This time of year, it takes very little to make me happy in the produce department. It’s at this time, that the first spring asparagus and strawberries pop up in the stores, and while they taste no where near as good as freshly picked, they are a very welcome respite from canned fruit and broccoli. If your groceries have been anything like mine though, the initial offerings have been terrible- just terrible. Last week I broke down and bought a carton of strawberries and a cantaloupe to go with dinner. We’ve been fighting the flu this fine month of March, and after dealing with it for over a week myself at the time, I just knew my body was craving FRESH vitamin C, so I sucked it up and bought the really pathetic looking strawberries. And regretted it later, when I cut them up and they tasted like water. Old water.
I knew that was coming, I knew they weren’t going to be good, I mean, they didn’t LOOK good. They were full of white splotches, and weren’t even a nice shade of red. They were cheap, I’ll give them that. If my memory is correct, they were $2.49 for the quart of berries, which is a good price this time of year. But the taste…
Fast forward to today. Once again, I’m at the grocery store, picking up just a few things, and the strawberries are like a siren call from across the way. They’re even cheaper this week, but I instantly thought of the water flavored styrofoam I’d fed to my family the week before, and I just couldn’t do it. I stopped at the organic greens to pick up some baby spinach, and then I saw them.
I saw these perfect deep-red, almost purple strawberries peeking out from their plastic clam-shells. They looked like absolute perfection- like they had JUST been picked fresh off the vine in the June summer sun. I looked carefully at the carton, there were no signs of white or even pink- just deep red. There was also no fuzz or mold, there was a berry on top that looked as though it had been squished a touch, but these strawberries were singing to me! At $3.99 I decided the price tag was a good investment if these berries even tasted half as good as they look. Certified organic from a farm in Florida, I was not disappointed.
Upon my arrival at home, I took out the smooshed one, cut off the smoosh and the stem and popped the rest of that berry into my mouth. Oh, my, goodness. It truly tasted of summer sunshine. It tasted like strawberry pie and strawberry ice cream and strawberries dipped in cream. These are real strawberries.
The point of this post today is just to share where we are on the organic spectrum. We certainly cannot afford to eat organic all the time- especially when part of the year is a lay-off time (as it is right now). But there are certain things that I always buy organic- local if possible. Milk is always organic OR from a local dairy that is certified hormone free. Salad greens are always organic- baby spinach, romaine, mesclun mix. I find they last longer and taste better when I pay a little more for the organic. Apples have recently crossed over for me. Unless I’m picking them myself at the apple orchard, the apples that we eat are certified organic. I think that today the strawberries joined the apples. June berry picking is only a few months away, I think we can manage with these amazing organic berries until then.
Now, there are times where I am looking over the organic selection, and they just are not very good looking. And there are certainly times where I really want to grab something, but the price holds me back. But the way I see it, everything should be organic. That’s the way it should be. Strawberries should not have been bred for transport- resulting in these firm, watery, pink triangular shaped things we dare call fruit. I shouldn’t have to be concerned about pesticides and herbicides and insecticides coursing through my children’s bodies. But I am concerned, and I will voice my concern with my precious grocery dollar. Though it be shrinking more and more these days, as the price of groceries goes up, the organic producers who do their job right will get my grocery dollar.
Considering switching to organic for some of your grocery purchases? Here is a current list of the “Dirty Dozen”- the top 12 most contaminated foods that are worth seeking out an organic alternative for:
- Peaches
- Apples
- Sweet Bell Peppers
- Celery
- Nectarines
- Strawberries
- Cherries
- Pears
- Grapes (Imported)
- Spinach
- Lettuce
- Potatoes
And for those who are equally curious, here are some of the safest foods to eat- foods that have a thick skin, or rarely need to be sprayed with anything. If you’re going to prioritize, start with the dirty dozen, and then add whatever looks good to you at your market.
- Onions
- Avocado
- Sweet Corn (Frozen)
- Pineapples
- Mango
- Asparagus
- Sweet Peas (Frozen)
- Kiwi Fruit
- Bananas
- Cabbage
- Broccoli
- Papaya
Eating organic as much as possible is all part of eating Real Food. It’s about just eating food, and not 45 possible pesticides that come along for the ride. My children’s health is worth it, and aside from that, if the organic options just plain taste better, that’s a better choice anyway.