Hunts Point Produce Market

The Benefits Of Buying Produce In The Fall

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The Benefits Of Buying Produce In The Fall

 

It’s time to slip on your sweaters and hit your local market for the fall season. Every year, Americans celebrate fall traditions with apple or pumpkin picking. These fall traditions bring people together and encourage locals to buy from a market rather than a supermarket. At E. Armata Inc, located at the Hunts Point Produce Market, we want you to find nature’s perfect snack. Most of us pick up produce for the fall fun, but did you know buying from your local market has many benefits? Eating fresh veggies and fruits can help us maintain a healthy lifestyle. Here are some other facts about produce:

 

  • Apples can give you more energy than coffee: Consider replacing your morning cup of joe with an apple. Apples are packed with high amounts of nutrition that can keep you energized throughout the day. They are rich in carbohydrates, which most people think you can only find in bread or pasta. Carbohydrates are fuel for the brain, which breaks down into a sugar called glucose, giving you energy for the rest of the day. 

 

  • Pumpkins and other produce can keep you hydrated: When the body gets dehydrated, we can get headaches, muscle aches, low blood pressure, and more. Pumpkins are 94 percent water, which is higher than the amount of water in watermelon. Other hydrating produce are strawberries, cantaloupe, peaches, oranges, and cucumbers.

 

  • The skin on a fruit or vegetable has the most nutrition: Produce like apples, carrots, and cucumbers lose their nutritional value when you peel off the skin. Most produce have large amounts of fiber-packed in the skin, which can benefit your digestive health. However, other produce like oranges, watermelon, and avocados need to be peeled. Still, their rinds or skin are packed in nutritional value. 

 

  • Fall colors say a lot more than you think: Bright orange, red, dark greens, and even some purple vegetables can be packed with healthy nutrition. When carrots or pumpkins are bright orange, this tells us that they’re an excellent source of Vitamin A. Another example is dark green lettuce leaves, which are more nutritious than the lighter colored ones. Purple produce are also known for having cancer-fighting properties. 

 

At E. Armata Inc, located at the Hunts Point Produce Market, we want you to stay informed about seasonal fruits and vegetables. Call us today or visit our market located in Bronx, New York to learn more about the benefits of produce! 

Hunts Point Market

October is National Apple Month – Hunts Point Market

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From The Hunts Point Market

October is National Apple Month, which means fall is one of the best times of the year to take a big juicy bite into a red apple. Aside from being festive and tasty, apples have a lot of health benefits. Here at E. Armata Inc., located at the Hunts Point Market, we advocate the many health benefits a plant-based diet can bring including apples. Although all fruits have some nutritional value, apples are unique for getting rid of toxins in our body and purifying our organs like the kidney, liver, and stomach. Here are some other reasons why eating an apple is good for your health:

 

  • They improve heart health: Apples have been shown to lower the risks of heart disease, heart attack, and stroke. This is because apples have a high amount of soluble fiber, which lowers your blood cholesterol levels. There are also antioxidants packed inside the skin of the apple that help lower blood pressure.

 

  • They lower the risk of diabetes: Studies have shown that the micronutrition found in plant-based foods like apples can lower the risk of type 2 diabetes. They prevent tissue damage in the pancreas, where beta cells produce insulin. In one study, eating an apple a day lowered the risk of type 2 diabetes by 28 percent. 

 

  • They promote good bacteria in your colon: Apples have high amounts of fiber that feed the good bacteria in your colon. Just one apple contains 4 grams of fiber.

 

  • They prevent cancer: Apples possess anti-inflammatory and antioxidant effects that can lower your chances of cancer. Procyanidins, a type of antioxidant found in apples, kill off cancer-causing cells in the body.

 

  • They sharpen your brain: Apple juice can help preserve certain neurotransmitters that lower in our brains as we age. These neurotransmitters link back to our memory. Low levels of these neurotransmitters can cause Alzheimer’s disease or Parkinson’s disease.

 

  • They protect stomach cells: Certain painkillers and medications can damage the stomach lining, but apples have two plant-based compounds that protect the stomach cells from injury.

 

  • Regulate bowel movements: Those who suffer from irritable bowel syndrome, hemorrhoids, and frequent constipation or diarrhea can control these symptoms by eating fruits high in fiber content like apples. 

