Autumn Produce: A Primer for CBC Radio’s Town and Out

It has been a wet summer, but autumn is upon us and we have had 2 glorious weeks of cool, but sunny weather in Ottawa. Labour Day has come and past. Newly minted students from the local universities have flooded city streets with music, dance, and Shinerama stickers to raise money to fund cystic fibrosis research. The sun is setting earlier. The commute to work has become more hectic. And, it is time to start thinking about what to do with the oncoming fall harvest bounty.

To help out, Amrita Singh from CBC Radio 1 (91.5 FM) is kicking off a new season of Town and Out with an Autumn Produce Primer. Can you guess which local blogger she chose to provide some sound bites?

In preparation, my better half and I visited the bustling ByWard Market on Labour Day Monday, armed with the newest member of foodiePrints’ blog arsenal, a Nikon D60 SLR camera with an 18-55 mm lens.

Before we begin, the unusually wet summer has shifted the growing season somewhat, causing some characteristically autumn produce to come to market late.

Such was apparent when I asked the lovely tweeps I follow about their favourites. Suggestions included: sweet corn, turnips, parsnips, carrots, butternut squash, and apples. Not only were they available, but so too were raspberries, strawberries and peaches, typically late summer fare in the Eastern Ontario region.

Only now has quality sweet corn started appearing.


Look for ears with bright green and tight-fitting husks and golden brown silks. Kernels should be plump and should come all the way to the tip of the ear. Fresh yellow corn is sweetest when it is eaten as soon as it is harvested. The longer an ear of corn spends away from the plant, the more likely its sugars will be converted to starch.

Regarding root vegetables like turnips, parsnips, or carrots…

The turnips we most often see are rutabagas, relatives of the British white turnip. Choose heavy for their size turnips. Smaller, hence younger, ones tend to have a more delicate flavour and texture. They should be firm to the touch. If greens are attached, they should be bright green and not withered. To store, wrap turnips, unwashed, in plastic and place in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks, discarding the leaves. However, like other root vegetables, they can last longer in a cool ventilated area. This is why our grandparents had subterranean root cellars.

Carrots, including increasingly common heirloom varieties (purple, blue, gold), should be firm and smooth. Avoid those that are cracked or have begun to soften. If greens are attached, they should be bright and crisp. To store, bag in plastic and refrigerate for up to 7 days, again discarding the leaves.

Parsnips should be chosen in a similar manner as carrots and turnips. Look for firm roots that are neither shriveled nor spotted. They can be stored, bagged in plastic, in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks.

Regarding winter squash (we actually found none) and pumpkins…


Winter squashes like butternut, acorn and spaghetti, should be heavy for their size and have hard rinds mostly free of blemishes, cracks, or moldy spots. If any are present, they should be dry and well healed. Whole, winter squashes can be stored in a cool dark place for a month or longer, depending on the specific variety. Cut, they can be stored in the refrigerator, wrapped in plastic, but should be eaten within several days.

Smaller pumpkins, like the ones pictured, tend to be sweeter and more tender. Like winter squashes, they should be picked blemish and crack free. They should also be heavy for their size.

One of my favourites of the fall harvest has to be apples, such as those from Hall’s Apple Orchard and Market


No matter the variety, be it for baking or eating raw, buy firm apples with a fresh fragrance. Their skins should be smooth and bruise and gouge free. Paula red, Lobo, Fuji, gala, golden delicious, granny smith, and McIntosh apples are versatile varieties that are equally good raw or for cooking. Store in a plastic bag in the refrigerator.

Other seasonal produce includes radishes

Choose radishes that are firm to the squeeze. Like other root vegetables, they should be crack free. Store bagged in plastic in the fridge for several days, removing the leaves.

Onions and garlic

Be they yellow, white, or red, choose onions that are heavy for their size with dry, papery skins that are mold free. Avoid soft or mushy onions. They should be stored in a cool dry place with good air circulation for up to 2 months. Once cut, onions should be tightly wrapped and used within one day.

Choose unbroken bulbs of garlic, avoiding those with soft, moldy, or shriveled cloves. Whole, garlic can be stored in an open container in a cool dark place for up to 8 weeks. Broken, cloves can be stored for up to 10 days.

Peppers, cucumbers, and leeks

Bell peppers should be picked firm and richly colored. Their skins should be taught, shiny, and bruise-free. Store in a plastic bag refrigerated for no more than a week.

Field cucumbers should be picked lighter green as older specimens sport harder seeds and more bitter pith. Avoid those with soft ends or shriveled skins. Store whole, unwashed, in a plastic bag for up to 10 days. Cut cumbers can be refrigerated ,tightly wrapped, for up to 3 days.

Choose leeks with crisp, brightly colored leaves. Avoid those with withered or yellow-spotted leaves. Refrigerated, leeks can be stored for up to 5 days in a plastic bag.

Tomatoes

There is no tomato like a vine-ripened tomato. Choose firm tomatoes that are noticeably fragrant. They should be free from blemishes, heavy for their size, and give slightly to palm pressure. Store tomatoes at room temperature as colder temperatures turn them pulpy and permanently destroys their flavours. Ripe tomatoes should be eaten within 2-3 days.

Broccoli and Cauliflower

Choose heads of broccoli with a strong colour, green or purple depending on the variety. The buds should be tightly closed and the leaves crisp. Store refrigerated, unwashed, in an airtight bag, for up to 4 days.

Choose firm cauliflowers with compact florets (florets on a head of cauliflower is referred to as a curd) and whose leaves are bright green (no yellowing). The curds should be uniformly white or cream coloured (no brown). Refrigerate raw cauliflower, tightly wrapped for 3-5 days.

Melons


In general, choose melons that have blossom ends (opposite to its stem end) that gives slightly when depressed with a thumb. They should be heavy for their size and have a sweet aroma.

For musk melons, otherwise known as cantaloupe, choose those with pronounced netting on a grey skin. Whole, musk melons store for up to 3 days at room temperature. Cut, they should be wrapped in plastic and eaten within one day.

For watermelons, choose those whose rinds are dull (not shiny) and just barely yield to pressure. Avoid those with soft spots, gashes, or cracks. The ground spot should be buttery yellow.

When you are at the market, if you are interested in local produce, look for the Savour Ottawa posters. They demonstrate that the specific vendor has been audited by a third party organization to either produce local products or employ local food in their products. The poster provides a level of assurance that you are supporting local farms or businesses that support local farms.

For some recipes or ideas about preparing or cooking with fall produce, foodiePrints has a number of “autumn”-tagged blog entries. My current favourite fall recipe is a Jewish apple cake.

References:

• Dorenburg and Page’s Culinary Artistry
• Herbst and Herbst’s 4th edition of the Food Lover’s Companion
  
• V.G. Hemingway’s Produce primer: a refresher course in selecting the ripest, best-tasting fruits and vegetables from the market