What is a CSA and how do I find one?
Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) shares are becoming widely popular. Basically, you pay for all your veggies at the beginning of the season, so the farmer has money to pay for their seed and other supplies. (Yes. This is where the term ‘seed money’ come from.) Then you pick up a box of fresh veggies from your farmer every week or every other week once the growing season begins. This is a great way to support your local farmers. However, you must understand that the farmer does not control the weather and other growing conditions. Therefore, you might not get as many veggies one year that you had gotten in previous years and some years you will get a lot more than previous years.
The best way to find a local CSA is to ask around your local farmers’ market or contact your state’s department of agriculture. In Minnesota we have a handy tool to help you find a CSA through the Minnesota Grown catalog, which you can find by following this link.
What are seconds?
Farmers call the imperfect or less desirable vegetables in a harvest ‘seconds’. These vegetables are usually cheaper and are perfect for canning or freezing. You cut up most vegetables anyway, who will know that the carrot on their salad had 2 ‘legs’ or a diced tomato wasn’t round? Seconds are a great way to get quality, ‘ugly’ produce at a discount. Many farmers sell their seconds to restaurants for seasonal dishes.
Why buy through the buyers’ club?
Purchasing through a buyers club allows for smaller portions for those that want just a little and offers bulk purchasing power and special discounts from the farmers for those that want a lot.
What is the difference between organic and chemical-free produce?
Due to the time and expense a farmer must go through to obtain organic certification, only farmers that have been certified as organic may advertise that they are organic. Other farmers that do not use chemicals, but do not have organic certification must use the term “chemical-free”. There are several laws and processes a farm must adhere to to receive organic certification including: no chemical use on the land for 3 years prior to certification, site testing, crop inspections and more. These are some of the reasons that drive up the prices of organic produce.
What are Heirloom vegetables?
The definition of an heirloom vegetable is a matter of debate among amateur gardeners, vegetable farmers, and cultural historians. Most agree that an heirloom variety must predate the era when the first hybrid vegetables developed from inbred lines were introduced. That was in 1951. Some think that heirlooms should include only those varieties that were not developed for the commercial trade. The one thing that all agree on is that an heirloom must be “old”. Heirloom varieties are also described as being open-pollinated; in other words, the plants come true to form generation after generation. This is in contrast to hybrid varieties in which the offspring typically resemble one of the parent varieties involved in the hybridization process. What it all means for the home gardener is that you can collect and save seed from heirloom varieties, sow them in subsequent seasons, and get plants identical to the parent plant.There are some exceptions to the open-pollination feature of heirlooms. Members of the squash family, including pumpkins, will readily cross-pollinate, with the result that the offspring in subsequent plantings will be nothing like the parent. So, it is not advisable to save seed from squash and pumpkins that have been grown in the vicinity of one another. The same is true of members of the brassica family, e.g.. broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower, and Brussels sprouts. Also, some heirloom vegetables such as potatoes and garlic are propagated vegetatively and not from seed, so the term open-pollinated is irrelevant
How much do I need to buy?
How much you need to buy depends on what you are going to use the produce for. I have included a handy purchasing guide below.
(Table taken from the “Ball Complete Book of Home Preserving”)
Vegetable Purchasing Guide
(compiled from various sources)
Fruit Purchasing Guide
(compiled from various sources)
Common Storing Methods
Countertops- Some fruits, particularly tropical fruits, keep better on the counter. A common example is bananas because they will become brown rapidly in a refrigerator.
Refrigeration- To keep most fruits and veggies fresh without processing this is the best method to keep foods the longest. Produce such as apples and celery keep best in the refrigerator.
Root Cellar/Cooler- Some root vegetables can be kept for months in a root cellar. Root cellars are cool, dry storage area to store vegetables that are sometimes covered in dirt for longer shelf life. This method works particularly well for vegetables such as potatoes and carrots. Today there are several plans on the internet for smaller sized ‘root cellars’ made from coolers and other materials.
Dehydrating- The key to keeping foods tasting fresh when dehydrating is to not cook the food while drying. There are several different plans on the internet for DIY dehydrators as well as several models available for purchase. A simple box fan with a couple of window screens is the best way to dry without heat. The fan, set on low, gently keeps the air moving around the food helping it dry without heat. There are also several methods for drying with your oven. Dehydrating will give you the longest shelf life if stored in an airtight container in a cool dry place. Although there are several resources for dehydrating information, the basic rule is to dry fruits and vegetables until they are dry all the way through. (“the Dehydrator bible” by MacKenzie, Nutt, and Mercer is a good reference.)
Freezing- Usually vegetables are blanched for a length of time before freezing to deactivate the enzymes that cause a plant to wilt after a frost. Although freezing preserves the freshness better than dehydrating or canning, freezer burn, and freezer space are a concern. More information on blanching can be found here: https://extension.umn.edu/preserving-and-preparing/vegetable-blanching-directions-and-times-home-freezer-storage
Canning- There are two types of canning. The boiling water method and pressure canning. In the boiling water method jars are submerged in rapidly boiling water for a length of time; this method requires the foods be high in acid (pH 4.6 or lower) to preserve the contents such as pickles and jams. Pressure canning relies on a special canner (which are readily available) to pressurize the jars and preserve the contents. Always follow a recipe for canning when canning vegetables. Improperly canned foods can cause serious illness. (Please remember botulism can survive in a vacuum.) I recommend ““Ball Complete Book of Home Preserving”, the “Ball Blue Book”, and the FDA website (for the updated guidelines).
How to revive wilted greens
Leafy greens do not have a long shelf life, so if your greens are a little droopy, just submerge them in a bowl of really cold water to crisp them back up.
How to store common veggies:
Cold Weather Crops- such as broccoli or cabbage.
Root Veggies- Root veggies last longest in a cool, dry environment. Place in plastic bag in your refrigerator or store in a root cellar.
Root veggies with tops- Some farmers sell their tops of the root vegetables still intact. These greens are usually edible and can be prepared the way you would any leafy green veggies such as spinach or kale. However, you usually want to separate the tops from the roots to prevent the roots from going soft or rubbery.
Leafy greens- Leafy greens, such as lettuce spinach and kale, should be stored whole and unwashed. Wash, then cut or tear into desired sized pieces just before serving.
Apples- Are best stored in the refrigerator or temperatures around 35F
Tips for purchasing from a Farmers Market
Do not low-ball the farmer. They put in long hours and hard labor to plant, grow and harvest the fresh veggies you desire, so be fair.
Go early for the best produce but go late for the best deals. If you want the prettiest produce, go first thing in the morning. Farmers usually put out their best-looking produce first. But if you want a good deal, go when they are packing up and purchase what they have left. Produce does not have a long shelf life and a lot of farmers are happy to make a deal to get rid of what they have left at the end of the day.
If you want ‘seconds’ or bulk produce, let your farmer know early in the season.
Comentários