The Power of Eating Seasonally: why it’s better for all of us
How is eating seasonally better for you?
Let’s start off by explaining what we are selling and how! Eating seasonal fruit & veg has many benefits, as the information below will explain. We use local organic growers for the British in-season produce but also import from around the World – at the right times!
Growing seasons are different in different parts of the World and this is what we utilise. When say organic watermelon has finished its season in Europe, we can source from Africa who’s growing season is later and longer.
Transportation we hear you say… supermarkets sell ‘early’ picked fruit and vegetables to allow travel time of up to 2 months. The disadvantages of this our covered in the text below such as fruit and vegetables that haven’t been able to ‘absorb’ their full amount of vitamins and nutrients because they are picked 2 months early to allow for travel time. Fruits ripen naturally on the plant for a very good reason.
We source from around the World at the right times, picking ripened fruit & veg that is full of flavour etc., and then FLY IT INTO THE UK! No 6 weeks on a boat, from picking to warehouse is 48 hours.
We will also have exotic fruits that are FULL of goodness, and you have probably never seen in the supermarkets. We only purchase and consume 14% of the worlds available fruits! You normally only see the ‘commercial’ fruits the shops find it easy to but and sell. Some of the other fruits are so high in goodness it is unbelievable. They may look a little odd as you won’t have seen them before, but give them a try, they are amazing!
Rich in nutrients
Plants get all their nutrients from the sun and soil. Harvesting local produce when its fully ripened means all of our wonderful fruit and veg are given the longest possible time to absorb as many nutrients as they can. More sun = more antioxidants!
Produce that is transported from overseas is often (although not always) picked before being ripe to withstand the transportation process – 6 weeks on a boat!! The further away the produce, the earlier it needs to be picked. Have you ever wondered why bananas are green on our supermarket shelves?
Immune Strength
The produce that naturally grows during a certain month is the same produce that our bodies need at that time of the year – to keep our immune system at an optimum level.
To explain: in the summer we have refreshing water and sugar enriched produce such as cucumbers, lettuce and berries to keep us cool and naturally hydrated. And in winter, we have tougher more fibrous vegetables such as pumpkins, kale and parsnips that have more slow releasing sugars, giving us longer lasting energy resources to withstand the cold.
How is eating seasonally better for the environment?
Produce grown outside of its natural season needs extra assistance to grow and look appealing to consumers. This can come in the form of pesticides, genetic modification, waxes, chemicals and preservatives – all toxic compounds that harm our waters, soil and health. By choosing seasonal food will get a ‘cleaner’ product!
Tastes Better
In-season produce is fresher and tastes better, sweeter and perfectly ripe. When fruits and vegetables are picked for consumption that have been naturally ripened on the vine or the tree and harvested at the right time, it will have much more flavour and nutrition. Most people have experienced that super juicy perfectly sweet orange in winter or that crispy sweet pineapple in summer. When transporting crops, it must be harvested early and refrigerated so they don’t spoil during transportation; chilling will reduce the flavour. Then when they get to their destination they then may need to be heated in a hot house to artificially ripen the produce before it goes onto the shelves, this greatly reduces the flavour, changes the texture and the taste. Think of those floury apples, flavourless tomatoes and limp tasteless greens. You may find that the food may be half rotten inside or overly fibrous such as an out-of-season pineapple.
Fresher with a Higher Nutritional Value
Produce that is purchased in season is more likely to be fresher, consumed closer to harvesting and higher in nutritional value, some anti-oxidants such as Vitamin C, folate and carotenes will rapidly decline when stored for periods of time. In-season sourced fruits and vegetables will also appear brighter and more vibrant rather than limp and dried up. Fruits and vegetables that are stored for long periods of time due to transportation or to be used at a later date have a reduction in phyto-nutrient content. Large markets and grocers may buy out-of -season produce that has been gassed, irradiated (a burst of radiation to kill germs) and preserved in wax to extent the shelf life.
The Benefits
It’s also important to eat produce while it’s still fresh to minimize the effects of transport and storage time. Strawberries, for example, quickly lose their vitamin C content, fragrance, and flavour. Shorter transport routes also reduce your produce’s carbon footprint.
Before science played a part in agriculture, you could only find fresh produce during the season it grew best in since produce relied on weather and other natural growing conditions. Now, you can find pretty much any fruit or vegetable you want regardless of the time of year.
