Additives, Preservatives and Fillers

In our society over the last few years it seems that there has been some sort of a Health Food Craze, and for good reason. With all the diseases that seem to be appearing, and with everyone knowing at least one person who has cancer, it seems there are more discoveries of these cancers being linked to chemicals that have been added to the foods that we eat.

Additives, Preservatives and Fillers, three forms of chemicals that are added to our foods for multiple purposes, that for the most part, we don’t even realize could be harmful to us.

Additives are added to foods to preserve flavour or improve its taste and appearance. As stated by Health Canada, any chemical substance that is added to food during preparation or storage and either becomes a part of the food or affects its characteristics, for the purpose of achieving a particular technical affect, is considered an additive.

``Preservatives can be natural or synthetic substances, chemicals that are added to food to prevent decomposition by microbial growth or by undesired chemical changes, as well, to avoid spoilage during transportation time.``(http://www.foodadditivesworld.com/preservatives.html)

``Fillers are additives that help bulk up the weight of food with less expensive ingredients which helps keep the price down. `` (http://recipes.howstuffworks.com/food-fillers-101.htm)

``Some of the immediate effects of chemicals and additives in your food may cause headaches or alter your energy level, or they may affect your mental concentration, behaviour, or immune response. Those with long-term effects could increase your risk of cancer, cardiovascular disease and other degenerative conditions. Avoiding additives in your diet is an important step toward enhancing your health and lowering your risk of disease. `` Says Eve V. Allen, Ph.D., N.D.c in her article ``How Food Additives Affect our Health. ``

Some of the worst food additives include: Aspartame –which may cause brain damage in phenylketonurics; may cause central nervous system disturbances, menstrual difficulties; may affect brain development in an unborn fetus. As well as; Hydrogenated Vegetable Oils - associated with heart disease, breast and colon cancer, atherosclerosis, elevated cholesterol. (For a Full List check out: http://www.healthyeatingadvisor.com/food-labels.html)

As a student intern at Sunshine Farms I was surprised to learn that all their pickles are Additive, Preservative and Filler free! Who would have thought there could actually be food in existence with such credentials? The first time I tried the products, it felt nice knowing that I was eating a product that was good for me, and didn’t contain harmful chemicals. It was a product I felt safe giving to my family, if only there were more products like it.

~ Pickle Blogger

Sound Off! What are your thoughts on all the additives that are in our foods today? Have you found other products that are Additive, Preservative and Filler free?

“Vegetables are a must on a diet. I suggest carrot cake, zucchini bread, and pumpkin pie.” ~ Jim Davis

Wouldn`t it be wonderful if just by eating a slice of carrot cake suddenly you were enriched with all the wonderful benefits of carrots; their antioxidants and rich display of vitamin A. Instead we get the sugar high and an extra five pounds. So it seems we need to drop the cake and eat the carrots bare.

This may be a totally depressing fact to some (I know it is to me) as a self proclaimed Dessert Connoisseur it hurts no one more then me to say bye to my favourite desserts and say hello to carrot sticks. But, what got me through my slump was a little research.

Since the beginning of my internship, I have been introduced to the world of farming here at Sunshine Farms, and am surrounded by yummy, delicious Asparagus; A family favourite in my house! So that got me thinking, what are some of the best foods that you can eat? And, what kind of benefits are they providing you?

What I discovered was that the Asparagus I eat so much of is full of absolutely wonderful benefits, like Vitamin K and Folate, Folate in particular is excellent for maintaining a Healthy Cardiovascular System. (Check out the rest of the benefits of Asparagus here: www.whfoods.com/genpage.php?tname=foodspice&dbid=12)

So not only did I discover the benefits of one of my favourite foods, I also
discovered a list of 51 other foods that are good for your health.

Another personal favourite produce item of mine; the pineapple, made the list as well. The Bromelain contained in pineapple can aid as an anti-inflammatory and digestive aid. As well, as the old saying goes “an apple a day keeps the doctor away” seems to not be a lie; apples contain cardio-protective fibers. (Find all 51 foods and their benefits here: http://www.diethealthclub.com/51-power-packed-foods-healthy-diet.html)

So with my new found knowledge, I walk away from my research a little less of a Dessert Queen and a newbie to the world of extraordinarily healthy food. So, hopefully next time I am tempted with raspberry cheesecake, I can just settle for the raspberries.

~Pickle Blogger

Sound Off! What are your favourite foods, and their benefits?

Why is my Garlic Blue?

If you’ve been in the kitchen this summer doing a little pickling of your own and happen to run across some blue garlic, there is no need to panic, it is not some new super species of garlic, and it won’t harm you if you eat it, it just may look a little funny.

You may have followed Gran’s Old Family Recipe to a tee and still come out with blue garlic; I want to reassure you that you are not a terrible cook. While trying to discover why this cooking mystery occurs I found hundreds of cooks just like you, trying out Gran’s Old Recipe and they too got some blue garlic.

So here is what I found from our friends in the kitchen, and what they told us about why the garlic turns blue and how to avoid it the next time. So the simple explanation to blue garlic is that there are pigments called Anthocyanins, which are water soluble and will turn a bluish-green colour in an acid solution (Such as Vinegar) This happens most often when the garlic is not mature enough, or has not been dried out completely.

When this happens there is nothing to worry about, it will not change the flavour of the garlic, and it won’t cause you any harm. As well, it is possible that if you cleaned the garlic with water that you might as well get that bluish-green colour, for garlic contains a sulphur compound that reacts with copper sulphate (A blue-green compound) which can be found in water.

So the easiest steps that were proposed start with selecting mature garlic, washing it carefully; or buying already prepared garlic. Lastly is to heat the garlic before adding it with the acid compound, this should release the pigment from the garlic stopping the bluish-green colour from occurring when you start pickling.
~ Pickle Blogger

Sound Off! Have you ever gotten some blue garlic? What other tricks did you use to get rid of it?

