Written by Diann Leo-Omine & Lisa Lin, Images by Lisa Lin.
September means the official begin of fall: heat cinnamon, mulled cider, and creamy pumpkin. Although in Sacramento we gained’t pull out the sweaters and scarves for no less than one other month, the temptations of toasty, savory nuts and apples ripe for the selecting are arduous to combat. Right here’s what’s in season for September. Don’t overlook to take a look at my produce guides from earlier months: June, July, August.
APPLES
The outdated saying goes, “an apple a day retains the physician away.” Whereas apples alone is probably not sufficient to maintain you out of the physician’s workplace, an apple a day can actually add some profit to your well being. Apples present loads of vitamin C whereas the pure pectin may help you’re feeling extra full.
Do you get confused by the completely different apple varieties? Meals 52 breaks down the different apple varieties whereas Critical Eats demonstrates which apples are best for pie.
HOW TO CHOOSE AND STORE APPLES
Select apples which are heavy for his or her measurement and easy. Skip those with craters and bruising. Retailer apples within the fridge for as much as two weeks.
RECIPES USING APPLES
CHAYOTE
Pear-shaped chayote is a squash that’s like a cross between a cucumber and a zucchini. In Chinese language, chayote known as 合掌瓜 (hup jeung gua in Cantonese) or 佛手瓜 (“Buddha hand squash,” fo shou gua in Mandarin). The names for this squash embody chayote, mirliton, choko, and chu chu.
The chayote that you simply’d often discover in grocery shops has a easy outer pores and skin, although thorny varieties exist, too. I can’t inform the distinction in taste between the range with easy or thorny pores and skin. Usually, you peel the outer pores and skin of chayote earlier than cooking it. Peeling or reducing the chayote will trigger the squash to launch a sap that leaves your palms feeling humorous. It’s a bit like reducing into butternut squash. Should you suppose you is perhaps delicate to the sap, put on gloves when reducing into chayote.
HOW TO CHOOSE AND STORE CHAYOTE
Select chayote that’s inexperienced and with agency pores and skin. Because of its thick pores and skin, chayote can last as long as a month within the fridge.
RECIPES USING CHAYOTE
DATES
The fruits of the date palm tree, dates are extremely nutrient wealthy with fiber, potassium, iron, and vitamin A. Date varieties are categorized as tender (the favored purple-brown Medjool), semi-dry (the amber coloured Deglet Noor), or dry (the golden-brown Thoory). As soon as dates are dried, their sweetness is concentrated into 60-80% sugar. Due to this pure sweetness, dates are sometimes blended as much as substitute sugar in decrease sugar desserts.
HOW TO CHOOSE AND STORE DATES
Select dates which are nicely dried and candy smelling. Dates can hold indefinitely in a nicely sealed container, although look out for any off-odors or colors. Preserve in a cool dry place.
RECIPES USING DATES
EDAMAME
You is perhaps most conversant in the boiled and salted edamame appetizers typically on the menu at Japanese eating places. Edamame are immature soybeans (毛豆, maodou, in Mandarin), plucked from their vegetation of their fuzzy inexperienced pods. As soon as the plant matures and the leaves fall off, soybeans are harvested for different soy merchandise (tofu, miso, and so on.). Edamame is each protein wealthy and coronary heart wholesome, stuffed with B nutritional vitamins however no ldl cholesterol.
HOW TO CHOOSE AND STORE EDAMAME
Search for edamame pods with no black spots or mushiness. Edamame may be saved within the fridge for as much as per week. You can too freeze them for up to a couple months.
RECIPES USING EDAMAME
GRAPES
Grapes give us the reward of wine, raisins, and consuming out of hand. Moreover, grapes provide us nutritional vitamins C and Ok and antioxidants. From lime inexperienced to moody violet to blush purple, grape varieties run the rainbow of colour. Whereas they typically discover their means onto the cheeseboard, don’t overlook they’re scrumptious past the snack plate as nicely–a roast within the oven is all that’s wanted to accentuate their sweetness.
HOW TO CHOOSE AND STORE GRAPES
Select grapes with easy exteriors, avoiding mushy or wrinkly grapes. Retailer grapes within the fridge for as much as two weeks.
RECIPES USING GRAPES
JUJUBES
Jujubes are often known as Chinese language purple dates, although, confusingly, they bear no relation to the dates talked about earlier on this submit. Contemporary immature jujubes have pale inexperienced pores and skin and may be on the tart facet. When left to ripen, the pores and skin will flip mild brown after which purple. That’s why they’re often known as “purple dates” in Chinese language (紅棗 in conventional characters; 红枣 in simplified characters).
