Non-Dipped vs Dipped Fruit??

Tommy Atkins Mangoes

"Dipping" is a process that submerges fruit in 40 degree Celsius water to kill any fruit fly eggs that may be hiding on them. Any fruit that travels to the USA is always dipped. Dipping can cause uneven ripening, stringy textures, and a loss of flavour by ripening too quickly for the sugars to develop. Thankfully, since Canadian winters kill off any fruit flies that may make it north, we don't require fruit to be dipped before entering the country. We still receive dipped fruit from the USA, but anything that travels directly and by-passes the USA does not need to be dipped. Non-dipped fruit ends up having a much longer shelf life and richer flavour.

Avocados & Mangoes & Twisters, Oh My!

Two tornadoes recently touched down in Michoacan, Mexico, a sight normally seen in the "Tornado Alley" regions of the United States (and occasionally in southern California). Most people would head for the basement or nearest bathtub, but residents in Michoacan were filmed standing in the streets in shock and horror.

One twister cut a 2 km swath through  mango groves, leaving behind unripened mangoes in a carpet on the ground. The other touched down in the Avocado area of the state. While only a small percentage of the areas crops or avocados and mangoes were affected, there are quite a few growers who have no crop insurance and are seriously feeling the damage.

Our top 6 Healthy Office Snacks

Having healthy snacks in your office can sometimes be challenging. At Green Earth Organics we are very lucky to have access to so many healthy and delicious snacks through the day. That is why we've made a list of our Top 6 Healthy Office Snacks! Enjoy!


1. Oranges -
Smooth, thin skin encases sweet, juicy fruit with a deliciously tart taste. Cut in small wedges and sink your teeth into the tender, silky flesh.






2. Apples -
Apples have a high antioxidant concentration. Antioxidants are disease-fighting compounds. Scientists believe these compounds help prevent and repair oxidation damage that happens during normal cell activity.







3. Bananas -
The banana is an anytime, year-round snack. Slice them onto cereal or fold into a fruit salad.






4. Dried Fruit -
Dried fruit has a long tradition and is a great snack that will boost your energy levels with its sweet taste, nutritive value, and long shelf life.

5. Crackers and cheese -
Cheese and crackers can provide a source of healthy carbohydrates and protein that will get you going till the end of the day.












6. Granola Bars -
Instead of a loose, breakfast cereal consistency, granola bars are pressed and baked into a bar shape, resulting in the production of a more convenient snack. Nature’s Path has delicious flavours that will melt in your mouth.

New Products and the CHFA Show!

Recently the Canadian Health Food Association (CHFA) held one of their two annual trade shows in Vancouver. Every year retailers of all types descend upon the show looking for new products to introduce to their customers. Green Earth Organics is no exception and we thought you might like to hear a little bit about how we go about finding new items to bring in.

Throughout the year we rely mostly on suggestions from you, as well as reaching out to companies whose products fill gaps in our offerings. Recently we filled one of those gaps in Vancouver by bringing in Gentle Earth, a Victoria based company, who has helped expand our selection with items like Sun Protection and a Recovery cream for tired and aching muscles. Just in time for summer!

CHFA West is the largest trade show in Western Canada for natural and organic products. It takes up the entire main floor of the Vancouver Convention Centre with a whopping 65,000 square feet of manufacturers, distributors, and brokers. As a lark, I turned on my running app and set it to record my walk throughout the show. We spent 4 ½ hours and walked over 23 kilometers. Note to self: next time wear my good running shoes. A full two aisles of the show were set aside as completely organic products and other companies with both organic and non-organic products were scattered among the exhibitors every where else.

Our first stop was Westpoint Naturals where we were thrilled to discover a new organic corn starch in their trademark resealable bags. Later in the day we also found kelp noodles, which are an awesome gluten-free noodle that look similar to vermicelli. They don’t require any cooking, so they work great in salad, stir-fry, soup, and veggie dishes. Seaweed/kelp products are definitely one of the biggest trends in organic right now.

Gimme Organic, they make roasted seaweed snacks in both regular sea salt and sesame flavours, had a new item. Resealable mini packs of seaweed crumbles in a honey Dijon flavour that are meant to go on salads or be eaten as a snack. They brought a ton to pass out and let people try, so since it was getting close to the end of the day, they happily handed over an entire box to me when I asked to try some. One less thing for them to take home, but I looked pretty silly lugging a box under my arm for the rest of the show.

As a request from one of our Vancouver customers we also were also on the lookout for some black rice and discovered Lotus Foods, who have a whole line of different rice grains and rice noodles. I’d love to try and see if the Lotus Forbidden black rice works for making sushi. It always looks so neat when I see the black rice sushi in restaurants. Also, good news for fans of alternative milk and So Nice (known for their soy milk), they have just introduced a brand new organic Almond Milk. We tried it at the show and absolutely loved it. It won’t even be hitting the market until next month, so let us know if you’re interested!

There were so many new products I'd never have enough room to list them all, but keep checking our products as over the next couple months we have some exciting items coming.

Good Guide Website & Mobile App

In honour of Earth Day, I want to share an amazing website and mobile app that allows you to find out the “Good” rating of products on the market, as well as companies. Products are analyzed for their health, environmental, and social impacts. Companies are rated on environmental and society impacts; which includes their sustainability practices, their employee policies, and how the company gives back to the community. Check out Good Guide, their database is growing quickly and even includes appliances, cell phones, and cars!

10 Minute Miso Soup with Soba Noodles

Adapted from 101 Cookbooks

Prep time: 5 min - Cook time: 5 min

Ingredients

3 ounces dried soba noodles
2 - 4 tablespoons miso paste (to taste)
2 - 3 ounces firm tofu (2 handfuls), chopped into 1/3-inch cubes
2 green onions, tops removed thinly sliced

Optional:
a handful of watercress or spinach, well washed and stems trimmed

a small handful of cilantro
a pinch of red pepper flakes

Directions

Cook the soba noodles in salted water, drain, and run cold water over the noodles to stop them from cooking. Shake off any excess water and set aside.

In a medium sauce pan bring 4 cups of water to a boil. Reduce the heat to a gentle simmer and remove from heat. 

In a small bowl, whisk the miso paste with small amounts of boiling water from your pot, adding more as you go so it thins out slowly and avoids clumping.

Stir the mixture back into the pot. Taste, and then add more (the same way) a bit at a time until it is to your liking. Also, some miso pastes are less-salty than others, so you may need to add a bit of salt here. 

Add the tofu, remove from the heat, and let it sit for just a minute or so.

Split the noodles between two (or three) bowls, and pour the miso broth and tofu over them. 

Add your preferred toppings, watercress, green onions, cilantro, or red pepper flakes, and enjoy.

Serves 2 - 3.