 

 

If you want to incorporate apples into your diet, come visit the Hunts Point Market in the Bronx, New York to get quality apples provided by the E. Armata Inc.

Halloween Apple Bites Recipe

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Recipe Courtesy Fork and Beans

INGREDIENTS

INSTRUCTIONS

  1. Cut the middles out of each quarter of the apple to create a mouth. It does not need to be perfect; you are filling this gap with sunbutter so if you cut too deep, it’s easily covered.
  2. Coat the inside of the cut gap with a filling of sunflower butter.
  3. Place 4 sunflower seeds on the top of the “mouth” for the teeth.
  4. Place 1 sliced strawberry inside the mouth for the tongue.
  5. “Glue” each eye above the mouth with a dab of sunbutter to stick.
  6. Serve with a smile.

SEE OUR VALENTINE’S DAY RECIPE

Mushroom Omelet Breakfast Recipe

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Start your day with a low carb, high protein omelet with delicious satuéd mushrooms and onions! Serves 1. 

Ingredients

  • 1 egg
  • 1 egg white
  • 1-2 tsp. chives, chopped
  • 4 cup sliced mushrooms
  • 2 tbsp. low fat-milk
  • 1/4 onion, diced
  • A drop of Worcestershire Sauce

 

Cooking Steps

  1. Add egg, egg whites, chives, and milk in a bowl and whisk until mixed well, then set aside the bowl.
  2. Add cooking spray to a small non-stick pan and heat, sauté onions and mushrooms until soft, add a drop of Worcestershire sauce, season with salt and pepper, then set aside the vegetables.
  3. Add cooking spray to the pan again and pour in the egg mixture, cook on low heat for 4-5 minutes, then flip over and repeat for the other side. 
  4. Once cooked, slide the omelet on a plate, then add the mushrooms and onions on top.
  5. Enjoy your breakfast!

This recipe is courtesy of weightloss.com.au.

Our Potato Assortment

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Potatoes At The Hunts Point Produce Market

Solanum tuberosum, more commonly known as potatoes, are one of the most popular crops from around the world. Potatoes are often boiled, mashed, fried, steamed, and baked. Potatoes can definitely be considered a versatile vegetable. At E Armata Inc., located in Hunts Point Produce Market, we carry a wide variety of potatoes including, Eastern, Purple, Yukon gold, Idaho, Red, Rutabaga, Russet, White, and Yams. We are proud to receive our potatoes from the freshest growing regions throughout the year to ensure the highest quality produce. However, not all these potatoes are similar. Different types of potatoes have different qualities, as grouped below. 

Potatoes can be grouped in different categories such as starchy, waxy, and all-purpose. 

  • Starchy: Contains Russets, Idaho’s, and many Yam varieties, that are high in starch. They are ideal for baking, frying, boiling, and mashing because of their low-moisture, fluffy, and absorbent qualities. Starchy potatoes tend to not hold their shape after cooking. 
  • Waxy: Unlike starchy potatoes, waxy potatoes do tend to hold their shape after cooking. Waxy potatoes are low in starch and high in sugar. They are good for boiling, roasting, and are commonly used in potato salad.  
  • All-Purpose: These kinds of potatoes, such as Yukon golds, fall in the middle. They tend to have qualities of both starchy and waxy potatoes, making them less starchy but mildly fluffy and absorbent. 

Not all potatoes in the same category are identical. Here is a list and description of some of the most popular potatoes:

  • Russet (Starchy): They are large, and have a mealy flesh with rough skin. Russets are best for mashing, frying, and baking. Russets are the best contender for homemade mashed potatoes, as they stay light and fluffy.
  • Yams (Starchy): These potatoes are sweet, and work best in baking, roasting, steaming, boiling, mashed, and pureed. Yams and sweet potatoes can even be used for desserts like muffins, pies, and bread.   
  • Red (Waxy): These potatoes are small, have a waxy flesh, and are thin-skinned. They work best boiled, steamed, and even crispy roasted.
  • White (All-Purpose): White potatoes are a similar size to red, and have a yellow to white-colored flesh. These potatoes are commonly boiled, sautéed, and steamed. A popular white potato, Yukon Golds, known for their rich, creamy, buttery qualities are frequently baked, boiled, fried, or roasted.
  • Purple (All-Purpose): As the name suggests, purple potatoes have purple skin and a bright purple flesh. These potatoes can be boiled, roasted, steamed, and baking. Purple potatoes are high in antioxidants which come from the purple skin and flesh.  

