The Best Uses For Coconut

E. Armata TeamJuly 12, 2018

Coconut Uses

Coconuts aren’t just a tropical fruit: they actually have an array of different uses and benefits that we can incorporate into our healthy lifestyles. At E. Armata, a produce distributor in the Bronx, we sell a wide variety of tropicals like coconuts to help you receive all of the benefits and uses that they have to offer.

Coconut Water

When coconuts are used before they become ripe, the inside is mostly water instead of the white “flesh” that coconuts are known to have. Not only is coconut water delicious, but it is also highly nutritious. Coconut water contains only 46 calories in one serving size (one cup) as well as nutrients such as vitamin C, manganese, magnesium, protein, fiber, potassium, and sodium to name a few.

As a produce distributor in the Bronx, we source only the finest coconuts grown globally. Because of our emphasis on quality, this allows our many partnering retailers to provide the best for their customers.

Coconut Oil

The oil that is made from the flesh of the coconut is considered a “superfood.” The reason for this is that coconut oil provides an incredible amount of unique health benefits such as:

Fat loss

Because of the medium-chain triglycerides (MCTs) within the coconut oil itself, your body can burn a significantly higher amount of fat than longer chain fats.

Improvements in the immune system

The fatty acids from coconut oil have been shown to kill dangerous pathogens within the body such as the yeast that is responsible for most yeast infections.

Hair, skin, and teeth health

Did you know that you don’t actually have to eat coconut oil for you to experience its benefits? Coconut oil has been shown to protect your hair against dangerous UV rays as well as provide ample moisture for your skin.

Cooking purposes

Substituting other oils such as butter or vegetable oil with coconut oil is a great, healthy alternative when cooking because coconut oil may provide you with a much more nutritious dish than traditional oils.

Coconut milk

Coconut milk is made from the white flesh of the coconut and is used as a lactose-free dairy substitute for those that are lactose intolerant or eat a dairy-free diet for other reasons. Not only is it easy on the stomach, but it is chock-full of essential nutrients such as fiber, calcium, and vitamin C.

If you are interested in learning more about the uses of coconuts and want to experience the benefits for yourself, contact our produce distributor in the Bronx today!

Pairing Fruits with Salads

E. Armata TeamJuly 12, 2018

Salads are a healthy and delicious way to provide your body with a slew of essential vitamins and minerals. Pairing your salads with ingredients like protein, cruciferous vegetables, and even fruits can help amp up the volume of flavors in your lunch. It can be hard to know which fruits and vegetables to pair together because you don’t want to ruin your flavor profile, so we are here to help. At E. Armata, a produce distributor in NYC, we can provide you with an ample fruit and vegetable selection to help enhance your salads.

Healthy salad pairing ideas

Tomato with basil
- Basil is a common herb that is used in many different dishes including salads.
- Tomato and basil complement each other in a unique and savory way. The sweetness of the tomato perfectly complements the fresh herbal taste of the basil in a way that will refresh your palate.
- This a common pairing that you might find at your local Italian restaurant, as both basil and tomatoes are a staple of Italian foods.

Avocado and tomato
- Avocados and tomatoes are a great pair for your salad due to the unique, almost buttery consistency and very mild flavor of an avocado and the sweetness and crunchiness of a tomato. Together, these two are an unstoppable eat!

Strawberries and spinach
- Raw spinach has just enough of a leafy taste to it that it won’t overpower the bold strawberry flavor.
- Strawberries provide essential vitamin C while spinach provides essential protein to your salad.
- This is another common salad pairing that you might find in a restaurant during the summertime when strawberries are in season.
- At E. Armata, a produce distributor in NYC, we only offer the freshest ingredients that can be used in salads.

Fig and Avocado
- Figs are a delicious fruit that offer a jam-like flavor and texture, while avocados provide the “creamy” factor to your salad.
- Adding these two to your summer salad will give you just enough of a boost in flavor to satisfy you.

These four are all great salad pairings, but they are not the only ones. Visit our website to learn more about our produce distributor in NYC today!

Things you can make with Zucchini

E. Armata TeamJune 26, 2018

Zucchini Tips

Zucchini is an underused vegetable in the kitchen. Zucchini can be a dish itself or an accent to a meal. Zucchini’s versatility allows you to ditch some of your heavy carb meals and replace them with a lighter, healthier zucchini dish. You might be thinking, what can I make with zucchini? Well, the answer is you can use zucchini in all three meals of the day! E. Armata, a produce distributor in NYC, works directly with growers to distribute zucchini to your local “mom and pop” grocers.

Have you thought to use zucchini in your pancakes?

