by Ellen Jacobs in Uncategorized
Posted on July 21, 2011 at 10:35 am
Last Modified on July 29, 2011 at 10:08 pm
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Yesterday I went to the farmer’s market in Davis Square. I bought 5 peaches, 2 tomatoes, and a pint of cherries. The total cost was $11.80, which was kind of a shock, but I went ahead with the purchase anyway – it all looked so good, and it’s not like I spend that kind of money on produce every day, so I looked on it as sort of a treat. The fruit must be amazing, I thought, all local and organic and what not. (I also considered buying a loaf of bread, but could not bring myself to spend the $7 they were asking for it.)
There was a sign near the peaches saying they were picked that morning, a little hard so that they wouldn’t bruise, but just put them on the kitchen counter and they’d soften right up. Understatement. I did put the peaches on the counter, around 2 pm, and by 9 pm one had turned to mush. This morning, 2 seemed ripe enough to eat, but when I tried to slice them they turned to mush in my hands. I tasted them anyway and alas, they tasted just like the peaches I get at the supermarket, only the texture made them inedible. I can’t report on the quality of the tomatoes and cherries yet – they look great, but so did the peaches.
I’m mad at myself for talking myself into spending so much for so little, and disappointed that, having done so, I ended up throwing food away. Have other people had similar experiences at farmer’s markets? BTW, this isn’t my first time going – I’ve been to the markets at Union Square and the Armory, and I usually buy something, but I always feel that the price is much too high and the product I get is just okay (in this last case, poor.) I forget about the sticker shock after a while, and go back with high hopes. I really have to stop doing that.
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Some of the best peaches I’ve ever had came from the Davis Square market. However, I’d be a little skeptical of local peaches in July, especially after that cold, rainy spring. As for the prices, I always figure I’m making a little contribution to suburban sprawl prevention, by helping to keep Massachusetts farmland economically viable.
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I have been buying peaches at a premium price from Mr. Nieweicz (something like that) for a number of years and have never, ever been disappointed. I find the farmer’s market very expensive, but his peaches are ambrosial and worth every penny. I also make tremendously good peach jam out of them, to give to friends. Don’t know about other people’s peaches, however.
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Peaches picked before they are ripe are never as good as peaches picked when they are ripe, whether they are from the farmers market or the grocery store. Save your pennies for the peaches that are ripe at the time you buy them, and then eat them right away and cry with joy.
Why haven’t you eaten your tomatoes and cherries yet? If they were ripe when you bought them, they’re best if you eat them right away as well! And for heaven’s sake, don’t put your tomatoes in the fridge. They will turn to cardboard.
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For low prices you can’t beat Somerville’s new farmers’ market, open every Saturday June through October 11am-3pm at Mystic Housing Development, Memorial Rd. Prices are typically $1 or $1.50/lb. and produce we’ve purchased has been very good. It’s much smaller than Davis and Union Sq. markets (it’s one truck) so you won’t find breads, etc.
Food is from Enterprise Farm, a Certified Organic CSA farm in Whately, MA. They’re part of the East Coast Food Shed, so some produce might be sourced from other east coast states. The growers will be able to tell you where food is from.
http://sz0082.wc.mail.comcast.net/service/home/~/mystic%20market%20flyers_single.pdf?auth=co&loc=en_US&id=299900&part=3
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Thanks for the comments everyone. And Jen, thanks for the tip about the new Mystic Market. I did wonder, when I saw it advertised, how people in that low income neighborhood would be able to pay farmers’ market prices, but it sounds like they’re keeping the prices low. BTW, the cherries I bought last week were good, but no better than supermarket cherries. The tomatoes, however, were fantastic!
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An absolute second for the wonderful new farmer’s market at Mystic Housing development. I couldn’t go last week, but two weeks ago I got a couple of heads of lettuce, some cukes, lovely summer squash, kale (which I made into chips) and great beets wtih greens. The cost was extremely reasonable and the produce was absolutely beautiful — fresh, nutricious and so tasty!
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