Although produce follows a general pattern of when it will be ripe, owners of farms and trees know their produce best. If your produce is ripe, please contact us and we will harvest during any season!
Mesquite pods
Raw amaranth cannot be digested, much like quinoa or rice. It must be cooked before serving, but its uses are vast. There are still many strains that can be found in local gardens today, though many people mistake them as weeds. It also thrives extremely well in arid environments, which is why Arizona is full of them. Not only is amaranth abundant, but it is also an amazing source of protein and minerals. The leaves of the plant are good sources of vitamins A, C, K and B6. The grains are abundant in protein and can be ground into flour to make breads, noodles, pancakes and cereals. Amaranth is a true survivor, and has lasted the test of time. Hopefully future generations will realize its astounding potential and usage this funky looking plant will become a healthy staple in everyday cooking.
The carob tree survives best with little to no rain and hot summers. The seeds can be used for a myriad of things, and are grown and harvested all over the world. When dried or roasted, carob has a very sweet taste. It can be ground into a powder, much like cocoa powder, and added to milk. Carob is a common sweetener, and can be used in many different ways, including being baked into cakes and cookies and can be used as a substitute for chocolate. The carob pods are relatively easy to harvest. The pods are beaten down using a long stick, and fall onto tarps that are lain under the tree. The pods must be sun dried to prevent molding in storage, but once dried, can last a very long time. Lately the carob has gained popularity with the vegan and health conscious crowd, as it is an amazing replacement for chocolate, and doesn’t contain, the fats calories or caffeine found so abundantly in chocolate.
Not only is it rated one of the top 10 nicknames for loved ones, buts it is also a staple in the fall season for millions of Americans. Pumpkins are very useful as a whole and almost all parts of the plant can be eaten, including the shell, flowers and leaves. The pumpkin can be smashed, smoked, roasted, steamed, baked, boiled and dried. Not only are pumpkins fun to decorate and carve, but they are a wholesome source of an array of vitamins and minerals. Pumpkins are packed with fiber, and low in calories. The season for pumpkin fun is almost here, and maybe this year they can be used for a little more than a jack o’lantern.
When first found, the grapefruit was named the forbidden fruit, because of its sweet yet bitter taste. The grapefruit regained popularity in the early 1900’s, and the use has skyrocketed since then. Grapefruit is an excellent source of nutrients and many phytochemicals, which are part of a healthy diet. Grapefruit also contain lots of vitamin C, fiber and work as antioxidants. Grapefruits are great eaten by themselves, or sprinkled with a bit of sugar and salt for breakfast or as an appetizer before dinner. Grapefruits make great jam, jelly, marmalade and juice. Grapefruits are easy to harvest by hand. It is done by gently plucking the fruit from the branches. Once picked, they keep well for up to 3 weeks. They can alsobe left on the tree to allow them to gain size without the danger of over ripening.
Mesquite has been used by indigenous peoples for thousands of years as a staple food source. Native tribes used the meal as flour to make hot cakes, thick porridge, and drinks. The flour bakes and mixes like wheat flour, but is free of wheat allergens and also gluten free, meaning that healthy breads, pancakes, and tortillas can be made from it. However, it is extremely versatile and can be used in salads, soups, sauces, pastas, crusts, and even smoothies, or even chewed straight off the tree. Mesquite has a sweet, nutty flavor, comparable to molasses. When the entire mesquite pod is ground, you are rewarded with a highly nutritious meal, high in protein and micronutrients. It contains 11 to 17 percent protein, and is rich in calcium, potassium, iron, zinc, protein, magnesium, and lysine. When eaten with other foods, mesquite helps to lower the glycemic load of high-carb foods, meaning that you are not hungry as quickly. It is thought to be a good flour alternative for diabetics.
Prickly Pears have large round pads, called cladodes, and two types of spines: large smooth spines, and small hair-like clusters called “glochids.” The fruit are called “tunas.” Both the pad and the fruit are used extensively across the globe. The glochids of the prickly pear detach and stick into the skin very easily, so caution should be taken when harvesting, as prickly pear often grows into tangled masses. Before consumption, the spines must be removed. Native Americans did this in a variety of ways, such as rolling the pads or fruit around in a gritty substance to essentially sand off the spines, or rolling them over a flame. They can also be peeled. In Mexican culture, the “nopales” are sliced and cooked. The pads have a delicious taste and a slimy texture similar to ochra. They are wonderful in a variety of dishes, including tacos, enchiladas, or with eggs. The “tunas” are often juiced and used to make jelly, candy, sauces, drinks, and even liquor. The prickly pear is very high as nutrients, and has been used extensively as medicine as well as food. It is high in magnesium and amino acid taurine, nutrients credited with keeping the brain and heart healthy, as well as flavonoids which aid the arteries. It is also high in vitamin-c, calcium and potassium. Diabetics who have introduced prickly pear into their diet show significantly lower glucose levels in their blood.
When harvesting, figs must be picked ripe, because once picked they do not ripen. They should be soft, but not mushy. Once harvested, figs should either be used quickly or frozen in order to preserve them. Another option is to dry them, which many cultures have done since the plant was first cultivated. Figs are delicious eaten right off the tree or dried, and also go well in dishes. Because figs contain an enzyme that helps break down muscle and connective tissue, it is useful as a meat tenderizer and flavor-enhancer. Dried figs can substitute dried prunes and apricots. Figs are one of the highest natural plant sources of fiber and calcium, as well as copper, magnesium, manganese, potassium, and vitamin K. Dried figs are higher in fiber, and are traditionally used for their laxative properties. Figs are high in antioxidants, polyphenols, flavonoids, and have been shown to cause an increase in plasma antioxidant capacity.
The pomegranate fruit is actually a berry, normally slightly smaller than a grapefruit, that has rough, red skin and about 600 seeds covered in a red or purple water-filled pulp. The seeds are delicious straight out of the fruit, or thrown on top of salads and desserts, or used in sauces and dressing. One of the more popular ways to consume pomegranate is through the juice, often drunk straight. Pomegranate juice provides high amounts of vitamin c, is a good source of vitamin B5, potassium, tannins, and flavonoids. For optimal nutrition, the seeds should not be discarded, as they provide fiber and unsaturated oils. Pomegranate juice has been shown to have positive effects on many types of cancer, specifically prostate, as well as increasing cardiac blood flow.