One Hundred Dollars a Month

I know that a lot of my readers are WAY ahead of the whole foods curve.  You garden.  You cook from scratch.  And I know some of you are just starting the whole garden and cooking business.  Whichever camp you reside in, this year, I want to show you how some of those foods that we mindlessly purchase and consume are made.  

Some of them are just kinda scary. Maybe, just maybe, it will be enough to convince you to grow your own produce and get back to basics.  ~Mavis

This week:  Not From Concentrate Orange Juice.

You know the stuff, it’s in the refrigerated section at the grocery store.  It calls itself orange juice, and usually comes in a boxed carton or gallon jug.  And, I’ll admit, it usually tastes pretty darn good.  The thing is, all fruits and veggies have “a season”–that magical time of year when they grow, blossom, bloom and taste amazing.

For Florida oranges, that is typically March through June.  The rest of the year, companies like Tropicana, Simply Orange, and Florida’s Natural are going to great lengths to “process” orange juice so that it will last a LOOOONG time in holding tanks.

The crazy thing is that when you grab one of these cartons and read the ingredients you typically see oranges.  But, in order to keep it fresh{ish} companies need to de-aerate the juice–essentially, strip it of its oxygen, so it will keep its color, flavor, texture, etc.  In addition to de-aerating, the companies add back in “flavor packs” to enhance the deteriorating taste of the orange juice and to make sure it tastes consistent from carton to carton.

In the U.S. these flavor packs include ethyl butyrate–because it is derived from orange oil, it doesn’t need to be listed separately on the label, but the truth is, it makes the food a processed food, rather than a natural fresh from nature food.

I have to admit, I had NO IDEA that this stuff was processed.  I guess this year, when Valencia oranges hit the market, I’ll grab ’em up and juice ’em myself.  Then, when the season has passed, I’ll have to wait it out until next year.  Maybe it will make real orange juice even sweeter?

~Mavis