Filtered by: Our Fresh Produce Articles

By

how to cook a chestnut

Fresh Things: How to Cook a Chestnut

Hi, I’m Francy Deskin with FreshPoint and today we’re going to talk about how to cook a chestnut. The best way to cook a chestnut is just like the holiday song would imply, roasting them over an open fire. Don’t have one of those? No problem…pre-heat your oven to 400 degrees then  you’re gonna take...

Read more

By

Why are Black Winter Truffles so expensive?

*Editor’s Note: Black Winter Truffles are a luxurious addition to winter menus, and we want everyone to get the best possible quality, so a special order is required.  Please contact your account representative if you want to serve Black Truffles. Definitely not chocolate… Often confused with the other black truffles such as Summer and Chinese...

Read more

By

clementines vs mandarins freshpoint produce (1)

Why Clementines are Mandarins, but not all Mandarins are Clementines…

Clementines vs. Mandarins… When it comes to Clementines vs. Mandarins, the Mandarin is the master orange of the family, and Clementines, tangerines, and satsumas all fall under this umbrella. Referred to as mandarins because they are thought to have originated in China, and as they passed through the trade route across Africa (Tangier in particular,) they...

Read more

By

what do you use a shallot for

Fresh Things: What Do You Use a Shallot For?

You may have seen shallots in the kitchens before on all the cooking shows and you may wonder, “What do you use a shallot for?” What do you use a shallot for? Well, traditionally, it’s always been used like garlic, as the base of certain ingredients. Classically, in French cuisine, the sauce beurre blanc always...

Read more

By

freshpoint-produce-heirloom-apple

Fresh Things Video: What is an Heirloom Apple?

You may be wondering, what is an heirloom apple? While there is no true consensus on what defines an heirloom apple, most botanist and food scientists tend to agree that any variety released from 1945 or earlier qualifies as an heirloom. You may wonder why 1945? There’s a watershed moment in history, World War II...

Read more

By

masahed-rutabaga-freshpoint-produce-3

Why Mashed Rutabaga Should be on your Thanksgiving Menu

Potatoes are great. Mashed potatoes are even better. But there’s more to mash than the potato. You can mash sweet potatoes, butternut squash, or cauliflower…however, there’s one underutilized root veggie that I’d like to call attention to: the rutabaga. Ok, your nose just wrinkled. Rutabaga? You bet. They make an incredible mash. I took over...

Read more

By

What’s the difference between a shallot and an onion freshpoint produce

What’s the difference between a shallot and an onion? 

What’s the difference between a shallot and an onion? Just ask my first restaurant chef when I graduated from The Culinary Institute of America.  He’d be happy to share the difference with you, just as he did me that fine day so early in my chef career when I used shallots instead of red onions...

Read more

By

cipollini onions freshpoint produce

Cipollini Onion: Small but Mighty

The common mispronunciation of “Cipollini” is just about the only bad characteristic of this mini member of the onion family. Cipollini onion: small but mighty Pronounced chip-oh-lee-nee, the bite-sized onion quickly becomes a tasty treat with the right preparation.  The popularity of caramelized Cipollini onions is due to a higher residual sugar content than a...

Read more

By

quince a pear or an apple freshpoint produce

Fresh Things Video: Is a Quince a Pear or an Apple?

Fall is just around the corner, and I’m always asked, “is a quince a pear or an apple?” The answer isn’t as simple as you might think. It’s related to both, but it’s really neither. You can’t eat them raw because they’re super astringent. When you bite into a raw quince it isn’t gonna hurt you...

Read more

By

the-best-apples-to-cook-with

Fresh Things Video: The Best Apples to Cook With

Apple season is upon us. So what are the best apples to cook with? I get asked often which variety of apple is best to cook with, and it’s really hard to beat the Granny Smith. It’s my all-around favorite for the kitchen; great flavor with a subtle acidity, and a deep dense texture that...

Read more

By

Freshpoint-produce-why-do-cranberries-float

Fresh Things Video: Why Do Cranberries Float?

A few things are as a ubiquitous with the fall season as cranberries are. The history of cranberries is fascinating. The first commercial crop was in Massachusetts in 1816, native tribes used cranberries to make a meet based snack known as “pemmican”, which is very similar to beef jerky. The pemmican sustained them through the...

Read more

By

How do you eat a pomegranate?

The pomegranate have become an incredibly popular menu item, both for their delectable arils and their delicious juice. Prized since antiquity, pomegranates have a deep cultural and religious history.     What is the history of pomegranates? Well, indulge me for a bit, I need to geek out a little.  Native to the region stretching...

Read more

By

Image of membrillo, which is made from Quince, and served with manchego cheese.

Why you Need to Cook Quince

Quince: the real fruit of the Cradle of Civilization. Spending some of my childhood in the Middle East and also being a student of Theology (I was a youth minister in my early 20’s, but that is a story for another time), I am well aware of the history of the quince.  It is thought...

Read more

By

figs-freshpoint-produce

Fresh Things Video: What do Figs and Wasps have in common?

Hi I’m Chef Dan with FreshPoint, and well, I offered to shoot this video only wearing a fig leaf, but…well, you’re welcome… (Thanks Dan!) So figs and wasps have a unique relationship. Why is that? Well the fig tree isn’t pollinated by bees like most other crops. It’s actually pollinated by the fig wasp. Even...

Read more

By

heirloom-tomatoes-freshpoint-produce

Fresh Things Video: Different Types of Heirloom Tomatoes

Now that the summer harvest is upon us, the tomato bounty is here as well. Exactly how old are heirloom tomatoes? What is an heirloom tomato? I brought along a few today, and you can see that they’re a little lumpy. They’re different colors, but boy oh boy, do they taste great! What are the...

Read more

By

what-is-a-hatch-chile-pepper-freshpoint-produce

Fresh Things Video: What is a Hatch Chile Pepper

The Hatch chile pepper harvest has begun. It’s a three week season, very short, and people in New Mexico go absolutely crazy for these gems. So what is a Hatch chile pepper? Much different than a traditional bell pepper–it’s a variety of Anaheim pepper grown in Hatch, New Mexico. Picked green it’s used in chili...

Read more

By

heirloom-tomatoes-mixed-freshpoint-prodduce

Why Heirloom Tomatoes are so Special…

With regular red round beefsteak tomatoes, there’s no real surprises. You get a box of red, round, shiny tomatoes that can be shipped from here to there—perfect for slicing and dicing. And they’re great. But when you open a box of heirloom tomatoes, you don’t really know what you are going to get—and that’s part...

Read more

By

Cover_monterey_mushrooms_freshpoint_produce

Kalli tours Monterey Mushrooms: can you pick 40 mushrooms a minute?

While in sunny California this past week for the Produce Marketing Association Showcase, we had the pleasure of visiting Monterey Mushrooms for a tour. The Watsonville, CA farm is one of ten for the company, and is the largest mushroom farm in the United States. Monterey Mushrooms is a huge operation, currently have captured almost...

Read more