Modernity is a blessing and a curse.
Not because I have anything against indoor plumbing, vaccinations, and food security – I don’t. I love all of these things. Very much.
But, as with everything, there are always tradeoffs.
For example, we go to a supermarket now, and we have a wide variety of food options from all around the world. We can have basically any type of fruit or vegetable at any time.
Great, right?
Absolutely, yes. Modern farming has made affordable food more accessible to the masses. And that is amazing, because, as I have no doubt said on repeat since forever, fruits and vegetables are important to overall good health.
The flipside has nothing to do with nutrition (ok, well, it does a little, but I’m actually purposefully not discussing nutrition here, because that’s not the point). The tradeoff is in the taste department – which is arguably equally as important. Enjoyment of food is important.
If we are eating fresh asparagus, for example, in the dead of winter in the Midwest, it probably isn’t going to taste as good. Chances are, those tomatoes are grown a great distance away in a more favorable climate, and then shipped to your local grocery store. They also may have undergone treatments with ripening agents in an effort to manipulate the growing and maturation process. Basically, instead of being allowed to ripen naturally “on the vine” (or tree, etc), fruit is picked before it is ripe and treated with ethylene gas (which, FYI, is naturally present in the food. It’s the actual compound that naturally ripens a fruit or vegetable) when they reach their intended destination. All this is done to prevent unnecessary food spoilage and to ensure that offerings are at their “peak freshness.” And, there is nothing inherently wrong or unsafe about this practice. However, treatments such as these can affect the taste negatively – even if produce appears to be “perfectly ripe.”
To counter this, scientists have developed a way to genetically modify crops, suppressing or inserting genes designed to decrease the natural ethylene production of a fruit or vegetable. This essentially circumvents the need to pick a crop before it’s fully mature and treat with ethylene, because it lengthens the overall ripening process. This allows the fruit to ripen during transit, thus allowing fruit to develop the maximum amount of flavor.
As of 2018, this modification was approved in the US for both melon and tomato crops. Which is great for tomatoes and melons, but still leaves us with the taste issues in other crops.
What is the solution? Well, there are many, most of which we have no control over.
But, we do have control over what we choose to eat. And, to maximize flavor (and thus enjoyment) of most fruits and vegetables, we can do our best to eat with the seasons – i.e., eat mostly what is in peak conditions for each season.
Although specific areas will vary based on climate (for example, Arizona’s growing season lasts from October – June, which is usually the exact opposite of most of the country) and soil, here is a handy chart to help you get started:
Early Onions = Spring Onion (small bulbs, scallion-like tops)
Shelled Beans = what you commonly see dried in the grocery store, only fresh
Stored Onions = Onions are notoriously long-lasting in the right conditions
Eating in terms of seasonality actually can be more affordable as well – shorter transit times, and thus shipping costs, can lower the prices of some produce – can, not will. This is all purely hypothetical and there are a number of other factors that go into the pricing of produce. However, if you look closely at supermarket sales throughout the year, you will notice that things that are in-season are generally on sale more often (more supply of these perishable goods mean that they can be sold for profit based on volume of sales, thus resulting in a lower price). Eating seasonally also benefits local businesses, and in turn the local economy, which has direct impact on affordability and market prices in your area.
And finally, eating seasonally can be better for the environment. Nope – not talking about the chemicals here. Simply bringing up the argument that less driving of any type of vehicle is better for the environment. Shorter transit = less driving = better for the environment. It may not make a HUGE dent, but any dent helps.
Want to know what is in season in your area? Go to a local farmers market if you can – remember local climate and soil compositions vary, so “in season” could look different where you live. Get to know your local farmers and learn from them. They are the ultimate experts in local growing, i.e., what’s in season and what is not. Or, find supermarkets that stock local goods – what’s available locally will be a good indication of what is in season.
Do you have to be perfect and eat seasonably all the time? Absolutely not – there is no moral aspect to this argument (though there are certainly people who take it to that extreme; please do not listen to them). Food is just food. However, if you are looking for better tasting food that MAY have a small positive impact on the environment, this could be something to consider.
Want to do further research? Here are some interesting resources to help get you started:
National Geographic
ISSA
American Geophysical Union
