Healthy Habits

Once Bitten… Forever Smitten!

October 15, 2018 by Sage Fruit 48 Comments

Have you tried a Smitten? Once bitten, you’ll be forever Smitten!

The search for the next great eating apple began in New Zealand in 2005. By 2011, Smitten was introduced to the United States courtesy of Pegasus Premier Fruit. Today, only a few apple shippers across the country are responsible for the growing, packing and distributing of this unique variety within the domestic market – which includes Sage Fruit!

Parentage

Smitten is a cross pollination of Gala, Braeburn, Fiesta and Falstaff.

Characteristics

Smitten is a bi-colored, stripe apple. It has a bright, pink/red blush over a yellow background
The flesh is both crunchy and juicy
Smitten is a hardy apple that remains firm in refrigeration – it stores tremendously well!

Flavor Profile

Smitten has a perfectly well-balanced flavor. It is sweet, with a hint of tartness and complex aromatics.

Curious yet? Head to your local grocer and pick some up! Let us know what you think. Can’t find them? Ask your produce manager.

We’re also giving you an opportunity to enter for a chance to win a sample case of Smitten apples + $100 Amazon Gift Card! Click here for more details.

Northwest Stone Fruit Season

July 31, 2018 by Sage Fruit 3 Comments

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This past spring, we welcomed a new growing and packing facility to the Sage Fruit Family. With this new warehouse (Vanguard Pride Packing), we added more apples and cherries to our inventory….but, we also added A LOT of Northwest grown stone fruit. So, as much as we enjoyed the summer before, we now have three more reasons to love it – apricots, peaches & nectarines! While our apricot season is already over, we are just getting started with peaches and nectarines.

What is a stone fruit?

Let’s first establish what a stone fruit is. Very simply, it is a fruit that contains a large “stone” (or pit) inside of it. Many people think the stone itself is the seed, however, the stone actually protects the seed, which is found inside of it. (Cherries are also considered stone fruit.)

Our Stone Fruit

Beginning this summer, we have both Conventional and Organic peaches and nectarines available. ALL of our peaches and nectarines are tree-ripened for the sweetest flavor! You might be asking yourself, “What does tree-ripened even mean?” Well, we allow the fruit to remain on the tree as long as possible in order for it to have the opportunity to reach its highest sugar content. We pride ourselves on delivery an exceptional eating experience, and know that the tree-ripening process in the most important aspect of our stone fruit growing. While we pick the fruit when it is still firm, we do not pick it when it’s green. So, you can eat it as soon as you get it home, or let it sit on the counter to soften up a bit.

Types of Peaches

Peaches have a delicate aroma, and a skin that is velvety. Depending on the pit, peaches are classified as either freestone or semi-cling varieties. A freestone peach can have its center stone easily removed from the flesh because it is not attached. In contrast, the center stone of a semi-cling peach is attached to the flesh. Freestone peaches are much more suitable for canning than semi-cling peaches, however there is no noticeable difference in flavor, and both are excellent for eating fresh!

Additionally, the flesh of peaches can be different – we grow both white flesh and yellow flesh varieties.

White Flesh: Extremely sweet!
Yellow Flesh: Sweet and well-balanced flavor.

Types of Nectarines

Nectarines and peaches are closely related. However, they do have one visible difference, which is their skin. Peaches are velvety, whereas nectarines are smooth. Their skin is brightly colored gold with hues of ruby and pink throughout. All nectarine varieties are semi-cling.

Like peaches, nectarines can either be yellow flesh or white flesh. The flavor profile of each, also follows similarly to peaches.

White Flesh: Extremely sweet!
Yellow Flesh: Sweet and well-balanced flavor.

Availability

Northwest grown Peaches: Mid-July through September
Northwest grown Nectarines: Mid July through September

Need help picking out the perfect fruit? Use the guide below!

What’s the difference? Dark Sweet vs. Rainier Cherries

June 8, 2018 by Sage Fruit 10 Comments

It’s officially summer here in the Pacific Northwest…. Cherry season has begun! From now through August, we will be picking, packing and shipping these little gems seven days a week.

In all likelihood, when visiting your local supermarket, you will find two different types of cherries. Although there are numerous varieties for each type, we classify them as Dark Sweet and Rainier. But, what’s so different between the two?

