Organic Produce in Avalon Park!

Storage Tips for Keeping Fruit and Veggies Fresh Longer

By Elizabeth Horn
Endlessly Organic Affiliate
Elizabeth@endlesslyorganic.com
www.EndlesslyOrganic.com

*Check out the end of this blog post for a way to save $$$ on organic produce!

I moved to Orlando when I was twenty-two, thinking I’d move in, get my MFA from UCF, and get out. Little did I know that eleven years later I would now consider East Orlando my home, and feel committed to making our pocket of Orlando the best it could be! As a healthy living enthusiast, I have commonly felt frustrated by the lack of healthy food options and farmer’s markets on our side of town. Burning up time and gas on 408 certainly felt counter to the community building I wanted to be doing close to my home.

Imagine my excitement when Avalon Park POA announced that they wanted to partner with Endlessly Organic to provide a convenient, affordable, USDA organic buying option for Avalon Park residents! Endlessly Organic is a CSA (community supported agriculture) that brings delicious fresh organic fruits and vegetables to host locations. When members join Endlessly Organic, they will receive a bounty of fresh organic fruits and vegetables, sourced and selected from organic farmers, delivered every other week. All produce arrives fresh picked, chemical free, ready to eat, and often times at a cost often lower than conventional produce at the grocery store. To give you an overview of how the program works, check out this two-minute video.

There are five produce box options and one protein option starting at just $42. To see a sample of what your produce box may include, kindly visit The Share.

• Mixed Box (Medium- $42 & Large- $57)- A variety of 4-5 fruits and 7-10 different vegetables. Contains enough organic produce to feed a household of 3-4 people in Large. Medium is 2 people.
• Juicer’s Box ($42)- A variety of 8-10 fruits and vegetables specifically for juicing. Roughly 10-14 large glasses of juice or
  18-20 large smoothies.
• Fruit Lover’s Box ($42)- A variety of 6-8 delicious & seasonal fruits.
• Very Veggie Box ($42)- A variety of 9-13 nutritious & seasonal vegetables.
• Paleo Box ($59.50)- The Paleo Box includes 8-11 varieties of vegetables and 4-6 varieties of fruits. This box only contains items acceptable for the Paleo diet.
• Protein Box ($59.90) – The Protein Box includes 6-7 varieties of protein: 3 – 5 different varieties of meats 1 variety of cheese. *This box requires a minimum number subscribers to activate, and will hopefully be available February 13^th.

(example of a Large share)

Avalon’s pick up days for Endlessly Organic will be every other Tuesday, from 4-7pm, beginning January 30^th. Pick up will be in Founder’s Hall, allowing members to conveniently enjoy a quick bite to eat from one of Avalon’s many local restaurants when they pick up their order! What’s more, with time Avalon hopes to expand the initiative to include a weekday farmer’s market. What a beautiful marriage of healthy living, savings, and community building!

You may be asking how organic produce will stay fresh if members only receive it every two weeks. A common misconception is that organic produce goes bad more quickly than conventional produce, when often consumers just need to learn a few tips for proper handling and storage. In actuality, the produce delivered by Endlessly Organic should stay fresh longer, as it is fresh picked and will not spend time ripening on a grocery store shelf! Here are some resources to help you keep your food fresh longer:

Vegetables: Vegetables stored at room temperature should be removed from any packaging and left loose. Leave refrigerated produce unwashed in its original packaging or wrapped loosely in a plastic bag. Your mushrooms will arrive in a paper bag. Leave the mushrooms in that paper bag. If your greens seem sandy or dirty rinse and dry them well, then wrap them in a paper towel before placing in a plastic bag. The herbs will be stored this way as well. Read more here.

Fruit: Non-cherry stone fruits, avocados, tomatoes, mangoes, melons, apples, and pears will continue to ripen if left sitting out on a countertop. Items like grapes, all citrus, and berries will only deteriorate and should be refrigerated. Bananas in particular ripen very quickly, and will also speed the ripening of any nearby fruits. Read more here.

Click here for a video that shows you and Endlessly Organic box, and offers more storage tips!

Use the promo code AVALON for 20% off your first Endlessly Organic order. Please join me in thanking Avalon Park POA for offering this opportunity to their residents.

Have a healthy day! J