MR. GREENS "FRESH TIPS"
March 8, 2002
Our last PRODUCE MAN PUZZZZLE dealt with Cranes and produce: What produce item is associated with the Crane? In March, Spring begins. It is also the beginning of the Crane watch in Nebraska, where the largest concentration of this bird will take place over the next several weeks. Have you looked at the blossoms of some vines or plants? For example, the blossom of the Passion Fruit tree looks like the crucifix, so the fruit was called “Passion” fruit. Well, the blossom of our mystery item looks just like the head of the Crane bird. When the early American Pilgrims set foot on America, the first year, they noticed the blossom of this vine that grows in the sand. They called it…Craneberry. Today, we call it Cranberry. This week’s PUZZZZLE deals with Spring produce: How fast does Asparagus grow? See next week’s “Fresh Tips” for the answer.
--APPLES: Each week, you may notice that apple prices are going up. Slightly, but heading up. That’s because we are now into Controlled Atmosphere storage. You may also be noticing that the apples are crisper these days. That’s because we are now getting apples from Controlled Atmosphere storage. In the industry, it’s simply called “CA” apples. No, we are not referring to the post office abbreviation of California. “CA” in the produce industry stands for “Controlled Atmosphere.” Up until about late January, early February, most apples were still coming from “common storage.” That is simply large refrigerated rooms, kind of like your walk-in or refrigerator. Nothing special. Just cold. Apples from common storage, by February, have been off the tree for almost 6 months. These apples begin to lose their crispness. Before CA rooms, by the time we got to Spring, and into early Summer, apples just weren’t worth eating. Controlled Atmosphere rooms were developed in the 1950s. Based upon work from England farmers, American scientists began working on the first airtight controlled atmosphere rooms in the United States. These specially designed rooms not only keep apples cold, but also control the “breathing” of apples, by controlling the oxygen and nitrogen levels in the room. When fruit or vegetables are still on the tree, vine or plant, they breathe opposite of humans, taking in Carbon Dioxide and releasing Oxygen. Once a fruit or vegetable has been picked, it then begins to breathe just like people, taking in Oxygen and releasing Carbon Dioxide. The faster something breathes, the more “tired” it gets. The slower produce breaths, the longer it will last. Potatoes breathe slower than any other fruit or vegetable, at a rate of 8 milliliters of carbon dioxide per kilogram per hour at 59 degrees. That’s why potatoes can be stored for a long period of time. Lettuce breathes at a rate of 200. That’s why lettuce is so perishable. Apples breathe at a rate of 25. These CA rooms were designed to slow the breathing of apples, not only by keeping them ice cold, but by limiting the amount of oxygen they take in. Different varieties need different controlled atmosphere levels. These apples in controlled atmosphere storage basically are put to “sleep.” That’s why some in the industry call these apples “Sleeping Beauties.” When they come out of the CA rooms, these apples are almost just as juicy and crisp as when they were picked from the tree. These CA apples need to be handled very special. Controlled Atmosphere apples will ripen 8 times faster when set out at room temperature, which causes them to become mealy and soft. Especially now, keep your CA apples ice cold. If you do, they will be some of the crispiest apples of the year.
--ASPARAGUS:
We are coming into peak of the season for Spring Asparagus. About 75% of
the US Asparagus crop is harvested between March and May, most from the
rich Delta growing region near Stockton, CA. Several growing regions, right
now, are in production, which is starting to give us much better supplies.
Regions in production right now are Baja, Mexico, Salinas,
Imperial Valley, and now, the Delta, which began harvest a week or so ago.
We have started seeing large 28# cartons available from the desert, a sign
that supplies are beginning to be plentiful. Rains this time of year can
really hamper supplies because the rains keep pickers out of the fields,
but also form a thick crust on the soil, making it more difficult for the
tender spears to poke through. It’s time to get Asparagus onto your
dinner plate. Prices are coming into the best value period.