Potatoes can be a great addition to almost any meal due to how many different varieties there are and the multiple ways they can be prepared. We carry a wide variety of potatoes at E Armata Inc., located in Hunts Point Produce Market. 

Hunts Point Produce Market

September is National Mushroom Month

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September is National Mushroom Month

September is National Mushroom Month! Mushrooms come in all different shapes and sizes and can be a healthy addition to a meal. Mushrooms are low in calories, fat-free, and vitamin-rich. At E Armata Inc., located in the Hunts Point Produce Market, we have mushrooms delivered fresh daily from local growers. We provide a broad range of mushrooms, from portabella and cremini to enoki and maitake. Here are some popular mushrooms for cooking:

  • Portabella: They are the mature form of the Agaricus bisporus species. Button and cremini mushrooms are actually from the same species, the only difference is the age. Portabellas are commonly used as a meat substitute due to their texture. 
  • Porcini: Often used in Italian dishes due to their earthy taste, and have a similar texture to portabella mushrooms. 
  • Shiitake: Often used in Asian cuisine, stir-fries, and soups. Shiitake mushrooms are a top source of vitamin B5.
  • White: The most common and mildest tasting, not intense flavor. 90% of mushrooms consumed are this variety.  Can be eaten raw or cooked and works well with soups, salads, and pizzas. 
  • Oyster: Whitish in color and fan-shaped.  Have a very delicate taste and scent.  Best in stir-fries or soups.  When cooked they have a smooth oyster-like texture and some say a slight seafood-like flavor. Flavors are very subtle but some describe as having an anise flavor with a mild earthy note.
  • Trumpet: A type of oyster mushroom, they are thick and stumpy with small flat caps. They are popular with Asian cooking and most often used in soups and stir-fries or even as tempura. They also grill or barbecue well.  When raw they have little to no flavor, but when cooked they have an umami taste and have a flavor and texture compared to an abalone.  They have a crunchy and firm texture.
  • Beech Brown: Considered one of the most gourmet mushrooms due to their rich flavor that consists of a mild, sweet and nutty taste with a firm texture.  They should always be cooked and never eaten raw.  They can be cooked into a broad range of recipes from soups and sauces to stir-fries. They are a good source of protein and dietary fiber.  They also contain many of the B vitamins, potassium, zinc, and copper.
  • Beech White: They have white-colored caps and white slender stems that connect to a thick white inedible base which allows the mushrooms to grow. They have a  sharp flavor and aroma when fresh, are sweet and buttery when cooked and a firm crunchy texture that softens with cooking.  They work well in soups, stews, and stir-fries
  • Enoki: The edible variety has small, shiny white caps attached to thin stems.  They have a distinctive crunch and are very good eaten raw. Most commonly used in Asian cuisine.  They have a firm texture and mild fruity taste.  A great source of dietary fiber, and a good source of various vitamins and minerals.
  • Maitake: looks like a head of cabbage from afar.  Can be cultivated or found growing in the woods.  Typically sold in clusters with their soft and feathery feeling caps overlaying each other.  This mushroom is mostly considered a medicinal mushroom but can be cooked.  Add this mushroom to a stirfry, pasta, pizza, salad, omelet, or soup.  Best fried or grilled in butter.  It also freezes well.

Mushrooms are not a vegetable, but a fungus. Mushrooms are actually closer to animals than they are vegetables. Here are some other interesting facts you might not know about mushrooms:

  1. Mushrooms come from mycelium, which is the vegetative part of the fungus that grows underground. 
  2. The largest living organism is actually a mushroom colony, called the Humongous Fungus located in Oregon, United States. 
  3. Mushrooms are the oldest known living species, with over 14,000 mushroom species known.
  4. Most mushrooms are a notable source of vitamin B, potassium, and fiber.
  5. Remember to cook your mushrooms! Raw mushrooms can contain potentially contain harmful substances. 

Celebrate National Mushroom Month with us at E Armata Inc., located in the Hunts Point Produce Market by trying a new mushroom you haven’t tried!