Daily Dish the Sonoma Market blog
Foodie FAQs: Fall Produce
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California-grown produce isn’t just limited to summer fruits and veggies. Enjoy a cornucopia of autumn harvests like these, along with pro tips on choosing, storing and cooking with them.
California-grown produce isn’t just limited to summer fruits and veggies. Enjoy a cornucopia of autumn harvests like these, along with pro tips on choosing, storing and cooking with them.
Pomegranates:
How do I pick out the best pomegranates?
Typically, the darker outside, the darker the arils will be and the more pronounced flavor they will have.
How should I store them?
You can store pomegranates out at room temperature or in the fridge.
What’s the easiest way to open a pomegranate?
Before you start, roll it on the cutting board to loosen the arils. After that, choose your favorite method depending on your Pomegranate Personality.
Get cooking with this recipe for Whipped Goat Cheese & Pomegranate Dip wtih Crostini.
Kiwifruit:
How do I pick out the best kiwifruit?
When ripe, kiwifruits should have a slight give to them, and the skin shouldn’t be too wrinkly. If they’re too hard, let them sit out to ripen.
How should I store them?
If the kiwifruits aren’t ripe yet, leave them out at room temperature. If they’re already ripe, store them in the fridge so they’ll last longer.
Is there a trick to peeling them?
Two simple methods include cutting off both ends, then either shaving the skin off with a sharp knife, or sliding a spoon between the flesh and the skin.
Get cooking with this recipe for a Kiwi Cooler.
Sweet Potatoes:
How do I pick out the best sweet potatoes?
Good sweet potatoes should be firm and heavy for their size with no open, moldy spots.
How should I store them?
Keep sweet potatoes at room temperature in a cool, dark place.
What’s the difference between a sweet potato and a yam?
Technically, here in the United States, so-called yams are simply a variety of sweet potato with orange flesh and darker skin than their paler sweet potato brethren. True yams are native to Africa and are larger, starchier and woodier.
Get cooking with this recipe for Black Bean Sweet Potato Tacos.
Grapes:
How do I pick out the best grapes?
Look for firm, heavy grapes with stems that are green and not dried out or browning.
How should I store them?
Store grapes in the fridge in something that will let them breathe (like the bags they come in with holes in them).
Besides color, is there a big difference between green and red varieties?
Red grapes are often sweeter with more delicate skins while green grapes are generally more acidic. Both are delicious eaten out of hand, on cheese boards or as garnishes for chilled soups like gazpacho.
Get cooking with this recipe for Chicken Waldorf Salad.
Visit your local Nugget Markets to find these California-grown fruits and veggies, along with a bounty of other deliciously fresh produce!
In partnership with the CA GROWN Marketing Agreement.
Article originally published in December of 2019 and updated in September of 2022.