(Resources: whatscookingamerica.net – chineseop.com and aces.edu)

Environmental Kitchen

Eco is all-the craze these days, with global warming and landfills piling higher and higher, it is time to do our part to conserve. Now I know that I haven’t always followed the Reduce, Reuse, Recycle Moto, but after doing a little research I discovered you don’t have to sacrifice quality or style to be environmentally friendly.
Now it isn’t possible to become environmental over night, it will take some time to convert. However, I know I spend a lot of time in the kitchen, and with so much in a day surrounding food, the Kitchen seems to be the appropriate place to start.
I found some excellent eco-friendly kitchen products at; http://www.greenandmore.com/kitchen.html , and I am going to give you my top five, so that like me you can consider starting to become more eco-friendly.

1.Garbage:
a.Bio Bags:
i. For garbage and compost
ii. Made Primarily out of Corn Starch and breaks down in weeks
iii.Case of 144 Bags is $72.99
2.Cleaners
a. Dragonfly Organix Products
i.Cleaners for all needs: Stain Remover, Surface Cleaner, Floor Cleaners etc.
ii.Packs of 3 - $14.95
3.Kitchen Accessories
a. Teak Edge Grain Cutting Boards
i.Plantation grown teak, certified by the Forest Stewardship Council
ii.$17.99 +
b. Organic Cotton Ginko Leaf Print Kitchen Towel
i.Grown and woven without the use of chemicals
ii.Known for its ability to breathe and wear well
iii. Made under fair labour practices and earth friendly dyes
iv.3 for $26.99
4.Dinnerware:
a.Recycled Glass Dinner Plates, available in 7 colours
i.$34.99
5.Bakeware:
a. Sun Oven
i.Solar energy oven to cook your food
ii.Reduces levels of deforestation
iii.$269.99

So for a few extra dollars, we can help our environment, and still cook in style.

~ Pickle Blogger

Sound Off! Have you found any great environmentally friendly household products?

What does it mean to be Organic?

I’m sure like myself; many of you have walked into the grocery store, and as you were browsing for fresh vegetables, a new cereal, or even some pasta for dinner you have stumbled upon a product with a label, or a sticker that says “Organic”, and for just a few dollars more you pick up that product thinking you are getting something all natural, healthy, and more pure for you and your family. But what did you actually buy for those few extra dollars?
How do you know those “Organic Bananas” that you bought and paid an extra 2 dollars for than the regular bananas are actually organic? How do you know the grower didn’t just say “Organic” and gains the profit without the work!
In Canada the Canadian Government has set forth specific guidelines that producers have to meet when certifying their products as Organic. To name a few; Their land has to be pesticide free for a period of time, additives to products must be Organic, if they are raising organic animals the food they feed them must be organic as well. If you wish too view the entire Act with details about these requirements check out: http://www.tpsgc-pwgsc.gc.ca/cgsb/on_the_net/organic/index-e.html
Before working for Sunshine Farms, who has a line of Organic pickled products, I had never given a second thought to the idea that some of the “Organic” products I had been buying may not be putting in the hard work that is required to become certified as Sunshine Farms has.
So I just propose to you that if you have been buying a certain brand of Organic product, and wish to know if they are a Certified Organic Product, just look at the label next time. Somewhere on the packaging there should be an indication that the product has been verified organic. As well, usually on the label where you find the ingredients it should be labelled who they are certified by, if they are in fact certified.
It’s better to be safe than sorry, and if you are anything like me, you want to know that you are getting what you pay for.
~ Pickle Blogger
Sound off! Let us know if you have been buying a product you thought was organic, but isn’t!
(Just as a side note for all those wondering Sunshine Farms Organic products are Verified Organic and certified by the OCCP -http://www.pro-cert.org/ - check out their website, learn about their certification process, and discover the symbol you should be looking for on your Organic Products in Ontario)

Eating Local

Food is a human necessity, so when we walk through the grocery store, we usually purchase the foods that we need, that we like to eat, and the foods that we enjoy. We walk down the aisles grabbing all our favourite fruits and vegetables, our favourite canned items, and packaged products. But do we ever for one second stop and think; where were those products made? Where were they produced? I know I never had, I just grabbed the things that I needed, and hit the road with something better to do then spend my time in a grocery store aisle.
However, as a summer intern at Sunshine Farms I had my eyes opened to the idea that I could be buying Fresh Local Food, and supporting my local farmers rather than buying a product that was made in China or Peru.
Now needless to say this doesn’t mean that I am going to stop buying Bananas, I live in Canada for goodness sake, and I like Bananas; so I`m not suggesting that you stop eating the food you love just because the climate you live in will not foster the growth of those foods. All I am saying is that when I walk through the grocery store in my towns on season, and pick up a vegetable that was produced in China or Peru, which I know can be produced right in my town, I might think twice before putting it in my cart.
So all I am proposing is that instead of continually going to that same grocery store, and helping those farmers in China and Peru, I ask that you join me in doing a little research. Discover who your local farmers are, what they produce, if they sell fresh from their farm, or where you can buy their products. Find out if your town has a local farmers market where you can go on a weekly basis and buy from local producers; you will probably be surprised to learn you have more farmers in your town then you thought, and that they sell fresh delicious products only a short distance from home.
Like I said, I’m not suggesting that you need to limit your diet to only eating local foods, I’m just proposing that for the products you can buy local, buy local. Not only will it help your local economy, it will put you at ease knowing where the food you put on your table came from.

~ Pickle Blogger

Sound Off! Let us know if you have changed the way you shop, and have started looking Local!