Introducing... GloCrisp Apples! Oops, I mean CrispGlo...

An apple like a ball of sunshine.  I'd like to introduce you to the GloCrisp apple.  Never heard of it?  Neither had we, until last week.



This is a brand spanking new variety of apple.  Unlike it's infamous yellow sibling, Golden Delicious, the GloCrisp is crisp. And I got half way through this blog post before realizing I've got the darn name wrong.  CrispGlo... CrispGlo....

Anyhow,  these CRISPGLO apples are joyful little bundles of apple that are glowy on the outside, and, you guessed it, crisp as all get out on the inside.  They are extraordinarily juicy as well. Broetje Farms is currently the grower, and is working to make these certified organic - by next year, I'm told.  That's why right now they are called "transitional organic"; you didn't know there were stages of organicism, did you? 

If you fancy yourself a trendsetter, it's your time to shine. Dale's betting money that within a year these are going to take off.  Be the first on your block to pack a CrispGlo in your lunch box or slice it up in your favorite salad.  And gosh, at only 69 cents/pound, what are you waiting for?



Move over Honeycrisp, Fuji, Cameo. Golden D, you're not even a contender. Go for the CrispGlo.

Enough Already!

Is it too early to start decorating?



Too early to lose yourself in a maze of cornstalks?



Too soon to give up on Washington peaches and embrace the incredible Washington apple crop?



To trade nectarines for pomagranates?



To roast squash instead of barbecuing corn?



Too soon for me to stop posting about how summer is turning in to fall, and just accept the fact that fall is pretty much here?

Alrighty then.

Bubblin' Apple Oatmeal

People are either oatmeal eaters, or they're not.

For those of us who are, it's easy to forget about the simplest of breakfasts, often overshadowed by the more spectacular offering du jour from Starbucks or donuts at the office.  And who has time to make oatmeal in the morning, anyway?

Speaking of Starbucks, they just rolled out a very mediocre "Perfect Oatmeal".  Does that mean oatmeal is now "in"?  Fresh Picked News is always on the cutting edge of breakfast fashion.


Bubblin' apple oatmeal

Start with this basic recipe and make adjustments to your own liking for your own "perfect" oatmeal.  Refrigerate leftovers for up to a week, and microwave for a grab-n-go weekday breakfast.

Bubblin' Apple Oatmeal
Serves about 4

2 cups rolled oats (I buy ours in bulk at a little store in Mountlake Terrace called Manna Mills - the best bulk food section around, in my humble opinion..)
3 1/2 cups cold water
1/4 tsp. salt
1/4-1/2 cup brown sugar
Cinnamon - a few shakes of the shaker (1 tsp?)
1 apple, chopped

In medium sized pot, combine all ingredients except apples, and bring to boil. 
Add apples, and boil for about a minute


Chopped Gala apple for oatmeal

Reduce heat and let simmer until oatmeal is done.  Times will vary - my extra-thick rolled oats may take longer than your regular oats.  (Mine took about 5 minutes.)

Serve warm, with milk and butter if desired.

Optional add-ins:  coconut, raisins, dried cranberries, chocolate chips (Dale's idea)

Warning:  This recipe is being featured to offset the hideously unhealthy recipe I'm going to show you later this week.

What's your favorite way to eat oatmeal?


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Want something a bit sweeter?  How about Drop Everything Apple Crisp!

How to Store Apples

How to Store Apples

Washington Gala apples are here! 

The "How to Store" Series is back!  'Tis the season - let's talk apples.

To Freeze or Not to Freeze?

It appears there is no internet consensus on freezing apples.  Does freezing make for mushy apples?  Does it matter if you plan on cooking them anyway?   I say go for it.  Freeze them just like everything else.  Peel, core, sprinkle with lemon juice, and pop them in a freezer bag.

Even better?  Make Apple Pie Filling for your freezer.  That recipe makes enough for 5 pies. If you can peel, core and slice 18 cups of apples without baking at least one pie immediately, you probably don't even like pie.  Seriously, why did you bother peeling 18 cups of apples if you don't like pie?  You should have just stuck with the freezer bags.  Sheesh.



Cold Storage, the Alpha Hydroxy of Produce


You can buy apples year round, but they're not always fresh from the tree.  "New Crop" refers to apples that are picked fresh from the current crop.  Of course people don't post "Old Crop" signs, it's not great marketing.  But you do the math, and tell me why we can buy Washington apples in, say, May. 

There's nothing sinister about it, I swear!  Apples store incredibly well; their fountain of youth is a cold storage chamber.  Just like you keep things fresh at home in cool, dark places, so do the apple packers.  Nothing wrong with being thrifty... just imagine how many apples would be wasted if the excess was not stored! 

According to Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, (our friendly neighbors to the North), you can use these same techniques at home.  Keep your apples in the crisper of your fridge.

"Apples soften 10 times faster at room temperature."

If you bought a whole box of apples, I bet they don't fit in your fridge. A dilemma I am no stranger to.
Just stick them in the darkest, coolest place you can find until you're ready to use them.

What am I forgetting?

Oh, right.  Please forgive me the poem you are about to read.


Limerick 1 (Apple Cider)

There was a young lady from Ryde,
Who ate some green apples and died;
The apples fermented
Inside the lamented
And made cider inside her inside.

-Unknown (found here)

Admit it, you laughed....


How to Store Series Recap

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Why Pink is Such a Nice Color

Pink signs = organic produce at the Yakima Fruit Market.

There were bags of Washington organic apples under the pink signs on Friday when I snapped this pic. My purpose was to demonstrate the pink organic signs at work. I didn't actually buy any of them. Why would I? Organic is always soooo expensive.

When I got home I uploaded my pictures and looked at this one a little closer. $4.99. See? Expensive.

Wait.... $4.99 for a 3 POUND BAG*??? That would be only $1.66/pound!

I mentioned it to Dale, who said the apples are awesome but not very many have been coming through the checkouts. Maybe you all did what I did, saw the $4.99, ignored the shy apples hiding in bags and went with the loose apples instead. Which were good, too, but I'm thinking I missed out here.

Dale and I talk about organics all the time. Some customers comment that there is not enough organic produce at the market. So organics are purchased, pink signs are posted, and then no one buys them. If you want to see more organics at the market, do yourself a favor and look for those pink signs. Your purchase is your vote. If you don't care either way, your vote for conventional produce counts, too.

Above all, remember that shopping at the fruit market means you're voting for a local business. By doing so, you're supporting the local farmers and various other local entities that the fruit market utilizes. Now that's a warm fuzzy feeling you can be proud of.

*Prices are subject to change without warning. I cannot guarantee that the prices I mention here are what you will see on your visit.