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A Fruitful Holiday Season |
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12/23/2008 | |
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When you read a digital clock, do you try to make equations out of the time? When you're driving, do you calculate factors of the mile markers and add license plate numbers up to 24? I do. But sometimes my daydreams about being John Nash don't add up in the fruit world. |
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How do you define delicious? Randall Munroe, former-robotics-scientist-at-NASA-turned-cartoonist, has come up with this illustrated index of fruits, plotted in quadrants measuring "Tasty" vs. "Easy." Of course, the index is based on Munroe's personal preferences. And despite his obvious citrus bias, if a Satsuma Mandarin were plotted, it would go off the charts in both Tasty and Easy! The Satsuma is the smallish, lumpy, occasionally wrinkled-looking piece of citrus in all customers' crates this time of year. The skin naturally hangs a little bit loose around the sections inside the fruit. This is perfectly normal and one of the Satsuma's finest attributes. Some folks refer to the Satsuma as a Zipper-Peel Mandarin, because opening one up is as easy as using a zipper. Just poke your thumb into the loose skin at the base, and zip away. This is the easiest piece of citrus you'll ever eat. For those of you who haven't tried a Satsuma before, don't be intimidated by the loose-skin feel and appearance, it may seem a little unusual, but trust us, it's normal. There are some areas where math and fruit intersect more seriously. One measure used to quantify the expected sweetness in a piece of fruit is called the Brix scale, named for scientist Adolph Brix who formulated it. To measure a fruit's Brix number, a drop of juice from the fruit is placed on a slide and viewed through a hand-held refractometer. The refractometer can identify the concentration of natural sugar solids present in the juice, which is translated to a Brix that correlates with expected taste of sweetness. A point on the Brix scale is worth a little over one percent sugar solids, and each fruit has it's own score range - an extremely sweet apple will have a Brix of 17 or 18, but a peach may check in with a Brix score in the 60s. You will find lots of high-Brix, Easy, and Tasty treats in your crates this week. See your regional mix here. Enjoy and be fruitful! -Jeff Koelemay The FruitGuys Featured on Glamour Magazine's Daily Health and Fitness Blog
A Tangerine in Every Toe! Winter is a citrus carnival at the FruitGuys. Every region has boxes brimming with bright orange Navels, Satsumas, Clementines, Daisies, Darcys, and Flames. Bloods, Pixies, Paige, Murcott Mandarins, and Cara Caras are on the horizon. Our fruit buyers Dan, Rebecca, Benn, and Erin M. travel to the southern tips of their regions where the winter sunshine is ripening the fruit. Since Alexander the Great first brought oranges west from India they've had a cherished place on our tables and in our culture. "Orangeries" (ornate greenhouses for growing citrus) became the centerpieces of European palaces such as Versailles, Schöndrunn, and Kensington. Conquering kings soon learned that sailors exploring far off lands could not survive without fresh fruit, and captains were commanded to carry Vitamin C-rich citrus on board to ward off scurvy.
Consider that the tangerine at your holiday celebration contains 70 mg Vitamin C. Studies show that Vitamin C can help counter the effects of nitrites, such as those in Uncle Herbert's ham. Vitamin C is a water-soluble antioxidant that can help shield you from free radicals. Citrus also contains long-acting liminoid compounds, which can help your concentration at the holiday Scrabble Smack Down. And limonin is said to have cholesterol-lowering effects. The FruitGuys hope you have a joyous holiday, and suggest you open that Satsuma first! -Heidi Lewis Donate Your Winter Holiday Fruit Crates Indoor Exercise for the Holidays
First off, you don’t need to be in a gym to be working out. Here are some portable, indoor exercises to keep you moving, whether you’re at the office, an airport, or nestling beside a fire at Grandma’s house. For your large leg muscle groups, try some wall-sits: standing with your back against a wall, lower yourself into a seated position, as if you had a chair underneath you, and hold this position as long as you can. Start by counting to 10 and see how long you can go. Then stand, shake, or stretch and repeat five to ten times. It’s just like a squat at the gym, but you can keep up a conversation with your relatives while you do it. For upper body work, try a variation on the old-fashioned pushup: with your feet on the floor, place your hands on the edge of a kitchen counter-top and raise and lower your chest to the counter. These less-than-horizontal reps are great for light chest exercise and triceps. For shoulders, sit in a chair and raise your straightened arms to should height. Repeat until tired. Curious about what influences your metabolic rate, which determines how many calories your body burns every day? Want tips on how to exercise safely in cold weather? Take a look at this month’s Wellness Letter. Click on the “Subscriber’s Corner,” and log in using this month’s FruitGuys password - Muscle. FruitGuys Holiday Hours Please note that the FruitGuys offices will be closed on Wednesday, December 24 starting at noon, Thursday, December 25, and Friday, December 26. We will also be closed starting at noon on Wednesday December 31, Thursday, January 1, and Friday, January 2 so that our employees can spend the holidays with their friends and families. The entire FruitGuys family wishes you all Happy Holidays and a healthy and prosperous New Year. FIELD TRIPS WEST Space News Update Program Morning Birds in Franklin Canyon Green Drinks @ Elixir
New Year's Day Resolution Hike Green Drinks @ Jefferson Tap Celestial Highlights Origami Holiday Tree Green Drinks @ Egan & Sons Refer a friend to The FruitGuys and earn some cash while you’re at it! Has it been a while since you received our farm fresh fruit? We'd love to have you back!
See which fruits are in our office fruit mixes in your region this week. If you have any questions or would like more information, call toll-free
at 1-877-FRUIT-ME Visit us online at www.fruitguys.com.
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Many of us have parents and grandparents who can still recall the gift of a mandarin at Christmas time as a prized treat. Oranges wrapped in silk or decorated with cloves were a common Victorian Era gift. The original Saint Nicholas of Myra was a bishop who gave children nuts and oranges from his donkey. Even when Santa Claus took over the job filling stockings, he would put a tangerine in the toe. 
Oranges, lemons, and grapefruit are still treasured as gifts. In many winter solstice and return-of-the-light celebrations, the bright color, scent, and sustenance of citrus is essential. In fall at the Jewish holiday Sukkot, an etrog (a citron-like fruit) is a key element whose good taste and smell represent good deeds. In mid-winter, the Lunar New Year of the Chinese, Korean, Tibetan, and Vietnamese calendars also roll in the year with bright lucky oranges. 
Above all, don’t get discouraged just because the holidays have put you off your routine. If you’re in the kitchen cooking up a big holiday meal and afraid there’s no time for a workout break, remember there’s natural weights all around you. Try a few bicep curls with the big cans of pumpkin pie filling, or lift that bag of potatoes over your head ten times before starting to peel. Anytime you move your body, you’re exercising whether you realize it or not. So have fun with it! 
Holiday Fun and Apollo Aniversary
