by Colin Lyons, produce buyer
Thursday, April 5, 2012
Mangoes have been my favorite piece of fruit since I was little; I remember constantly asking my parents to buy mangoes at the store. We would watch them ripen on the counter, turn a brilliant color and wrinkle a bit before we cut in and enjoyed. The process was almost as fun as the eating! I was living in Arizona as a boy when I first developed my love for mangos - I even planted the pit to see if I could grow my own tree (unsuccessfully of course). They have a flavor unlike any other fresh fruit.
by Colin Lyons, produce buyer
Monday, February 13, 2012
Over the past 15 years, we have all watched the University of Minnesota-developed Honeycrisp apple go from a great apple with very limited supply to an unbelievable phenomenon that has changed the apple industry forever.
When you bite into a Honeycrisp, it slaps you across the face. It is an instant rush of flavor that is almost unnatural. Stingingly sweet like a piece of hard candy, this has been my favorite apple for years and it is probably the same for many of you. I was almost to the point where I didn’t think it was possible to create a better apple. Or is it?
by Colin Lyons, produce buyer
Wednesday, November 2, 2011
I had the pleasure of spending a number of years in a Byerly’s produce department keeping displays full and helping customers with their questions. It was fascinating to see all of the different ways that people pick out their produce. There was a lot of knocking on watermelon, smelling of peaches and cantaloupe, and tasting of grapes. As a side note to all of you grape tasters that are for some reason ashamed of your actions, tasting a grape or two is OK! It is good to see people interact with their food in these ways. It shows a person’s interest and passion for great produce. A desire to put delicious, healthy food on your table is nothing to be ashamed of.
One of my favorite methods of selection was the “pineapple pull”. If you don’t know what I am referring to I will explain. Many people will go up to a pineapple display and start pulling on the leaves in the crown of the pineapple. The theory is that if the leaf pulls free from the pineapple, it is ripe and ready. This very common misconception has not only made some messy pineapple displays, but it suggests that there are a lot of under ripe pineapples out there. The fact is every pineapple in our stores should be ripe and ready to eat.
By Merrilyn Tauscher, FoodE Manager
Monday, October 24, 2011
Many years ago my dad planted eight apple trees at our cabin in Buffalo, MN. He joked that someday he was going to sell his apples at a roadside stand. Although that never happened, my mom still hikes up to the orchard and picks apples for apple sauce and her famous pies. The mix of Haralson, Cortland and other perennial apple favorites (link to our chart) have not been pruned or sprayed for many years, but still provide bumper crops of beauties, well not too beautiful, but very tasty.
If you want a real apple orchard and breathtakingly beautiful apples, look no farther than Lake City. Nestled on a bluff overlooking the lake is Minnesota’s largest apple grower ~ Pepin Heights Orchard. Our FoodE Experts got a firsthand look on a recent trip and followed the apples from being hand-picked to hand-packed.
by Tim Pohland, category manager, online shopping
Wednesday, September 14, 2011
If you know my eating preferences, you’d never know I was born and raised in Minnesota. What I mean is, I like spicy food. No, not the Minnesota spicy. The “kick you in the rear, smoke coming from your ears, brain scrambling” spicy. When I was younger, there was a store at the Mall of America called Calido Chile Traders. Their specialty was spicy foods; and lots of it. I’d beg my mom to go the MOA just so I could go there and sample all of the spicy treats, from sauces, to salsas…even candies! When I was older, I won the Buffalo Wild Wing Blazing by eating 12 “Blazin’ Wings” in 6 minutes. Tabasco sauce is my favorite condiment. We had a habanero eating contest in culinary school, where I came in second by eating 3 habaneros. You get the picture.
I went to the State Fair this year and in the International Bazaar I came upon a vendor that sold all things spicy. But what he wasn’t selling was what took my breath away. A live Bhut Jolokia (or Ghost Chili) plant. In 2007, Guinness World Records certified the Bhut Jolokia as the world's hottest chili pepper at 1,041,427 Scoville units. A jalapeno comes in at 6,000 and a habanero between 100,000 and 500,000. (A little more on Scoville units below.) I was blown away. The owner made a hot sauce with the chilis and asked me if I wanted a sample. I hesitated for a second but I asked myself when’s the next time I’ll have a chance to try a ghost chili pepper (or a form of it). He dipped a little plastic spoon into the bottle and handed it to me. I could see a little smirk on his face as I’m sure he was thinking “he doesn’t know what he’s gotten himself into!” I touched the tip of my tongue and tried just the tiniest bit. It was spicy, but I was a little disappointed. I put the rest of the spoon into my mouth and a split second later the heat started coming. It takes a second or two for you to feel the burn. I realized the burn was from the first tiny taste. My nose started running, my eyes got red and I got the hiccups almost immediately. Ok, this was spicy! It took about 10 minutes for me to regain my normal form, but during that time, my endorphins kicked into overdrive, giving me a feeling of well-being, which is what “Chili-Heads” live for. I thanked the man for the sample but passed on the sauce. Thirty dollars for a 4 oz. bottle was a little too rich for me. Besides, what would I do with it? I decided I’d just stick with my trusty Tabasco sauce.