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Cracks
in the desert floor gives you a clue about cracks in your
potatoes.
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These
cracks in spuds are
called “storage cracks.”
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RUSSET POTATOES AND CRACKS (Monday, March 15): What’s up
with all those cracks in the Russet Potatoes? You can really see
them easily on the ends of the Russet Potatoes. Big, ugly cracks.
These are actually called “storage cracks.” The longer
the spuds are in storage, the more likely you’ll see cracks.
It’s normal. The cracks are caused when the spud begins to
loose moisture. With less moisture, the spud begins to shrink.
That shrinking causes the cracks. The best place to understand
this phenomenon is a dry desert floor. After a flood saturating
the soil with water, the hot, dry desert sun begins to cook the
ground, causing dehydration. The ground dries up. Cracks appear
as the soil shrinks. Do take a look at these spud cracks. You can
find decay at these cracks as well. Other than that, these cracks
are nothing to worry about.
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A
sprouting spud is a sign of a healthy spud.
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Spud
Scientist
Dr. Gale Kleinkopf
gives us the scoop on sprouting spuds.
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RUSSET POTATOES AND SPROUTS (Tuesday,
March 16): Every Spring, we hear about…those sprouting spuds. Well, every year, Spring
is Mother Nature's way of rebirth, regrowth. People get Spring
fever. So do spuds. Dr.
Gale Kleinkopf is a potato professor, a
spud scientist with the University
of Idaho, at the Idaho
Center for Potato Research and Education. That's potato country. Dr. Kleinkopf
describes the sprouting process like this: "Potatoes are tubers
and they have a natural dormancy cycle of about 3 - 4 months. When
there is a dormancy break, that tuber has completed its cycle.
Internal hormonal changes take place, causing the tuber to sprout.
It's a normal development to start a new plant for the new year." When
sprouting starts, growers call that "buds are peeping from
the eyes." Storage and temperature controls help slow the
sprouting by "increasing the dormancy time." However,
Dr. Kleinkopf says that "a sprouting spud is a healthy spud." He
says that sprouting actually causes the Russet potato to dehydrate
slightly, just enough to produce a much fluffier baked potato.
Here are some tips Dr. Kleinkopf says will help minimize sprouting:
Keep your spuds cool, and in the dark. That means keep the lids
on your potatoes. He says that if you end up with a lot of sprouting,
simply pluck the sprout off or peel the potato. Dr. Kleinkopf also
says that you can refrigerate your Russets. The cold temperatures
will slow the sprouting growth. Colder temperatures will cause
the starches to turn to sugar, so if you are frying your spuds,
this wouldn't be a good option. But, if you are boiling, mashing
or baking your spuds, refrigerating your potatoes would be perfect.
By the way, in the Spring, you start seeing "regrowth" on
other vegetables, like onions, garlic, shallots and gingerroot.
Keeping produce cold and dark will help slow regrowth.
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The
green in your spuds
is caused by light,
which produces chlorophyll.
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Turned
Mashed Potatoes Leprechaun Green…
with a little Basil.
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RUSSET POTATOES AND GREENING (Wednesday,
March 17): In the produce industry, we call them “greenies,” spuds that turn
green. When exposed to sunlight, potatoes green, increasing the
amounts of glycoalkaloids, especially in and closest to the peel.
Glycoalkaloids are mildly poisonous. Green potato tubers are easily
identified by their surface coloration. This green coloration ("greening" also
called "sun-burning") can be as much as a half-inch deep
in severe cases. French fries made from green potatoes will have
a green end and potato chips will have a green edge. Associated
with greening is the formation of a natural chemical that can cause
allergic reactions and illness. Potato tubers, like leaves, turn
green after prolonged exposure to light, which is due to chlorophyll
biosynthesis. The biosynthesis of glycoalkaloids causes "solanine." Let’s
take a closer look at the phenomenon. Exposure of potato tubers
to light will induce the formation of a green pigmentation near
the surface of the potato. This is called "greening" and
indicates the formation of chlorophyll. This process is completely
safe and occurs in all plants. Chlorophyll is primarily found in
leaves and is responsible for a plant's ability to make food through
photosynthesis. Greening is strongly affected by the cumulative
effects of light quality, duration, and intensity. Chlorophyll
is green because it reflects green light while absorbing red-yellow
and blue light. Fluorescent lights induce more greening than incandescent
lights. That’s why we see greening in potatoes in a grocery
store. The temperature during light exposure is a another factor
since greening is an enzymatic response and enzyme activity increases
as temperature increases. There is no greening when the potato
temperature is less than refrigeration temperature (40°F) and
is most rapid at room temperature (68°F). So, why are we seeing
more green spuds in stores these days? Because many stores are
now open 24 hours. When I first started in the retail business,
our store opened at 8 am and closed at 8 pm. At night, I would
put burlap sacks over the potato section, and then covered them
with black plastic bags, trying to keep all light off the spuds.
Today, stores just don’t close. The spuds are exposed to
light constantly, leading to more green spuds. By itself, chlorophyll
is not a health concern. It is harmless and tasteless. In potato
tubers, the greening is a sign that there may be an increase in
the presence of glycoalkaloids, especially the substance solanine.