The obvious difference between them is their appearance. Dark Sweet cherries are a rich, mahogany color, whereas Rainier cherries are yellow, with a tinge of red. However, their flavor profile also sets them apart from one another. Rainiers have a lower acidity level, which results in them having higher brix (sugar content). Thus, Rainier cherries are actually sweeter than Dark Sweet cherries.

In addition, the growing season for Rainier cherries is much shorter. There is less acreage planted in the Pacific Northwest, therefore there is less volume to supply consumers with. You can find Washington grown Rainiers at retail from mid-June until mid-July. Dark Sweets, though, you will be able to find until the end of August.

Quick Fact: Developed in 1952 at Washington State University, the Rainier cherry is a cross between the Bing and the Van. It gets its name after the highest peak in the state of Washington.

How to: Select, Store & Prep Cherries

Select:

Dark Sweet – Look for cherries that are a deep red, mahogany color with green stems.

Rainier – Look for yellow with red blush on the shoulders of the fruit and green stems.

Store:

Always store your cherries in the refrigerator until you are ready to eat. Keeping them in the refrigerator prevents them from becoming soft and helps prolong their shelf-life.

Prep:

Before eating, be sure to wash your cherries by rinsing them under cool running water. Unlike some other fruits and vegetables, no additional wax is added to cherries, but it’s always a good idea to rinse your fresh produce!

Produce Challenge: D’Anjou Pears

February 24, 2018 by Sage Fruit Leave a Comment

The Produce Challenge for today is a D’Anjou pear. Luckily, this is something we know a little bit about, so it wasn’t too difficult to find a recipe!

Recipe:

Pear Noodle Yogurt Parfait – From Inspiralized

Cook Time: 5 mins

Ingredients

3/4 cup diced fruit (bananas, blueberries or strawberries)
Greek yogurt – vanilla, blueberry, strawberry
1 cup favorite granola
2 medium pears (bosc or anjou)

Instructions

Divide your diced fruit at the bottom of three mason jars.
Top fruit with one container of Greek yogurt per mason jar.
greek yogurt with 1/3 cup of granola per mason jar.
Top granola with pear noodles in each mason jar.

Prep Time: 5 minutes…..or less!

For this, we took the fresh and easy approach – no cooking required!

The best part about a parfait is that you can really use whatever fruit you want. I happened to use strawberries, but if you didn’t want to do any cutting, go with blueberries or raspberries – there is NO bad combination for a breakfast parfait. As far as the granola goes, I used what I had leftover from earlier in the week and yes, it was still amazing!

When purchasing your D’Anjou pears, be sure to Check the Neck – apply just a little pressure with your thumb at the top of the neck of the pear; if it gives a little, it is ripe and ready to eat!

Produce Challenge: Parsnip

February 23, 2018 by Sage Fruit Leave a Comment

I’ve eaten rutabagas, turnips and beets, but I can’t recall a time that I’ve ever eaten parsnips. So,for today’s Produce Challenge my goal was to find an easy-to-follow recipe that would leave little room for error during preparation. I settled on a roasted fruit and veggie mash!

Recipe:

Roasted Cauliflower Parsnip Apple Mash – From SoFab Food

Prep Time: 10 minutes Cook Time: 50 minutes Total Time: 1 hour

Ingredients:

1 head cauliflower, cut into florets
4 large parsnips, peeled and cut into chunks (about 2 cups)
2 medium tart apples, peeled and diced (about 2 cups)
2 tbsp oil (olive oil, avocado oil, and canola oil all work)
1/2-3/4 cup unsweetened almond milk
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 tbsp vegan butter or regular dairy butter
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp ground black pepper
1 tbsp green onion, chopped

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350°F. Toss cauliflower, parsnips, and apples with two tablespoons of oil.
Spread out in a single layer on a baking sheet. Roast for 35-45 minutes, until lightly charred & parsnips are able to be pierced easily.
Immediately transfer to a high powered blender. Add garlic, almond milk, butter, salt, and black pepper. Pulse until smooth.
For a thinner mash, add the additional 1/4 cup almond milk.

Prep Time: Accurate

Although an hour seemed a little excessive to me for a side dish, it was nice to have time to prepare other aspects of the meal. It was easy to pop the baking sheet into the oven, set the timer and then go about doing other things.

