Gone are the days when the grossest thing about biting into your “Golden Delicious,” was coming face to face with a worm. Nowadays you have to worry about the welter of toxic chemicals that cover your previously clean-living “Granny Smith.” And, are you even sure that your favorite “Pink Lady” is as fresh as she claims to be?
The Sydney Morning Herald purchased apples from a group of major Australian supermarkets and sent them out for laboratory testing to determine when they were picked. It turns out that most of the apples were up to 10 months old.
Because the majority of fruits and veggies are not grown year-round, supermarkets often purchase fresh produce in bulk, keeping a portion in cold storage until they can be sold during seasonal downtimes. Ever noticed a brown tinge on the core of your apple – a telltale sign that it’s been frozen.
So how do you avoid purchasing faux fresh produce? Eat Locally! Not only does local food taste better, it’s better for you and the environment. The food we eat travels an average of 1,500 miles before ending up on our plates. This generates a significant carbon footprint, not to mention the ecological costs of large-scale monoculture, loss of family farms, and community dollars.
Don’t know where to find the nearest farmer’s market? Not sure what’s in season? Want to ditch the drive-thrus on your next road trip? The Epi-Cure lists 3 easy tips to help you live “la vida locavore,” wherever you are.
1. The Locavore iPhone app tells you where the nearest farmer’s market is, what’s in season in your area, how much longer it’s in season for, what’s coming into season, and what’s grown in your state. You can also check to see if neighboring states have the food you want in season (which is better than eating something that’s grown 2,000 miles away).
2. Don’t have an iPhone? Epicurious has a great map for anyone who’s ever drawn a blank when asked what’s in season or “good right now” at their local supermarket. Click on a month, choose your state, and you’ll get a pop-up list of stuff grown in your own neck of the woods (or at least some woods closer to home). Roll through the list, and you’ll get links to recipes and details on each ingredient.
3. Looking for a healthy restaurant in your neighborhood, or planning a road trip that doesn’t involve a Mac attack or Taco Bell? Just plug in your starting address and destination, and the Eat Well Guide will give you a list of places that sell fresh, locally grown, and sustainably produced food along the way. Eat Well’s thousands of listings include family farms, restaurants, farmers’ markets, grocery stores, Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) programs, U-pick orchards and more.
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