Jujubes provide a wholesome dose of vitamin C and texture and taste clever have a crispness just like apples. To see Mama Lin getting ready jujubes in motion, try this video.
HOW TO CHOOSE AND STORE JUJUBES
When shopping for contemporary jujubes, select ones which have taut pores and skin. I like consuming sweeter jujubes, so I at all times decide ones with decide have red-brown and taut pores and skin, like those you see within the picture above. If you’re planning to maintain the jujubes for no less than per week, decide ones that also have some or plenty of yellow-green pores and skin.
You possibly can hold jujubes in room temperature and the storage time relies on how ripe the jujubes are if you purchase them. If in case you have comparatively ripe jujubes (mild brown to red-brown pores and skin), you’ll need to eat these in a couple of days. If the jujubes nonetheless look yellow, you’ll be able to depart these on the counter for as much as per week. You can too retailer the jujubes within the fridge for a bit of longer.
WAYS TO EAT JUJUBES
I often rinse contemporary jujubes and eat them like an apple. Jujubes are drier than apples, so some folks describe the feel as spongy or foamy. You can too purchase packaged dried jujubes from Asian grocery shops. They often are available a small or giant sizes. Listed below are some recipes that use dried jujubes:
LONGAN
Longan (龍眼/龙眼), translated as “dragon eyes,” have a brown outer pores and skin, white juicy fruit, and a pit on the middle. They’re just like lychee, although I discover the flavour of longan extra akin to honey; I discover lychee to be extra floral. Longan are in regards to the measurement of a giant grape.
The longan that you simply often discover in Asian grocers seem like those on the left within the picture above. The pores and skin is mild brown and skinny, making them straightforward to peel.
Not too long ago, my sister launched me to the number of longan on the proper, which originates from Hawaii. The Hawaiian longan is bigger and the pores and skin is thicker and tougher in comparison with the opposite number of longan. I completely love this Hawaiian selection as a result of the fruit is sweeter and the feel is extra crisp.
I usually like to relax the longan within the fridge earlier than peeling and consuming them. They’re additionally nice in fruit salads or served with my mango tapioca pudding.
You can too discover dried longan, which can be utilized in Chinese language soups and desserts. I really like snacking on dried longan, too.
HOW TO CHOOSE AND STORE LONGAN
Select longan with dry, uniform skins, with tan colour throughout. Make certain the fruits don’t look wrinkled, as it may be a sign that the fruits have been sitting within the grocery retailer for too lengthy. Contemporary longan may be refrigerated in a plastic bag for as much as two weeks.
HOW TO EAT LONGAN
Merely peel of the pores and skin and pop the longan into your mouth! Here’s a video of my peeling longan. Should you’re in search of recipes that use longan, listed here are a couple of for inspiration:
PISTACHIOS
Pistachios are literally not actual nuts! As a substitute, they’re categorized as drupes, fruits with stone pits like cherries and peaches. Nevertheless, for pistachios, we eat what’s the kernel and discard the flesh. When on the tree, these pistachio fruits develop collectively like bunches of grapes, the outer flesh kissed with a purple blush tinge.
The kernels finally develop to the purpose the place they break up the internal shell, revealing the greenish kernel meat – which is why pistachio shells are break up roughly down the center. Consider it as nature’s means of cracking these shells to make it simpler for us to eat!
HOW TO CHOOSE AND STORE PISTACHIOS
I have a tendency to seek out uncooked pistachios on the farmers market, and the brand new crop of pistachios will begin rolling in round September. They are often saved in a tightly sealed jar ofr a couple of months or within the freezer. Roasted pistachios may be saved as much as six months if stored in a sealed container and in a cool, dry place.
RECIPES USING PISTACHIOS
THAI CHILI PEPPERS
Thai chili peppers are sizzling! Usually pounded into curries, these tiny peppers ship warmth rapidly. By way of Scoville warmth items, Thai chili peppers sit someplace between cayenne and habanero peppers, that means they are often 5 occasions hotter than jalapenos. To beat the warmth, put on gloves when dealing with and slice the pepper lengthwise to intestine its ribs and seeds. You’ll want to wash your palms completely (and don’t contact your eyes, nostril, or mouth!)
HOW TO CHOOSE AND STORE THAI CHILI PEPPERS
Select Thai chili peppers with uniform skins. Keep away from peppers which are mushy or bruised. Retailer within the fridge for as much as per week or within the freezer for months.
I typically purchase a bunch of Thai chilis nonetheless on the stems from the farmers market. I’d minimize them from the stem, rinse, dry, after which freeze the peppers to make use of all year long.
