Farm-fresh tips

September/October 2022 California Bountiful magazine

Californians are curious, always scouring the internet for a new or better way to do something. But why go to Google when you can ask the experts directly? With that in mind, we reached out to California Farm Bureau members for their insight into topics you might be curious about this time of year. Have a question for a farmer or rancher? Email us at cbmagazine@californiabountiful.com.

How do I ...

… get more omega-3 fatty acids in my diet?

You may have heard about the importance of these essential nutrients and their role in heart health, brain health and healthy aging. Walnuts are the only tree nuts that contain a significant amount of plant-based omega-3 ALA, or alpha-linolenic acid. Darrell Cordova recommends putting them in salads and cooking with walnut oil. For a treat, he likes snacking on dark chocolate-covered walnuts—because cocoa has its own health benefits. “You can really get addicted to them,” he notes. Cordova also likes to add walnuts to cookies, cakes, fudge and other desserts. “Instead of a pecan pie, you can do a walnut pie,” he says.

… choose the ideal watermelon?

Bryan Van Groningen, who typically harvests watermelon into early October, offers five tips: 1) Look for one without a stem. 2) Look for a “sugar spot” on the bottom—this side was on the ground while the melon was ripening. 3) Look for gold flecks in between the dark green stripes. 4) Do the “knock test”—a dull or flat sound means soft flesh. 5) Look for black sap oozing from the cracks—this means it’s very ripe and sweet. “If you happen to find a watermelon that fits all five of these characteristics, you’re 99.99% golden in selecting an awesome watermelon,” Van Groningen says.

… best enjoy California prunes?

Michael Vasey eats them daily and has plenty of ideas on creative uses for prunes, which are made with plum varieties high in sugar content and suitable for drying. To bring a nice, sweet note to food, he adds diced prunes to chili, chicken, baked goods and salads. “Prunes and goat cheese make a great combination,” he adds. To keep dried prunes fresh and moist, Vasey suggests sprinkling a little water into the bag and “the prunes will soak the water right up and rehydrate and become softer again.”