Fresh Local Produce In Our Farmer’s Market
“Knowledge is knowing a tomato is a fruit. Wisdom is not putting it in a fruit salad”
Our farmer’s market carries a diverse and numerous selection of locally grown fruit and produce from growers within our regional area, many of the located right here in Bergen County. Our produce is displayed professionally and tended to so as to provide the utmost in freshness. Our selections vary depending upon what is in season, we do however carry products such as honey and other culinary items that are available year round. The great thing about us is that if you are ever unsure about what a product is, where it came from, or how to use it, you can just ask! The fruits and vegetables you buy at the farmers market are the freshest and tastiest available. Fruits are allowed to ripen fully in the field and are brought directly to you—no long-distance shipping, no gassing to simulate the ripening process, no sitting for weeks in storage. This food is as real as it gets—fresh from the farm.
Our Available Local Produce Shown Below
Choosing and Storing Produce
To select the freshest produce at a farmers market, utilize your senses, focusing on color, texture, and aroma. Inquire about the produce’s origin and harvest time from the farmers. Avoid produce with blemishes, bruises, or a lack of firmness. Prioritize items in season, as they are often at their peak. Color: Look for vibrant colors that indicate ripeness and avoid produce with discoloration or signs of decay. Texture: Feel for firmness and avoid anything that is too soft, mushy, or shriveled. Aroma: Sniff for pleasant, sweet, or earthy smells, which are indicators of freshness, especially in fruits like berries, pineapples, and tomatoes
If possible, go home right after the market. Don’t leave the produce in the car to run other errands or baking in the sun while getting breakfast. Head home and store them properly, as soon as you arrive. Keep the produce out of sunlight once home. Do not store fruits and vegetables together. Fruits give off high levels of ethylene gas, which ripens the fruits, causing them to change color, become softer, and sweeter. But it can quickly spoil surrounding vegetables. To lengthen the life of the fruits, store them in the refrigerator in a low moisture drawer, but only with other fruits. The refrigerator does not make the fruit more or less ripe but simply stops the process in time. Take the peaches out the night before eating.
Summer squash includes the more known zucchini and yellow squash but also yellow zucchini, green tiger zucchini, pattypan squash and more. Summer squash is moister than winter squash and therefore has a shorter lifespan. Summer squash varieties are delicate and thin skinned, so it is important to look for bruising and blemishes before buying. Also, choose firm squash as they will quickly soften. The smaller squash tend to be sweeter and preferable when cooking.
When choosing tomatoes, look for bruising, spotting or soft spots on the skin. If there are signs of any of these, do not buy them. Look for vibrant colors among the rainbowed assortment of tomatoes at the market. Touch is also a big indicator of a good tomato. The tomato should feel firm but still reacts to touch. Pick up a few tomatoes of similar size and compare their weight. The heavier ones are likely to be juicier. Look for smooth, unblemished skin. Avoid tomatoes with cracks, bruises, or soft spots, as these can indicate over-ripeness or potential spoilage. Lastly, make sure the tomato smells like a tomato. A ripe tomato will have a noticeable, pleasant aroma, often described as sweet and slightly floral. The scent will be most pronounced near the stem end. If it smells funky or just not like a tomato it may be a sign that the tomato going bad. Tomatoes at farmers’ markets are often fresher and more flavorful because they are usually picked when fully ripe and haven’t traveled far.
When storing tomatoes, fresh tomatoes are best stored at room temperature, away from direct sunlight, until they are fully ripe. Keep them at room temperature as well, but if you need to extend their shelf life, refrigerate them once fully ripe. Refrigeration can make tomatoes mealy and reduce their flavor, so it’s best to let them come to room temperature before eating. Store tomatoes stem-side down to help prevent moisture loss and bruising. Avoid overcrowding tomatoes to allow for air circulation and prevent bruising. For cut tomatoes, store them in a sealed container in the refrigerator, cut-side down.
Summertime is also herb season. And, there is nothing better and more flavorful than fresh-picked herbs at the farmers market. Basil, dill, cilantro, sage and thyme are just a few of the herbs that hit the stands during this season. But, preserving herbs to use throughout the week can be a challenge. Make sure the herbs are not wilted in any way before choosing.
Once home, treat herbs like flowers. Cut off the ends and put them in a glass of water immediately. Then put the glass of herbs in the refrigerator, except for basil. Leave the glass of basil on the counter in the kitchen away from direct sunlight. The refrigerator will spoil the flavor of basil and cause it to turn black.
Locally Grown Fresh Produce
More and more people are recognizing the benefits of buying locally grown foods. By choosing local fresh produce at a farmer’s market you can ask what practices were used to raise and harvest the crops. When you know where your food comes from and who grew it, you know a lot more about that food. The fruits and vegetables you buy at the farmers market are the freshest and tastiest available. Fruits are allowed to ripen fully in the field and are brought directly to you—no long-distance shipping, no gassing to simulate the ripening process, no sitting for weeks in storage. This food is as real as it gets—fresh from the farm.
According to the nonprofit organization Food-Routes, these benefits include:
- Premium taste: Locally grown fruits and vegetables are usually sold within 24 hours of being harvested. Produce picked and eaten at the height of ripeness has exceptional flavor and, when handled properly, is packed with nutrients.
- Maximum freshness: By choosing local produce at farm stands, farmers markets, pick-your-own farms and grocery stores, you pay for taste, not transportation and packaging.
- Unique varieties: Local farmers often grow a large assortment of unique varieties of products to provide the most flavorful choices throughout the season.
- Buying local also keeps farms and communities strong. Money spent by shoppers at local farms and by local farmers at local businesses stays in the community. Knowing your farmer can also help alleviate food safety concerns. It’s good business for everyone.
Our produce is fresh and delicious and reflects the truest flavors. Shopping and cooking with locally grown foods from the farmers market helps you to reconnect with the cycles of nature in our region. As you look forward to asparagus in spring, savor sweet corn in summer, or bake pumpkins in autumn, you reconnect with the earth, the weather, and the turning of the year. Our farmer’s market carries a diverse and numerous selection of locally grown fruit and produce from growers within our regional area, many of the located right here in Bergen County.
Our produce is displayed professionally and tended to so as to provide the utmost in freshness. Our selections vary depending upon what is in season, we do however carry products such as honey and other culinary items that are available year round. The great thing about us is that if you are ever unsure about what a product is, where it came from, or how to use it, you can just ask!
Goffle Brook Farms
