The chicken breast with Pink and brown colors - Food 50

We are starting to get a little concerned about some of the food which we have recently bought from a grocery store.

Image 01 - Colorful of chicken breasts

A pack of chicken that we bought yesterday. It's colorful:

- Pink

- and Brown

We search through Google that the different colors of the chicken breasts might not be that unusual.

This finding contradicts with our previously thought that colors such as orange was associated with spoilage.

Many factors may lead to colors or spoilage of chicken breast.

Image 02 - Chicken breast, ready to be grilled

Have you noticed the colors of chicken breasts recently?

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Grapefruit Sold on the Sidewalk - Food 50

During Spring until Summer times, many people include kids (with their parents, off course) sell homemade foods, juice and fruits. 

Image 01 - Grapefruit, sweet

Several years ago, we have seen a Table set up on the right side of a highway and wondered what the man were selling. Then, we always stop by an elderly man, called Mr.James. 

He is selling delicious (sweet) pink and red grapefruit on the sidewalk in front of his own home.

The man said that the grapefruit comes from his backyard, so the price is quite reasonable compared to commercial markets or groceries around our neighborhood areas.

Image 02 - Slices of Grapefruit

Do you like Grapefruit?

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A Self-Service Honey Stand at Neighborhood - Food 49

We have some beekeepers close by our neighborhood. They have "artificial" bee hives in their yards.

Image 01 - The honey stand at neighborhood

Some of them have rented open spaces to put their hives.  Sure, beekeepers harvest honey and sell it regularly to who interests in its. 

We visit the honey stand at certain corners in the recent weekend, actually, there are several self-service honey stands. 

3 sizes of honey that are sold: 

1) 13 oz, US$10

2) 7 oz, US$6

2) 4 oz, US$5

Image 02 - Local honeybee.

In addition to honey, this local industry helps to pollinate crops around the neighborhood.

 

Image 03 - Bee hives at open space.

Do you interest with local honeybee production?

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Harvest of Early 2025 - Food 48

 Our two main plants, Tomatoes and Peppers did great. We harvested some of these vegetables for salads. 

Image 01 - Grape tomatoes and peppers

The tastes are delicious and juicy. Some people like them added to a spinach leaf and grilled chicken salad.

There are probably still about 100 tomato and some peppers blossoms in our garden, ready to be picked up in second terms. Some neighbors grow okra, herbs, basils, tangerine, satsuma and Myers lemon. Others discouraged to plant anything due to:

- squirrels

- voles

- and other vermin

Image 02 - Okra, fresh ones.

We believe a cat could deter squirrels to enter our yard. However, Cayote could attack cats or other small pets.

Image 03 - Tabasco peppers

How do you like yours?

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The Pears on the Yard - Food 47

We have a pear tree full of pear last summer, sometimes, animals in the backyard stealing them before we pick them all.

Image 01 - Two pears hang on the branches. 

If the critters use that pear tree as part of their tree or bush pathway around our yard, they usually will take the pears.

In case of our pears, there are 4 main critters to steal the fruit in our neighborhood, they are including:

- birds

- squirrels

- raccoons

- rodents

Image 02 - Pears on the floor

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Image 03 - A little tree, pears

We may pick the fruits when their sizes about fist or tennis ball, then store in the dark place for a week or weeks, and they will ripen.

Image 04 - Plenty of pears, ready to be picked.

Do you like pears?

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Jam of Fig Fruit - Food 46

There are about 800 species Fig trees in the world, but one species called as Ficus carica refers to Fig fruit.  

Image 01 - A bottle of jam 

The species has several breeding or varieties. 5 well known varieties in our state, Louisiana are:

- Brown Turkey

- LSU AgCenter

- Kadota

- Florentine and Osborne prolific

Each of varieties has unique characteristics. We love breeding from LSU AgCenter, since it is delicious taste and good for making jam.

Image 02 - Ripe fruit, medium size

You may search through internet the recipe and the way for making jam of Fig fruit. Quite easy and straightforward.

Image 03 - Fig fruit hang on tree. 

Some neighbors sell both jam and fruit. The price is reasonable, and even cheaper than in the farmer markets.

Image 04 - Fruits start to ripe.

Have you tasted jam and fruit of Fig?

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Satsumas are Turning to a Brownish Color - Food 45

We have a Satsuma tree at our backyard, the tree is about 15 years old, it has produced really pretty satsumas every year,

Image 01 - Brownish fruit. 

In the last week or two, we saw the Satsuma fruit is turning color, not from a bright green color to an orange color as always, but from a bright green color to brownish color or dark!

However, the leaves are still looking green, nothing happen and there is no sign of any bug infestation on them.

What is going on with our satsuma tree?