Well, zucchini pancakes are a fantastic healthy breakfast alternative. Zucchini adds a sweet taste and a moist texture to your breakfast. Our produce distributor in NYC recommends adding pecans or walnuts to your pancakes to add the crunch you are looking for. Zucchini pancakes take 20 minutes to complete, and this recipe will feed 4-6 hungry zucchini lovers. Basic ingredients include:

1 Cup Wheat Flour
1 Cup Purpose Flour
2 Tablespoons Brown Sugar
2 Teaspoons Baking Powder
1 ½ Teaspoons Cinnamon
½ Teaspoons Nutmeg
½ Salt
2 Cups Buttermilk
2 Eggs
1 Teaspoon Vanilla
1 Cup Zucchini
½ Cup Chopped Pecans or walnuts
Butter and syrup to serve

Add the flours, brown sugar, baking powder, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt into one bowl. Then, combine the buttermilk, eggs, and vanilla and stir until they are mixed well. Then it is time to add your pecans or walnuts. Heat your griddle to mid-heat and pour about ¼ cup of batter for one pancake. Cook for one-two minutes and then repeat until you are out of batter. Your zucchini pancakes are now finished!

Zucchini ravioli is a staple dish you can make for lunch or dinner.

Zucchini ravioli is a healthier alternative to pasta ravioli. To make this delicious recipe, you will need the following ingredients:

4 zucchini from your produce distributor in NYC
1 cup ricotta
¼ cup parmesan
1 egg
¼ cup chopped spinach
2 tablespoons basil
¼ teaspoon nutmeg
⅛ teaspoon pepper
1 ½ cups marinara sauce

To top your ravioli:

½ cup mozzarella
2 tablespoons parmesan
2 tablespoons olive oil
Salt
Pepper
Basil

Preheat your oven to 375 degrees and peel your zucchini into long strips. In a separate bowl begin to mix ricotta, egg, parmesan, basil, spinach, salt, pepper, and nutmeg. Next, cover the bottom of a pan with marinara sauce.

To turn your zucchini strips into ravioli, create a flat “T” shape on the counter, then add one spoonful of your filling in the center of the “T.” Overlap the zucchini strips, place your ravioli into your baking dish and add your toppings. Bake your ravioli for 30 minutes. Your delicious healthy alternative to pasta ravioli is now finished!

With the help of your produce distributor in NYC, you now have great zucchini meals you can add to your cooking arsenal. If you have any questions, contact us today!

Keep Your Fruits And Vegetables Fresh During The Summer

E. Armata TeamJune 19, 2018

Fresh Summer Fruits and Vegetables

Click The Image To Learn More About Our Hunts Point Produce Market

Summer is the best time for many of your favorite fruits and vegetables. However, keeping them fresh in the heat during the summer months can be difficult. The best way to ensure you will enjoy fresh, delicious fruits and vegetables all summer long is to get your produce from a trusted source. E. Armata Inc. is a family run fruit and produce wholesaler in the Hunts Point Market committed to providing the best quality products available to all of our customers.

Fruit

From peaches to blueberries to watermelon, summer is the optimal time for many of your favorite fruits. Here are some tips to help you keep your fruit fresh as long as possible.

Melons – If you have a melon that is ready to eat but don’t want to cut into it quite yet, store it in the fridge. Melons can keep about 10 days in cold temperatures, not to mention biting into a cold melon adds a satisfying crunch.
Peaches and Nectarines – Peaches and nectarines are fun additions to tasty desserts and a great on-the-go snack. They should be bought firm and kept at room temperature.
Berries – Berries are as delicious as they are delicate. To delay mold and mushiness berries often succumb to, do not wash them until the moment you want to eat them. A quick soak in hot water can also help destroy bacteria and mold spores.
Apples – In the summer, apples should be stored in the fridge but in the fall, they should remain out on the counter.

Vegetables

Follow these tips to protect your vegetables from the destructive heat and humidity during the summer months and contact E. Armata at Hunts Point Market to get the highest quality products available for your store or restaurant.

Avocados – In warm weather, avocados will ripen even faster than usual. However, do not store them in the fridge unless they are cut. Squirt some lime or lemon juice and cover with plastic wrap to prolong its freshness.
Corn – Store your corn in the fridge in a plastic bag with the husk on, but cut off the shank. The corn will remain fresh for about two days
Broccoli & Lettuce – Keep your greens as crisp as possible by wrapping them in tin foil before storing them in the fridge.
Peppers – Keep your peppers unwashed, in a plastic bag in the fridge for optimal crispness.

Fresh produce is essential to a healthy diet and using these tips will ensure you get the most out of the delicious fruits and vegetables summer has to offer. Another way is to be certain you are getting the freshest produce available. E. Armata, Inc. is a 4th generation wholesaler in the Hunts Point Market, New York. Working directly with grower/ shippers guarantees the best quality products on the market. Call us today at (718-991-5600) to learn more.

