Fresh Summer Fruit, When and Where do you get it?

[snuffaluffagus]

Thanks for answering, DH. I'll know what to compare with when I look for some tomorrow.

The pie must be excellent if you made more . I hope you'll share the recipe.

[2010ontest]

How much do the asparagus cost, ontest? I don't know what's a good price on that as I've bought the Europe's Best ones lately so that's all I have to compare to. Fresh tastes soooo much better though.

Patty, how big is the case of strawberries? I'm going to Metro tomorrow as there was a local farmer there last year selling strawberries just outside the front door (and the best tasting strawberries ever!). I saw the tables and sign tonight when I went but I arrived too late. I think I paid 20$ last Summer.

The place where I go have the same price from beginning to the end of the asparagus time (so no surprise) and they are fresh from the morning if I go at 13h-14h.

Grade 1 is 2$/lb (you choose if you want fine, medium or big asparagus bunch) and all asparagus of this grade are not curved.

Grade 2 is 1.50$/lb, all asparagus in that grade are curved (majority), or too big (rare) or too small (rare), or started to open (rare) and they didn't separated those asparagus in fine, med, big... so you get everything mixed... but those asparagus are fresh from the morning like grade 1... They have box of 20lbs or people ask for the exact amount they want.

I know when resto or individual come and ask for several box of 20lb grade 2 they could bargin the price...

I know grocery store could have better price for asparagus (do we had 0.99$/lb this year?), but for me very fresh asparagus is important when I can it and freeze it for the rest of the year.

[snuffaluffagus]

Thanks for the info, ontest. I didn't know asparagus had "grades" . I like them best when they are super fresh too and I prefer the small thinner ones. Hate it when I feel like I'm chewing on wood which is not so rare with the EB's frozen ones.

I'm going to a gardening center tomorrow morning to pick up a cedar tree on sale. There's an outdoor market next door so I'll see if there are any fresh asparagus available. Maybe if it's raining real hard I might be able to get them for less expensive, lol.

[Silk]

Originally Posted by Tbites
And by the way thanks for the thread and all the super useful responses. All my parents have taught me about picking fruit is that U.S. strawberries should be avoided (always choose QC) and the melon tapping thing. Watching my Dad tapping almost every melon in a bin is just pure entertainment for me

What is the melon tapping thing? Can someone explain this to me?

Silk

Anyone?

Silk

[snuffaluffagus]

I have no idea, Silk. I've always wondered how that worked too.

[Silk]

I have no idea, Silk. I've always wondered how that worked too.

Hopefully someone will educate us!

Silk

[Tbites]

Originally Posted by Tbites
And by the way thanks for the thread and all the super useful responses. All my parents have taught me about picking fruit is that U.S. strawberries should be avoided (always choose QC) and the melon tapping thing. Watching my Dad tapping almost every melon in a bin is just pure entertainment for me



Anyone?

Silk

Good morning,

Ooops, sorry I meant to answer earlier. just called my Dad to double check the "data".

I'm NOT the melon tapping expert, my Dad is. He taps the melons and listens to the sound it makes. Hollow sound = ripe. I'm sure there are better ways to pick a melon nowadays but he's never come home with a watermelon that wasn't perfectly ripe. And he also weighs them all, (and I do mean all of them ) because they should "feel" heavy.

He doesn't tap cantaloupes. Cantaloupes have to be as yellow as possible and smell like cantaloupe. He presses his thumb on the flat scar end (not the dimpled end where the stem was attached). If the end is too hard it's not ripe (but probably won't be very yellow), if it's too soft it's too ripe but if there's a little bounce then that's the one to pick and should be perfect to eat after sitting on the kitchen counter for 24 hours.

[Patty Smyth]

watermelon tapping = urban legend

[Tbites]

watermelon tapping = urban legend

Maybe, but it seems to work for him.... maybe he's been lucky... for about 50 years LOL

[Silk]

Good morning,

Ooops, sorry I meant to answer earlier. just called my Dad to double check the "data".

I'm NOT the melon tapping expert, my Dad is. He taps the melons and listens to the sound it makes. Hollow sound = ripe. I'm sure there are better ways to pick a melon nowadays but he's never come home with a watermelon that wasn't perfectly ripe. And he also weighs them all, (and I do mean all of them ) because they should "feel" heavy.

He doesn't tap cantaloupes. Cantaloupes have to be as yellow as possible and smell like cantaloupe. He presses his thumb on the flat scar end (not the dimpled end where the stem was attached). If the end is too hard it's not ripe (but probably won't be very yellow), if it's too soft it's too ripe but if there's a little bounce then that's the one to pick and should be perfect to eat after sitting on the kitchen counter for 24 hours.

Thanks, Tbites! Do you know if this would work with honey dew melons also? I always have trouble picking ripe honey dews

And while we're at it, does anyone have tips for picking eggplant? I read something once about how to pick a male vs female eggplant and which was better but I can't remember now

Silk

[GeorgiaK]

Seriously, I learn something new everyday on the Montreal forum.

[Tbites]

Thanks, Tbites! Do you know if this would work with honey dew melons also? I always have trouble picking ripe honey dews

And while we're at it, does anyone have tips for picking eggplant? I read something once about how to pick a male vs female eggplant and which was better but I can't remember now

Silk

I don't know about honeydew so I would take a wild guess in saying that pressing your thumb on the flat scar MIGHT work ? But I am growing it this summer so if I'm lucky enough to get a crop... I'll share whatever I learn.

I have no idea what you're talking about male/female eggplant , I've never heard of that. Maybe you're thinking about the blossoms and not the actual veggie ? Squash plants have male and female flowers to create the squash. Eggplants are in a completely different family of plants (nightshades) and have the male/female parts inside the same bloom.

[Patty Smyth]

Thanks for answering, DH. I'll know what to compare with when I look for some tomorrow.

The pie must be excellent if you made more . I hope you'll share the recipe.

I was supposed to bring it with me today so we could EAT IT!!! but I swear I would forget my head if it wasn't screwed on and I also forgot my Costco bag at your house.

[Silk]

I don't know about honeydew so I would take a wild guess in saying that pressing your thumb on the flat scar MIGHT work ? But I am growing it this summer so if I'm lucky enough to get a crop... I'll share whatever I learn.
I have no idea what you're talking about male/female eggplant , I've never heard of that. Maybe you're thinking about the blossoms and not the actual veggie ? Squash plants have male and female flowers to create the squash. Eggplants are in a completely different family of plants (nightshades) and have the male/female parts inside the same bloom.

Growing your own honeydews? I'm impressed! Yes, please share what you learn

I read that about the eggplants somewhere on the web I think - so maybe the site got it wrong. If I come across that info again, I'll post. I just find picking eggplant hit or miss - some seem to cook up nice and easy, others take forever to cook

Ok, maybe that's why people look at me funny in the store when I'm 'studying' the eggplant looking for female/male parts


Silk

ETA: Where are my manners today? Thanks for your help, Tbites!

[snuffaluffagus]

I was supposed to bring it with me today so we could EAT IT!!! but I swear I would forget my head if it wasn't screwed on and I also forgot my Costco bag at your house.

Let me know next time I'll be seeing you and I'll bring the bag .

So, I went to the Metro to pick up the strawberries at the stand outside and it was 26$ for a box of 12 pints. I swear I remember paying 20$ last year but the girl told me these cases are bigger . Anyone know if 26$ for that size is a good price? It seems a little steep to me.