The berry season has just arrived. I am very lucky to have my Manhattan practice at Union SQ where the famous Farmers Market happens every week!
Today, I bought two packs of strawberries – one from the Farmers Market (Soil-Grown), and the other from a local organic food store (Hydroponic). Neither were sold as “Driscoll’s” labeled, but I noticed how different these 2 packs were.
The right side one is from the Farmer’s Market and the left side one is from the store. So, what is the difference?
The ones from the Farmers Market are soil-grown with low spray, so each berry is unique in shape, color, size, scent, and flavor – REAL Strawberries. The ones from the store are grown hydroponic, and they do not have much scent and flavor – and their size and shape are very similar, but the most notable character is their skin being much tougher – FAKE Strawberries.
Now look at this other picture below, when strawberries are cooked in a pot under the same conditions – The Differences Are Obvious.
The right side is Store-bought, and the left side is from the Farmer’s Market. The colors are very different. The Farmers Market berries have a much darker deeper red, and they broke down more easily during cooking, which means that they are easier for us to digest. The one from the store shows how their fibers are entangled and not as broken down.
Conclusion: Soil-grown Farmers Market strawberries are REAL, and hydroponic-grown store strawberries are NOT (that could also be described as having “Less Integrity”).
Nowadays, all berries (not just strawberries), and most foods can be described as Real or Fake, with or without integrity. What do you think? Should children eat foods with less integrity? If not, then you can believe that they can grow up into healthy human beings by eating foods with good integrity!
