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Produce Smackdown: Organic v. Not

I will never, ever, ever forget the first time I ate an organic banana. It tasted so completely different, and soooo much better, than a regular banana. I think I drove Alan crazy because I talked about that banana for several years.

Tonight I had an even more dramatic experience with organic: broccoli. I've always hate, hate, hated those twiggy little trees. But tonight I forced myself to eat organic broccoli and almost could not believe I was eating the same vegetable. Even the Dragon had seconds.

(Seriously. No one's paying me to write this.)

If we could afford to buy all organic, we would. But we can't. We have to pick and choose. So I ask you: What produce is remarkably better, in your opinion, when it's organic? What's worth the extra coin? What tastes pretty much the same?

Or do you just tart it up with seasonings and dressings anyway? If you go that route, what're your favorite accessories to veggies? How do you choke them down?

Tags: broccoli redeemed, food, nutrition

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Permalink Reply by wookie on April 14, 2010 at 10:49am

What organ is producing banannas, broc and carrots?
(ducks)

Regina said:

I haven't noticed a huge taste difference, but organic strawberries are MUCH better for you then conventional - evidently, the conv strawberries are pretty chalk full of nasty stuff.

I agree with you about the organ bananas and broc.. I add carrots to that list! Conv carrots have a bitter taste to me. Also, organ tomatoes are much better and sweeter tasting.

I also think the more recent the veggies was picked, the better it tastes. Sometimes that means organic, and sometimes not. I find that veggies form the farmer's mkt are almost always better - picked when ripe and sold quickly after. Most of the stuff in the big markets is picked way before it's ripe and shipped in trucks often 1 or 2 wks before we buy it. Ew.

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Permalink Reply by LeastLikely2Breed on April 14, 2010 at 11:09am

strawberries

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Permalink Reply by Super-Papa on April 14, 2010 at 12:53pm

I don't really notice a difference with conventional and mass produced organic. They both still suffer from being picked too early. I'm a big fan of the local farmer's market. There's nothing better than fresh blackberries. When we have a little extra money we'll buy a little bit extra to freeze so that we can have them in the winter.

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Permalink Reply by StitchyWench on April 14, 2010 at 1:06pm

Potatoes, all the way! I love me some organic potatoes. They always taste better, the Yukons are almost sweet, and always perfect.

Carrots are better when they are organic, too.

My favorite apples in the world are not organic, but they are farm fresh. They don't have any of the icky wax and fake shine to them. My favorite blackberries are the ones we pick for free in the green space by my house. And my favorite blue berries come from a farm on Sauvie Island. They aren't organic, but they are yummy! The kids and I pick at least 15 pounds of them every summer and they never last more than a few weeks.

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Permalink Reply by Ylimemagic on April 14, 2010 at 1:18pm

Being vegan, and eating as much produce as I do, it's a damn shame I can't afford more organic produce, because there are many MANY of our staple foods on the top of that dirty dozen list. I do buy organic when we can, but it's not 100% of the time.

I try not to think about it. I've already eliminated so much from my diet, I can't eliminate much more. Really.

Potatoes are a biggie, and carrots. I can't wait for my garden to be up and running again this year. Thinking hard about growing potatoes and garlic this year for the first time.

I wish I could barter with the farmers down at the farmer's market. What could I possibly trade? (Shut it, CPF!)

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Permalink Reply by Madame Ellie on April 14, 2010 at 4:02pm

Organic white peaches. Goddess above. White peaches are a delicacy I seldom see just because it's not something walmart stocks very often, but I can make myself sick off of them when I find them. I was only able to get two peaches and I ate them just as soon as I got home but DAMN, those were good.

We typically don't buy organic because it's too effing expensive and organic produce tends to die the second we bring it home. I've heard organic milk is supposed to be WAY better than store brand, but we've never tried it.

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Permalink Reply by Mamawho on April 14, 2010 at 4:58pm

I buy non-homogenized milk, and it's awesome.