All About Oranges

E. Armata TeamJune 10, 2018

Facts About Oranges

Oranges are a great snack or ingredient in many recipes. Their juicy, sweet, citrus taste not only refreshes you on a hot summer day but also has many health benefits such as boosting your immune system, improving your skin, and helping heart health. E. Armata Inc., a produce distributor in NYC, sources a variety of vitamin-c enriched fruit from all around the world. With long-standing relationships with both growers and shippers, we always carry the freshest ingredients available all year-round.

Navel

Navels can be identified from their “button,” which can be found on the opposite end of their stem. Due to their seedless interior and sweet flavor, Navels are the perfect orange to eat or add to a salad.

Valencia

When you think of what an orange looks like, you think of a Valencia. They are medium in size, have thinner skin and are filled with seeds. Because of this as well as their sweet, tart taste, they are best used to make juice.

Satsuma

Unlike other oranges, Satsumas have skin that is very loose which makes them easy to peel. This seedless, tangerine is often grown around the Gulf Coast in the U.S due to their cold hardiness.

Blood

Like their name implies, blood oranges are famous for their deep red flesh. At E.Armata, a produce distributor in NYC, we believe that because of their more tart flavor it makes them a great orange to use for both savory and sweet dishes.

Cara Cara

Harvested in California, these oranges may appear to be stereotypical but have a pink, red-tinted interior. Their sweet, bitter, tang allows the Cara Cara to be great to eat alone, and even better to add to a salad.

Clementine

Clementines are small, making them the best to eat out of hand. Like a tangerine, they have a sweet flavor which makes them a popular choice to snack on in addition to their seedless interior.

Tangerine

Tangerines are smaller than oranges but have a brighter skin, bigger pores, and a looser peel. Because of their juiciness, they are great for eating on the go but also great to make a sweeter orange juice.

Murcott

Also known as the “Honey Tangerine,” Murcotts are a cross between a tangerine and a sweet orange. They are easy to peel and have a rich flavor making them a popular choice for a produce distributor in NYC.

Minneola

Minneolas are a cross between a tangerine and a grapefruit and are nicknamed “The Honey Bell,” because of their bell shape. Seedless, large, and tart are all characteristics that set Minneolas apart.

Tangelo

Often mistaken as an unusually shaped orange, this bright red, fruit is a hybrid between a grapefruit and a tangerine. This is seen through their sweet taste and tart aftertaste.

Temple

Originated in Jamaica, Temple oranges are a mix of tangerines and oranges due to their sweet and tart mix of flavors. They also contain a high juice content which makes them a great snack, and great for juices and jams.

At E. Armata, a produce distributor in NYC, we provide the finest quality produce, along with first-rate service. If you are interested in learning more about our fruit and produce, contact us here.

How To Select The Perfect Avocado

E. Armata TeamJune 1, 2018

Summer is the best time for a very popular super-food: avocado. Avocado is delicious on toast, in a salad, on a burger, in a smoothie and of course in guacamole. As delicious as avocados can be, they can also be very temperamental, sometimes only staying fresh for a day or two. The best way to ensure you will enjoy fresh, delicious fruits and vegetables all summer long is to get your produce from a trusted source. E. Armata Inc. is a family run fruit and produce wholesaler in Hunts Point Market committed to providing the best quality products available to all of their customers.

How to pick the perfect avocado

It can be difficult to tell when an avocado is ready to eat. One reason for that is because avocados do not ripen until they are harvested. If you are shopping a few days in advance, buying an avocado that is not yet ripe is your best bet. There are two main factors that determine the ripeness of an avocado:

Color – darker avocados are usually riper than lighter green avocados.
Pressure – gently squeezing an avocado can tell you if it is ready to eat. If the avocado does not give at all it may not be ripe yet. If it feels mushy or soft, it may be overripe. A perfectly ripe avocado will give a little bit when squeezed, but not change shape.

Once you get home

If you are not planning on eating your avocado immediately, there are some ways to slow down the ripening process so that your avocados won’t go bad before you get to eat them. In warm weather, avocados will ripen even faster than usual. However, do not store them in the fridge unless they are cut. Squirt some lime or lemon juice and cover with plastic wrap to prolong its freshness.

Apart from being delicious, avocados have numerous health benefits. Avocados contain more potassium than bananas, they are high in fiber and antioxidants, and may even help prevent cancer. Avocados, like all produce are best fresh. Now more than ever it is important to be sure you are getting the freshest produce available for your restaurant or store. E. Armata, Inc. is a 4th generation wholesaler in the Hunts Point Market, New York. Working directly with grower/ shippers guarantees the best quality products on the market. Call us today at (718-991-5600) to learn more.