For this recipe, I chose to use Golden Delicious apples. Their own flavor is very mild, and they tend to take on the flavor of what it is they are being cooked with; I didn’t want the taste of apples to be too overbearing.

What I found to be most interesting about parsnips is that they are much sweeter than I expected. I was anticipating more of a potato flavor, but was pleasantly surprised. For my main course, I paired the mash with a pan-fried pork chop; it was a sweet and savory combination. The next time I make it though, I will likely add a sprinkle of cinnamon and a sprinkle of nutmeg for a little something extra.

Produce Challenge: Sweet Potato

February 22, 2018 by Sage Fruit 1 Comment

Produce Challenge for today = Sweet Potato

Up until recently, I’d only really eaten sweet potatoes during the holidays; they’ve always been a staple at Grandma’s dinner. However, I have started using them more frequently, so I was really excited when I saw they were on the calendar for February.

Recipe:

Caramelized Apple, Onion & Sweet Potato Hash – From The Wheatless Kitchen

Ingredients

1 large sweet potato, peeled and chopped
1 small sweet yellow onion, thinly sliced
4 eggs
1 large red apple, cut into wedges
1/4 cup water
2 tbsp olive oil
2 tbsp pure maple syrup
1 tsp cumin
small pinch chili pepper flakes
pinch of salt

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
In a large cast iron skillet over medium heat, sauté the sweet potato and onion with the oil and water for 5 minutes, until the onion starts to turn translucent.
Add all of the other ingredients, except for the eggs, and cook for another 5 minutes or so. Just until the apples start to soften up. Stir occasionally to prevent anything from sticking to the pan.
Using a spoon or spatula, make 4 small holes in the mixture and gently crack an egg into each hole.
Transfer the pan to the oven and bake for 8-10 minutes, until eggs are cooked.

Prep Time: There wasn’t one listed, but I’d say give it about 20-25 minutes.

I used a combination of sliced and diced for my apples/potatoes/onions. Although the recipe called for wedges of apples, I wanted them mixed in more, so I cut them smaller. Also, if you don’t have one, get yourself a spiralizer! Mine is very basic, but I got it from Pampered Chef and it works GREAT for slicing onions. There were no tears shed and my onions were sliced perfectly thin. You can use it for all sorts of fruits and veggies.

As far as the apples go, I settled on Fuji today. They are very sweet and they pick up the flavors of the spices well. In addition, they’re a juicier apple, so I cut the water out of the recipe; there was no need for added liquid.

I imagine you could serve this as a side dish for dinner, but I ended up serving mine as the main course for breakfast and added some sausage patties on the side. The next I make this however, I will likely add the sausage directly into the skillet; cook the sausage first, then add the veggies in and follow the remainder of the instructions.

Produce Challenge: Watermelon

February 21, 2018 by Sage Fruit 1 Comment

This morning, I woke up to a blistering cold 20 degrees outside; wind blowing, ice on the roads and, albeit very thin, a fresh layer of snow on the ground. Needless to say, I’m longing for hot sunshine and summertime! So, when the Produce Challenge calendar called for watermelon today, you bet I picked something that made it feel like warm weather was near.

Recipe:

Easy Summer Fruit Salad – From Renee’s Kitchen Adventures

Prep Time: 10 mins

Ingredients

3 cups fresh watermelon, small diced
1 long English cucumber, small diced
1 large apple, cored and small diced
Juice of one lime
1 TBS lime zest
2 TBS fresh mint, chopped
pinch of salt (optional)

Instructions: Combine all ingredients in large bowl. Cover and refrigerate for about an hour to allow flavors to blend. Gently stir and enjoy!

When I was a kid, my mom always had a fresh fruit salad in the refrigerator for us to snack on whenever we wanted. She never added anything extra; kept it simple, but mixed up which fruits she used each week, and ALWAYS used watermelon as the base. This salad reminds me a lot of when I was a kid, but it has a slightly more sophisticated flavor profile with the addition of mint and lime juice. The adult version of my favorite summer snack! (Although, I do think kids will enjoy it too.)

Prep Time = Accurate – All you have to do is dice and mix!

