Ontario Peaches and Blueberries. Pickling cucumbers soon!

Ontario Peaches
Today we received our first shipment of Ontario Peaches!
Oh the great debate, BC versus Ontario peaches. People are fierce in their convictions and many refuse to be swayed! I have many customers who refuse to purchase BC peaches, stating emphatically that it's ONTARIO peaches or nothing! The pro BC peach contingent is slightly less adamant, but still holds to their preference. Each summer when we have both in stock, I like to go around and conduct a blind taste test. I find that when blind testing people, about half choose the BC peaches as their preference, and half choose the Ontario. I find it particularly fun when a customer who has insisted that they prefer Ontario peaches chooses a BC one as their preference.
Whichever you choose, both Peaches are wonderful, juicy, sweet and in season!!

WHY CAN'T I FIND ONTARIO PEACHES LIKE I USED TO?
These sweet little orbs used to be common in all grocery stores all summer long. But lately, they've been harder and harder to come by.
Why?
Years ago there used to be a big canning industry in Ontario. Farmers expanded their peach and pear orchards to supply the canning plants, meaning lots of fresh peaches for fresh sales, and lots of peaches to get canned.
Then China started canning peaches. They could grow and can peaches for a fraction of the price of Ontario growers.
So it's China's fault right?
WRONG!
It's our fault.
Every time a consumer chose to buy the cheaper can of peaches from China, rather than the more expensive can of peaches from Ontario, a nail was driven into the Ontario peach industry's coffin. There were only so many years that the Ontario canning plants could try to compete with the cheaper imports. If Canadians weren't supporting their product, who would? They ripped up their now unprofitable orchards and planted wine grapes.
http://www.ontarioheritageconnection.org/live/main.php?page=news.200809_c.html

So now that the canning plants are gone, and many of the orchards have been ripped up, finding Ontario peaches is becoming an ever increasingly challenging exercise.
Keep this story in mind when you are shopping and see BC apples next to Chilean or Chinese apples. If we want the Canadian fruit industry to flourish, we have to support it.
That was my rant for the day. :)

Pickling Cucumbers!
We will be receiving our first shipment of pickling sized cucumbers tomorrow.
I have not yet been quoted a price, so I have no idea what I will be charging for them.
After this first delivery, we will only be getting pickling cucumbers in to fill pre orders.
To ensure the freshest cucumbers for your pickling pleasures, we will take orders for the pounds of cucumbers that you would like, and not hold any extra stock in the market.
We will of course have the dill and garlic that you would need for your pickles as well.

Pickling cucumbers are just a smaller version of the salad cucumbers that we have been carrying for several weeks now. They are the same vegetable, from the same plant, just harvested at a smaller size.
When cucumber season first begins the farmers harvest only the larger sized cucumbers. Once the plants reach full production and have more cucumbers on them, the farmer may consider harvesting a smaller sized cucumber for people to pickle. Harvesting these smaller cucumbers is a lot of work. The cucumber plants themselves have irritating prickles on them, and each cucumber is covered in small spines that get stuck in your fingers.
Because they are so small, it takes a lot of cucumbers to make up that pound that will fill your mason jar. If left to grow, these small cucumbers would size up to a much easier to harvest salad sized cucumber. Some farmers take quite a bit of convincing to harvest a pickling sized cucumber. Luckily I am getting very good a bribing my growers with cookies.

Take Care!
Erin

Crampton's Market
Monday to Friday 9-8
Saturday and Sunday 9-6