Produce Quality - when they look funny...

From Janit London at Purple Dragon:

We never intentionally buy or send out anything that is not good, but produce, being a natural product, sometimes can break down very quickly--within hours. So please understand that there is no need to get angry or upset--just let your coordinator know right away. So, yes, some of the strawberries surprised us and broke down very quickly. We thought we would be fine delivering them in the lovely cold weather, but alas! some did not make it, not through mishandling but because of inherent issues within the berries themselves. Others, and this is not surprising when there is less sun, were not as flavorful as people might have liked. Of course, they are not as delightful to eat raw but can be used in delicious recipes, such as, chop and boil in 1-2 cups of water for 5 minutes; add maple syrup to taste, and you have a lovely syrup for pancakes that will keep in the fridge for a week.

The other problem is that sometimes something can look funny or different but still be excellent; we are always learning and then passing along what we have learned to you. Some people thought their green grapes (if you got these) had issues but really, it was just the late-season "ambering," when the grapes get an amber color, which only makes them sweeter. Other members thought there was something wrong with their Valencia oranges, which were somewhat lumpy looking and had some spots on the skin. The oranges were actually fabulous!

So don't be fooled by appearances! Taste the food or call the office. Also, beware of guessing what might be wrong with something. We hear the most interesting conjectures of what might potentially be wrong but most of the time, these ideas are totally incorrect. We have had people thinking they saw mildew, aflatoxin, and things being old. Produce doesn't get mildew or aflatoxin (except on peanuts) and we always know how "old" things are before we buy them (such as all local apples, pears, potatoes, onions and squash are harvested in the fall.) So please don't stress and don't worry but call or e the office and we can reassure you about what you have received. We had a lot of people who regretted that they threw away their delicious oranges based on their funny appearance, so let's avoid that kind of error! Call! Email! Ask us.

And be sure to let your coordinator know if you think you have a quality issue so she can check in with the group and let us know.