Madame Ellie said:

Organic white peaches. Goddess above. White peaches are a delicacy I seldom see just because it's not something walmart stocks very often, but I can make myself sick off of them when I find them. I was only able to get two peaches and I ate them just as soon as I got home but DAMN, those were good.

We typically don't buy organic because it's too effing expensive and organic produce tends to die the second we bring it home. I've heard organic milk is supposed to be WAY better than store brand, but we've never tried it.

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Permalink Reply by mightyninjamom on April 14, 2010 at 5:16pm

In particular I've noticed flavor differences in broccoli, carrots, oranges and apples. Specifically, the broccoli, carrots and oranges lacked a bitter aftertaste I had detected previously in non-organic produce. Having grown up in Washington apple country, I'm picky about apples. Very. And organic fuji's are about the best thing I've tasted in a long time. The non-organics taste rather washed out next to them.

Also, if you can get a hold of a Cara Cara orange, I highly recommend it. They are delicious beyond belief.

To dress up more nondescript or tasteless veggies I rely on various combos of butter, black pepper, lemon juice, balsamic vinegar, red pepper flakes and salt.

Oracle, in your neck of the woods have you checked out Pioneer Organics? They deliver!

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Permalink Reply by Mamawho on April 14, 2010 at 5:35pm

Jane's Crazy Mixed-Up Salt is really good on veggies. GirlWho loves it, and doesn't even complain about the specks of color in it. Normally, her food must be untouched by anything foreign. She doesn't want to see the flavor.

mightyninjamom said:

In particular I've noticed flavor differences in broccoli, carrots, oranges and apples. Specifically, the broccoli, carrots and oranges lacked a bitter aftertaste I had detected previously in non-organic produce. Having grown up in Washington apple country, I'm picky about apples. Very. And organic fuji's are about the best thing I've tasted in a long time. The non-organics taste rather washed out next to them.

Also, if you can get a hold of a Cara Cara orange, I highly recommend it. They are delicious beyond belief.

To dress up more nondescript or tasteless veggies I rely on various combos of butter, black pepper, lemon juice, balsamic vinegar, red pepper flakes and salt.

Oracle, in your neck of the woods have you checked out Pioneer Organics? They deliver!

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Permalink Reply by Piebrothersmomma on April 14, 2010 at 10:33pm

OMG - Cara Cara oranges are the shit. Truly. I normally don't eat regular navel oranges - they're just too tart or bitter. I love the little clementines but man, the Cara Caras are spectacular.

I also have to agree w/Madame Ellie on the white peaches. Nom nom nom!!!

mightyninjamom said:

In particular I've noticed flavor differences in broccoli, carrots, oranges and apples. Specifically, the broccoli, carrots and oranges lacked a bitter aftertaste I had detected previously in non-organic produce. Having grown up in Washington apple country, I'm picky about apples. Very. And organic fuji's are about the best thing I've tasted in a long time. The non-organics taste rather washed out next to them.

Also, if you can get a hold of a Cara Cara orange, I highly recommend it. They are delicious beyond belief.

To dress up more nondescript or tasteless veggies I rely on various combos of butter, black pepper, lemon juice, balsamic vinegar, red pepper flakes and salt.

Oracle, in your neck of the woods have you checked out Pioneer Organics? They deliver!

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Permalink Reply by sockiboo on April 15, 2010 at 10:18am

like lots of people are saying, i don't notice a consistent taste difference between organic and conventional--probably because we buy at the supermarket; probably stuff from the farmer's market tastes better. i tend to stick to that top ten list someone published a while ago and i put on the fridge . . . the top offenders for pesticide loads. sometimes buying organic means buying frozen instead of fresh, because fresh isn't available or is crazy expensive, which maybe is its own health compromise, but we do what we can. frankly, i'd rather concentrate on us just *eating* more vegetables, of any kind. generally, but especially since i got pregnant, breads are so giantly more tasty than anything else that i have to bargain pretty hard to get even sweet little carrots down my gullet. vegetable soups seem to have been working okay, too, and fruit. anything that keeps me from turning into a baguette.