After asking experts from Louisiana State University Agriculture Center (LSU Ag center), they said that the Satsuma fruit got diseases called "Citrus rust mite."

Image 02 - Starting to change color. 

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Image 03 - Few fruit not green enough

"The citrus rust mite, Phyllocoptruta oleivora, is a microscopic pest that infects citrus fruits (trees). These tiny mites feed on the epidermal cells of leaves, fruit, and green twigs using their piercing-sucking mouthparts." While they don't pose a serious threat to the trees themselves, they can significantly mar the appearance of citrus fruit by causing unsightly brown patches on the skin of fruit known as russeting.

Image 04 - Some fruits, Satsuma

Do you know about the citrus rust mite?

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Have you Tried Cactus Fruit? - Food 44

We just know and quite surprise that the cactus plant has fruit when we visit the Mexican store recently. 

Image 01 - Cactus fruit, sold in the market.

I thought the fruit was a pear in terms of form and size. In fact, cactus fruit also called as "a prickly pear."  

The fruits are native to Americas, but many countries around the world have cultivated this kind of cactus.

We believe the "prickly pear" is delicious. Its flesh is sweet and juicy with flavor similar to pear and watermelon. 

The fruit contains nutrients such as vitamin C, fiber, magnesium, potassium and antioxidants.

Image 02 - The price of Cactus fruit. 

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Image 03 - Pink roses, illustration

We may find several colors of fruits that are:

- green

- yellow

- red

- orange

- or purple  

Image 04 - The color is not green.

I think this prickly pear is good option if we want to taste a new and interesting fruit.  

Image 05 - Ripe fruits, ready to be consumed.

Have you known about this fruit?

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The Patty Pan Squash Seasons - Food 43

The Patty Pan Squash includes in the family of Cucurbitaceae. Some of well known this family members are melons, zucchini and cucumbers.

Image 1- First patty pan squash of the season.

This vegetable has a round shape with scalloped edges, hence it is also called as a scallop squash.

We may see the colors of Patty pan squash could be white, green, yellow, orange and stripes in the commercial market.

In our areas, Baton Rouge, the Patty pan squash is a summer vegetable which has the best time to harvest from July to September, and even until October.

We love to buy the Patty pan squash in the nearby farmers markets during late August to early September, since the price pretty much lower.

Image 2- the Patty pan squash plant.

As you know that the Patty pan squash plant has a slightly sweet flavor and crunchy texture. It is a delicious vegetable, can be enjoyed in many different ways.

Image 3- The patty pan squash, sold in Walmart

Do you like the patty pan squash?

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Have you Seen and Tasted Okra Flowers? - Food 42

I believe that almost all of you have tasted Okra, but you might never see and tasted Okra flowers. 

Image 1- Okra flower, look pretty.

The flower looks trumpet-shaped with color of light yellow. Okra flowers have 5 petals with size of 4 to 8 cm (1.5 to 3 inches) in diameter.

They do self-fertilize which means the flowers no need pollinators for pollinating. In our area, Baton Rouge, Louisiana, the blooming in summer months since its warm season crop.

In the August month when temperature average is about 84* F (29* C), hence, a perfect time for Okra flowering. Okra flowers are edible, and could be mixed with soups, salads and other local dishes.

Image 2- Okra vegetable, sold in Walmart.

Okra flowers are known as a good source of vitamins such as vitamins A and C, and contains antioxidants to protect our body against damage from free radicals.

Image 3- The Okra flower, light yellow

Have you Seen and Tasted Okra Flowers?

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The Mulberry Fruit at Neighborhood – Food 41

The ripen Mulberry’s fruit is almost the same color with Blackberry, but they are different in shape in which Mulberry is longer than Blackberry.

Image 1- Fruits of Mulberry tree

We have Blackberry plants as a bush which climbs our fences. We don’t have Mulberry tree.

We know one of our neighbors has a Mulberry tree. The tree has scientific name, Morus sp.

When the tree produces fruit, joggers and passerby’s to sneak a snack. The owner is quite welcome to everyone to tasted the fruit.

Sure, I tried one. I think the fruit sweetness is fairly, and quite similar dried figs. The dark Mulberry almost similar taste in some degree to blackberry.

Image 2- The powder of Mulberry fruit, sold in Walmart

We tried to find fresh Mulberry fruit in many grocery stores, but no ones sell the fresh Mulberry. Walmart just sell powder and jam.

Image 3- The Painting by Hai Anh Ton, illustration

After searching through internet, we find one of the reasons as reported by Janet Nguyen (2022: Why aren’t mulberries sold at grocery stores?) that “the fruit is difficult to harvest and has a refrigerated shelf life of two to four days.”

Image 4- The Mulberry tree belongs to a neighbor

Have you tried Mulberry fruit? What do you think?

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