Ask Professor Produce

Welcome to a Professor Produce Frequently Asked Questions edition! Here's a chance for me to respond to the most commonly asked questions all at once—thank you for all the feedback we receive! I would love to address it all, but here's a sampling:

What's going on with all the produce coming from South America and overseas? Even if it's organic, or fair trade, or whatever—this is still an ecological problem and a huge waste of resources. Nobody needs Chilean blueberries in winter!

I would be inclined to agree with you—we don't need things like fresh organic blueberries from across the world (if you think Chile is bad, wait for the New Zealand batch), no matter how much we want the antioxidants or reminders of summer. But that is a personal decision that you and I just happen to agree upon. First and foremost our produce department has a strong dedication to organic and natural foods, but we have other commitments as well. One of our missions is that we strive to supply our member-owners (and all customers) with the kinds of foods they want to buy from our shelves. When members take the time to request produce items specifically (and believe me, when we don't have blueberries there are plenty of requests for them ranging from gentle to adamant), we try our best to accommodate them. We do try to make sure that the products we source from far away have at least some underlying positives—often we seek out fair trade and organically grown alternatives to conventional ones, lessening the social and environmental impacts in some ways, and also seeking out smaller family farms and farm co-ops internationally so that the money is distributed among workers instead of swallowed up by large corporations.

I wanted to print your question because it is a common one, but not common enough. Education is one part of the solution to this issue—the more people are encouraged to think about where their food is coming from and are beginning to ask the question "how-far-is-too-far," the closer we get to a more sustainable, ecologically friendly food system. This is a large paradigm shift for some of us, so we can expect that change will not happen overnight; though this does not mean that change is not happening. As recently as five years ago, nobody was asking much about the origins of things we carry during the off-season. Today, many people question our produce from exotic locations. That's progress towards sustainability right there.

Can we get rid of or reduce the plastic bags and plastic packaging in produce? We love the reusable bags at the registers and want you to continue that in other areas.

Although we will not completely get rid of plastic bags in the produce department, our general merchandise coordinator, Adrienne, has found several great, reusable options to replace them with if you choose. We have bags made of cotton, bags made of a fine plastic mesh (that are washable, reusable, and strong), nylon bags, and of course any of our plastic bags can be remembered and reused. The best part for you, the consumer, is that most of these bags keep produce fresh far longer and better than plastic does—they retain moisture while still breathing, which is a great way to keep anything from tender greens to root vegetables healthy and hydrated in your fridge. Cloth bags are a smarter way to store vegetables all the way around.

I was wondering if the produce department offers any type of holiday gift baskets or bags, and if not, could you? A fruit basket from the Wedge seems like a no-brainer for the foodies in town.

Yes! I've come to view our gift baskets as one of Minneapolis' best-kept secrets. We do make gift baskets, and we'll customize them specifically to your wishes, or you can give us a price point and we will make something up for you. We have themes—ranging from traditional baskets with your usual fruits (apples, oranges, bananas, etc.), to gourmet baskets studded with whole pineapples, mangoes, pomegranates, figs, persimmons, chestnuts—anything in-season and delicious. A popular favorite is a seasonal citrus basket—with a mix of Satsumas, Clementines, and Cara Cara Navel oranges these are like a ray of sunshine during the bleak midwinter time.

If you want to get creative, you are welcome to shop the store for specific items (say, mugs from the HBC department, a bag of coffee, tea, or a chocolate bar; or maybe you want to make one with dry pasta, garlic bulbs, onions, and high quality sauce)—you can be as innovative as you like and we'll help you put it all together. We ask for at least 24 hours advance ordering, especially during peak gift-giving season.

Also be aware that we can special order cases of just about anything—isn't a case of lush and sweet, heart-healthy, organic Texas Rio Star red grapefruit exactly what grandma and grandpa need this year? How about an electric citrus juicer and a box of Valencia oranges? Seasonal, practical, delicious, nutritious, smart, smart, and smart (plus these boxes are a cinch for wrapping—perfectly square).

We hate the stickers on fruit. Sometimes we eat them accidentally, or if we do peel them off, it usually mars the fruit (especially soft fruits like pears). Are they really necessary?

Ah yes, who hasn't had the jarring experience of chewing on some strange sticky papery bit while eating an otherwise sumptuous piece of fruit? Forgetting and accidentally consuming fruit stickers is a nuisance, and yes—removing them is sometimes challenging. These stickers are put on the fruit usually at the orchard or farm it was grown and packaged on. It is done partly to advertise the farm and partly to provide information for proper checkout at the registers (the sticker usually has the farm's name, a small graphic, sometimes the name of the item, and a UPC number for cashiers). Farms are not about to stop using these. Luckily for us, organic fruit is stickered with vegetable-based or soy inks, adhesives, and materials. If we eat one or two now and then, it isn't going to harm us.

On soft fruits, I recommend removing it only at the time you will be eating it. This way, you don't impair the integrity of the fruit and cause it to spoil more quickly. You can also use a drop of cooking oil on the sticker to help loosen the adhesive without ripping the fruit's skin.

Who is Professor Produce?

Who are any of us, really? Ok but seriously, the professor is a person who genuinely appreciates answering any and all questions of a food related nature. So please continue to email me with yours at professorproduce@wedge.coop.