For this salad, I used a Granny Smith apple. The tartness of the Granny combined with the sweetness of the watermelon adds to the depth of flavor. The English Cucumber is mild in taste, but adds a little crunch. You can easily replace the English Cucumber with a regular one if, for example, there’s a large difference in price or if you can’t find an English Cucumber at your local grocery store.

A pinch of salt? I switched that out for a sprinkle of Tajin. It’s all based on preference, but I regularly eat Tajin on my cucumbers, my watermelon and my Granny Smith apples… so it only made sense to use it on all 3 at once!

Whether you decide to use salt or Tajin, or even if you decide to use neither, you are sure to enjoy this refreshing, Easy Summer Fruit Salad!

Produce Challenge: Coconut

February 20, 2018 by Sage Fruit Leave a Comment

Today’s Produce Challenge = Coconut!

For this challenge, I decided to go with a breakfast favorite here in the Sage Fruit office, granola. And, it did not disappoint!

Recipe:

Apple Pie Granola – From One Dish Kitchen

Prep Time: 10 mins Cook Time: 30 mins Total Time: 40mins

Ingredients

3 cups old-fashioned oats
1 cup coconut
1 cup walnuts
1/4 cup sunflower seeds
1/4 cup brown sugar
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
pinch allspice
1/4 cup butter
1/2 cup maple syrup
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup peeled , cored and diced apples

Instructions

Preheat oven to 300 degrees F.

In a large bowl, combine: oats, coconut, walnuts, sunflower seeds, brown sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves and allspice.
In a small pot, on medium heat, melt the butter. Stir in the maple syrup and the salt.
Remove from the heat and stir in the vanilla.
Pour the butter/syrup mixture over the oats/nuts mixture and stir until well blended.
Fold in the diced apples.
Spread over a large baking sheet and cook for 30 minutes, stirring every 10 for even color.

Although I regularly see coconuts at my grocery store, I’ve eaten it more times than I can count and I drink coconut water, like leeks, I’d never actually purchased one. So, once again, I had to do a bit of research – How in the world do I open this thing?! I found all the information I needed right here.

Prep/Cook Time: Semi Accurate.

The prep time was on point. But, I found that my granola was not quite as crunchy as I would have like after the 30 minute cook time. So, I turned up the heat on my oven to 350 degrees, and cooked for another 15 minutes, stirring every 5. However, if you decide to turn up the heat, be sure to keep a close eye on it so you don’t end up with a burnt pan. If you don’t want to risk it, but still want extra crunch, keep your temp at 300 and continue checking every 5-7 minutes.

**Note** As you let your baking sheet cool, your granola will crisp up a bit more than what it was when you originally took it out of the oven.

Today, the apples I chose to use were Gala. The main reason for this is because, even though they are very sweet, they are not overly juicy. So, when making a crunchy granola, they will dehydrate quicker and match the overall texture of the other ingredients better.

I can’t recommend this recipe enough – It was a huge hit both at home and in the office. You will not regret making this Apple Pie Granola!

apple pie granola

Produce Challenge: Leek

February 19, 2018 by Sage Fruit Leave a Comment

New day, new challenge! Today’s item on the Produce Challenge calendar is the Leek.

**Full Disclosure: I had NEVER purchased a Leek prior to today’s Challenge.**

Recipe: Curried Leek and Apple Soup – From Lavender & Lovage

Serves 4 Prep Time: 15 Minutes Cook Time: 35 Minutes Total Time: 50 Minutes

Ingredients

1 teaspoon rapeseed oil
2 teaspoons curry powder (mild or hot, according to taste)
3 small leeks, trimmed, washed and finely chopped
100g potato, peeled and finely diced
2 cooking apples, peeled cored and chopped (or tart eating apples)
600mls vegetable stock
4 tablespoons low-fat natural yogurt
salt and pepper to taste
fresh chives, chopped (as a garnish)

Directions

1: Melt the oil in a large saucepan and add the curry powder – cook for a minute (or so) until the curry powder has formed a paste and smells aromatic. Add: leeks, potato and apples. Saute for about 5 minutes over medium heat.
2: Add the stock and then cover with a lid and simmer for 20-25 minutes.
3: Transfer the soup to a food processor and blend until smooth.
4: Return the soup to the saucepan and reheat – make sure the soup doesn’t boil.
5: Serve the soup with a swirl of yogurt over the top and some fresh chives as a garnish

Although I’d never bought or cooked with leeks before, I did know what they were and where to find them in the grocery store. So, I made my way over and picked out my 3 small leeks (or at least the smallest ones I could find). Everything else on the shopping list was pretty easy to find, with the exception of rapeseed oil. What I found out, is that generally speaking, I could use Canola Oil in its place – They have their differences, but for this, Canola will work.

