Some of what I got from the Yolo Fruit Stand today. It’s one of the “best kept secret” in the area I believe. It’s is between West Sacramento and Davis, just after you crossed the Yolo Bypass near the Davis side. It sells locally sourced vegetables and fruits to maintain competitive prices, and also have snacks, tea, local honey, dry food, etc.
I got the small gala apples (perfect for young children) for $0.49/lb, and the grapes (flavorful and crisp) for $0.99/lb, lemon was 5 for $1. All bargains.
More rambling about grapes – I usually pick the smaller, non-organic ones over the bigger, organic grapes. Why? Because the bigger ones, organic or not, may contain gibberellic acid, a very common plant growth hormone extracted from fungus. This compound is widely used in growing grapes to produce larger bundles and bigger grapes. Due to it’s naturally occurring nature, it has been certified by FDA as safe to use on crops, and according to the leading organic certification agency OMRI, some trade versions of gibberellic acid is “certified organic”. But there are studies indicating the toxicity of gibberellic acid to human.
So does that mean organic / naturally occurring is good and safe for human? I’m skeptical. I’d rather “scrub” my produce (one trick I learned from my grandmother is to rub salt over damp grapes) to rid of residuals than buying artificially induced bigger grapes, organic or not.
My philosophy of getting “non-organic, no spray, small” fruits will hopefully help us save on groceries, while providing our family with good quality fruits. Prices of organic produce can be twice that of non-organic ones. And frankly, none of the organic grapes I’ve had tasted as good as the “non-organic, no spray” ones from the farmers market or local fruit stands. The purple/green mix-colored ones are the best. One exception – the bio-dynamically (also organic) grown grapes were awesome.
Do you like grapes, and what variety do you like best? Are you partial to the organic ones?
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