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Produce News for October 19, 2009

CARROTS (October 19):  You know, it’s National Chemistry Week so I thought it would be fun to go on a chemistry lab right in the produce department.  One of the things I love about carrots…you know carrots, especially this time of year, we start adding a lot of carrots to our soups and our stews.  It’s one of the holy trinity as I call it, but one of the things about carrots, whether you cut them or whether you cook them, carrots are always sweeter even after you cut them.  Let me cut this in half right here, and let me tell you what’s happening.  When I cut through there, there are two different types of sugar.  Now all the cell structure that I cut through…I cut through those two different cell structures of the sugars, and when I cut through them and then when I put them in my mouth it tastes sweeter because all the sugars are now going together.  It’s the same when you cook a carrot whether it’s a big carrot or a mini carrot.  When you cook the carrot, it breaks the cell structure so actually the two different types of sugar actually become one big sugar which is why it tastes sweeter.  I’m Michael Marks…Your Produce Man.    (Takes Bite)  Mmm.
 
 
TEASE:  Hey, in my next Produce Man report, when you cut them or cook them, why do carrots taste sweeter?
 
TOMATOES (Tuesday, October 20):  You know, this week happens to be National Chemistry Week so I thought it would be fun to take a walk down the chemistry lab.  That’s the produce section.   I called it chemistry lab.  And we come up to the tomato section, doesn’t matter whether it’s the big slicer tomatoes, whether it’s the little cocktail tomatoes, whether it’s the roma tomatoes, you will find 23 volatile chemicals that make the flavor or aroma of the tomato.  That’s right – 23.  We call them volatile chemicals that make up the flavor.  What does that mean for you and me?  Well, you know, you’re trying to find like the most perfect flavored tomato and scientists are working on it, but there have 23 dice they’re trying to roll to come up with that perfect flavor.  Now one of those chemicals is called Z9.  Now when I just sliced this, I sliced through thousands of cells of Z9, the chemical Z9.  That chemical dissipates within 15 minutes so slice your tomato just before you eat your tomato.  I’m Michael Marks…Your Produce Man. (Takes Bite)  Mmmm.
 
TEASE: Hey, in my next Produce Man report…you would not believe how many chemicals make up the flavor of a tomato. 
 
 
MICHAEL’S BIRTHDAY - GRAPES (Wednesday, October 21): Mmm.  Wow.  These are so…oh, hi!  How’s everybody doing today?  Well, you know, it’s my birthday today so I thought I’d celebrate by just being lazy today, and I thought I’d bring in my favorite fruit.  It happens to be the grape.  Why in the world would the grape be Your Produce Man’s favorite fruit, especially on a day like today?  Well, it’s quite simple.  Take a look at these grapes.  These are actually very good grapes.  These are still California.  They’re beautiful, large, berry size.  Take a look at those.  But one of the things about grapes - you don’t need a knife.  You don’t have to peel them.  You just rinse them off and just pluck them in your mouth.  Ah!  This is the perfect birthday gift for Your Produce Man, so I’m just taking it easy today with my grapes.  I’m Michael Marks…Your Produce Man. (Takes Bite)  Mmm.  That’s good.
 
TEASE: Hey, in my next Produce Man report, I’ll tell you why I’m just sitting around.  (Takes Bite)  Mmm.
 
 
ONIONS (Thursday, October 22):    Have you ever noticed, you take an onion and you put it in a saute pan or sauce pan, or maybe you love baked onions.  Oh, my wife loves baked onions - red, yellow, or white onions – it doesn’t matter.  Just bake them and they’re good!  But have you ever noticed that once you cook an onion, they taste so much sweeter?  I mean, where is that bitter flavor of the onion?  Whether it’s a yellow, whether it’s a red, whether it’s a white.  Well, let me show you something.  This is National Chemistry Week so we’re having fun talking about chemistry in the produce department.  If you were to look inside this onion with a microscope you could see two different things that make up the flavor.  One are sugars; the other acids.  Now here’s what happens:  acids…so you’ve got acids, we call them peruvates or sulphuric compounds - that’s what makes you cry when you cut an onion - so you have the acids and then you have the sugar levels.  Right?  When you cook an onion - bake it, saute it, whatever - here’s what happens.  Acid level goes down.  Sugar level stays high.  They taste sweeter. I’m Michael Marks…Your Produce Man.
 
TEASE:  Check out this onion.  In my next Produce Man report I’m going to tell you why it tastes sweeter after it’s been cooked.
 
  
JONATHAN APPLES (Friday, October 23):  Here’s Johnny!  Hey, Johnny Carson born this date, 1925.  So in honor of Johnny Carson, I thought I’d introduce you to Johnny.  Well, Jonathan is its official varietal name.  This is actually one of the oldest apples that you are going to find in the apple section of the produce department.  This dates back to the 1700s.  This apple right here called Jonathan is the son of the Esopus Spitzenberg.  Who is that?  What is that?  Esopus Spitzenberg happens to be Thomas Jefferson’s favorite apple.  This is the next generation of the Esopus which is why we call it the son of the Spitzenberg.  It’s called a Jonathan apple.  Take a look at it.  It’s not one of the prettiest apples you’re going to find in the produce department, but folks, for  kids, for your grandkids, I always buy Jonathan for them for lunch.  They explode with flavor.  I’m Michael Marks…Your Produce Man.  (Take bite) Mmm.
 
TEASE:  Hey, in my next Produce Man report, for Johnny or Susie at school, why don’t you send Johnny with them.  (Takes Bite)  Mmm.