Once I got home, it was time to cook! The recipe calls for the leeks to be “trimmed, washed & finely chopped.” For someone who has never cooked with them before, it was a little confusing – I mean, how much do I actually use? Believe it or not, there’s an entire video on The Produce Moms website – Leeks 101: How to Clean, Cut & Cook. This was the most useful tool I used for my recipe – I LOVE when someone shows me exactly what to do!

For my apples, I chose to use Honeycrisp. The Honeycrisp, although very sweet, still has a bit of tartness to it. In addition, it’s a juicy apple which adds to a smooth consistency of the soup. As for the 100g potato, I picked a medium size Russet to use. (100g = .22lb) The way I figured it, even if it was a little bigger than what was called for, it would add some thickness to my soup.

Prep/Cook Time = Accurate – maybe even a little less on the prep work

If you aren’t in a hurry, this would be a great Crockpot recipe too. Toss everything in, set on low for a couple hours and make the house smell amazing!

Overall, this soup has GREAT flavor! If you’re not sure on how much spice you can handle, I would recommend using a little less curry powder. I like spice, so I increased the amount I used. Also, I tried the soup as it was coming out of the food processor, and it was good. But, it was even better once I added the yogurt and chives! To add a little texture, you can also top with some sliced almonds.

Produce Challenge: Radish

February 18, 2018 by Sage Fruit 1 Comment

For the past four years, The Produce Moms have been putting together a monthly produce challenge calendar. Each day of the month = a different produce item to try! This week, not only am I taking the Challenge with you, but I’ll be posting the recipes I used too. We’ll also go over how to switch the recipe up a bit to suit your tastes, and whether or not the prep/cook time are accurate.

So, let’s get started! Today’s Produce Challenge is a Radish. I chose a recipe from Blackberry Babe’s website – It’s a radish/apple/cabbage slaw, and it’s EXCELLENT atop shredded chicken or pork tacos.

Recipe:

Cabbage, Radish & Apple Coleslaw – From Blackberry Babe
Prep Time: 10 Minutes

Ingredients
1. 5 cups shredded cabbage, red or green
2. 1 cup Granny Smith apple, cut into matchstick pieces – (I used Jonagold instead)
3. 3/4 cup radish, cut into matchstick pieces
4. 2 tbsp white onion, very finely diced

Dressing
1. 1/4 cup sugar
2. 1/4 cup cider vinegar
3. 1.5 tbsp water
4. 1.5 tbsp oil
5. 1/8 tsp celery seed
6. a shake of powdered mustard
7. a shake of salt and pepper

The easiest way to make this slaw would be to purchase pre-shredded cabbage, and (one of my favorites) Duda Fresh’s Radish Ministicks. However, my local grocery store was out of both, so I chopped.

Prep time = accurate

Since I purchased a head of cabbage, instead of pre-shredded, I settled on only 1 color – green. It really doesn’t matter whether you choose green or red; they both will work. AND, if you DO choose to go the pre-shredded route, you can grab bag one of each color! The recipe also called for Granny Smith apples, but I used Jonagold instead for a sweeter flavor. Jonagolds have a nice crunch to them, and they added a little pop of color to my green slaw.

When measuring ‘cups’ of my ingredients, I used the handful method; 1 handful = 1 cup. It’s far easier than measuring everything out, plus, you can never have too much produce!

Even though mine didn’t turn out quite as pretty as Blackberry Babe’s, it was still delicious! Overall, the recipe was simple to make and I appreciated how fresh it was (not all of the added Mayo of a normal slaw). I will absolutely be making it again!

**Side Note** – The shredded chicken was also very easy!

2 large chicken breast
Sprinkle both sides with: Chili powder, garlic powder, cumin, paprika, salt & pepper
Place in a Crock Pot with 1/4-1/2 C of water
Cook on high for 2 hours
Shred & serve!