When the potato greens, solanine increases to potentially high
levels. Increased solanine levels are responsible for the bitter
taste resulting from a high solanine concentration in potatoes
after being cooked. Any chlorophyll and solanine produced before
cooking will remain after cooking. A good guide is "if the
potato tastes bitter, don't eat it." Although greening is
easier to see with white and yellow varieties, russet and red varieties
also will green. Avoid buying green potatoes and inform the produce
managers if greening is common. If you do get some green spuds,
don’t worry. These tips will help:
· Store potatoes for short periods in a dark, cool place.
· Wash potatoes before cooking to expose green areas.
· Cut away green areas, especially the peel, and cook the rest
for safe eating. If someone has a tendency toward allergies or
allergic
reactions, dispose of the whole potato tuber to be safe. If the
potato tastes bitter, do not eat it.
Since today is St. Patrick’s Day, there is a great way of
turning your mashed potatoes a little Leprechaun Green. Use some
Basil. Take your leaves off the stem and place them in a blender.
Now simply liquefy the Basil. You can add a little Olive Oil as
you blend the Basil. Take this liquid Basil to your Mashed Potatoes
and drizzle a little in as you whip the potatoes. Drizzle enough
until you get the right green color you want. Perfect for your
St. Patrick’s Day dinner.
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Does
the word “Orange” come from the color?
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If you are patient, your
Hass Avocado will make
the perfect Guacamole. |
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New
crop California Hass Avocados will need some ripening time.
Be patient!
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HASS AVOCADOS (Thursday, March
18): Prices this year have been much better than the past few years.
And it’s not because
California growers have a huge crop. In fact, this year’s
crop is about the same size as last year’s crop. The difference
this year is that Mexican fruit is being allowed into more states
and for a longer period of time. For the past few years, fresh
Mexican Avocados were allowed only into 19 northeastern states
from November 1 through the end of February. This year, the USDA is allowing Mexican Avocados to enter 32 states as far west as
Colorado, and the fruit is being allowed into US markets until
April 15, an additional six weeks. So far this season, 93 truckloads
of Mexican Avocados have entered the Denver markets. With a loss
of market share, of course prices would fall. California
grows about 95% of all the Avocados grown in the United States. Florida
grows the rest. California growers have fought for years to keep
fresh Mexican fruit out of the United States, claiming that a pest
infestation from Mexico could do considerable damage to California’s
export business, not just with Avocados but with many other commodities.
New
studies are showing that Avocados are actually very
healthy,
not just a fruit full of fat. The history of the Avocado dates
back to ancient Aztec and Mayan Indians. It wasn’t until
the 1920s when the first Hass variety was discovered, in the back
yard of Rudolf Hass, a postal worker who lived in La Habra, California.
Avocados can turn just about any salad into an entrée salad.
One of the hottest ways to serve Avocados is grilled. It adds a
great dimension to your menu. Proper storage is vital with Avocados.
The less oil content, the more susceptible to chill damage, which
turns the inside fruit black. As oil content improves, chill damage
becomes minimal. The longer you keep your Avocados cold, the more
likely they can spoil. Keep unripe fruit in your backroom, and
covered. Fully ripened fruit can be stored in your refrigerator
for several days. These new crop California Hass Avocados will
take a bit longer to ripen because they have less oil content.
As oil content increases during the growing season, ripening time
will decrease. Be patient with these early avocados. They need
to be ripened before you use them. To ripen a Hass Avocado, place
your green Avocados in a brown paper bag. If you leave them exposed
in the open air, they may just dehydrate before they ripen, so
it is always best to enclose them. Roll up the paper bag and set
out on the counter. Early in the season, it can take up to a week
for them to ripen. To speed up the ripening process, you can place
a ripe banana or an apple into the bag. These fruits will put off
ethylene gas, a natural ripening gas put off by all fruits that
ripen. This ethylene gas will help trigger the ripening in the
Hass Avocado. Avocados, by the way are very healthy for you, loaded
with antioxidants, Vitamin E, Folate and Monosaturated Fat. The
fat in California avocados is the same type found in olive oil,
which studies have shown lowers blood cholesterol.
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“Yeah,
it’s time for a Bartlett again!”
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Add thinly
sliced Bartlett Pears to your Quesadilla.
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BARTLETT PEARS (Friday, March 19): Usually, around July 4th, California
pear growers start harvesting their first Bartlett Pears of the
year. The middle of summer is Bartlett Pear season. Well, it definitely
is not the middle of summer in the US, but it is summer in the
Southern Hemisphere. In Argentina and Chile, growers are harvesting
their summer crop of Bartlett Pears. Yeah! It’s time to enjoy
sweet, juicy summer Bartlett Pears. These pears will ripen nicely,
and actually will ripen pretty quickly as well. You see, to get
here, these pears are put onto boats. Consider those boats a ripening
room. Once they arrive here to the US, those pears will ripen quickly.
A brown paper bag would do wonders. Don’t set a pear out
in the open air on the counter. Pears have no natural oils on the
skin to keep them from dehydrating and shriveling. Pears are great
in many different recipes. It’s time for a Bartlett again.
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