirmed my hypothesis that strawberries increase levels of folate in the blood and may have a role in protecting the heart’s arteries,” Dr. Spiller said. “I believe that future research will show that strawberries are an important factor in heart health, and a significant part of a healthy diet.” Another epidemiological study is currently being conducted by Howard D. Sesso, Ph.D. at the Harvard School of Public Health. This study examines the prospective association between baseline strawberry consumption and the risk of cardiovascular disease. It will examine the association of strawberry intake and plasma biomarkers of cardiovascular disease, including total cholesterol, LDL-cholesterol, HDL-cholesterol, triglycerides and C-reactive protein. Meanwhile, the American Institute for Cancer Research is saying, "if the only change people made was to eat at least five servings of fruit and vegetables a day, the national cancer rate could drop by as much as 20 percent." Heart disease and the aging population are other primary issues we read about in the news. The bottom line about Strawberries: They may improve heart health and memory and reduce the risk of some cancers. California strawberries, as part of a healthy diet…

• Have been shown to reduce the risk of certain cancers
• Have been shown to reduce the risk of heart disease
• Have been shown to support cognitive function (memory)

OK, we know Strawberries are healthy. Well, here are some fun facts about your sweet Strawberry. From blossom to harvest, is about 30 days. There are around 200 seeds on every Strawberry. This year, Florida growers expect to harvest around 16 million flats. There are 12 baskets per flat. So if it took one person one minute to pick one basket of Strawberries, how long would it take that one person to pick this year’s crop of Florida Strawberries? A little over 365 years! If placed end to end, Florida Strawberries would extend from Plant City, Florida, all the way to Seattle…and back again. Strawberries are in the same botanical family as roses, apples, pears, peaches, blackberries, and raspberries. The family is called Rosaceae. The strawberry’s closest edible relatives are blackberries and raspberries. We’re glad that strawberries don’t have thorns, too! Although strawberry seeds can grow to make new plants, most strawberry plants reproduce by runners. The plant sends out long stems—kind of like tentacles—that form small daughter plants at their tips. These daughter plants put down roots and send out more runners and form more daughter plants, and then more daughter plants and more runners and more daughter plants… You get the idea! Strawberry plants are perennial. Though most strawberry growers replant yearly or every few years, strawberry plants can live for many years. If they are in a good place and don’t get attacked by diseases, deer, or other problems, they form matted colonies that can live as long as 50 years. Strawberries are great straight. Just eat them plain, but it’s also fun to dip them. Try dipping them in Powdered sugar, Vanilla yogurt, Vanilla pudding, Marshmallow cream, Whipped cream, or Melted chocolate. Strawberries are great in smoothies too, kids. Here's a simple smoothie recipe: 1 cup vanilla yogurt, 1/2 cup fresh strawberries, 1/2 banana, 1/4 cup apple juice. Toss it all in the blender, blend until smooth and then add some ice to turn it into a great slushy type smoothie. Oh, by the way, kids, how did the Strawberry get its name? Well, we can thank some 1st and 2nd grader boys in London, England, way over 150 years ago. These young boys would go to the surrounding hillsides, just outside London. In the mornings, before school, they would pick the beautiful red berries, then take them to the downtown streets of London. There, they would put a piece of rye straw through the berry and start selling their berry on a straw. “A pence for a berry,” the young boys would say. This berry on a straw became known as “strawberry.”

You too, can become the “Lord of the Onion Rings.” Just have the right onion, and the right batter.

LORD OF THE ONION RINGS (Friday, Jan. 28): Elijah Wood turns 24 today. He was the young star in the wildly successful movies called “The Lord of the Rings.” Well, I am the “Lord of the Onion Rings,” and in today’s show, we prove it with our beer-battered undeniably the best onion ring recipe in the world. Dr. Leonard Pike of Texas A&M developed the Texas 1015Y onion. When Your Produce Man asked him why he developed such a sweet onion, one with thick rings, onions with a “single center,” Dr. Pike quickly answered, “Because I love onion rings, and this onion makes the best onion rings found anywhere.” When you peel your onions, make sure your knife does not score completely through the outer rings. Also, make sure when you slice your onion, you slice them thick, about ½” thick, or more if you like. My Ultimate Onion Ring recipe is a must. During these winter months, we are still getting some Spring Sweet Onions from the Southern Hemisphere, mainly the Puruvian and Mayan Sweet from Peru and the Oso Sweet from Chile. The Mayan Sweet is a Granex type of onion, which is flat. Kind of like a Vidalia Onion. These are harder to handle and cut. The Oso Sweet Onion is a Grano type of onion, which is in the shape of a globe. These are the perfect type of onion to slice thick rings for Onion Rings. Besides cutting thick rings, make sure your oil is hot. The hotter it is, the less grease will soak into the batter as the rings are frying. When the battered Onion Rings hit the hot oil, immediately a crust is formed on the batter, helping to keep grease from soaking into the batter and onion. You get a crispy Onion Ring, without grease oozing out on every bite.

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