High-Tech Tomatoes Reach Your Local Produce Section
As you may already have noticed, the new age of genetically engineered foods has dawned in the Inland Northwest.
The MacGregor tomato, from a California company called Calgene, is appearing in produce sections at area Rosauers, Safeway, Tidyman’s and Albertson’s supermarkets.
Here’s how it works: The gene that causes tomatoes to soften is copied and inserted into the tomato seeds backwards, so the fruit stays firmer. That allows MacGregors to stay on the vine longer and be shipped when they’re ripe, unlike most commercial tomatoes that are still green when they’re picked and artificially ripened later.
While MacGregors cost about twice as much as most mass-produced tomatoes, Calgene claims the fresh-from-the-garden taste and texture are worth it.
We’d like to know what you think. If you have an opinion on how the tomatoes taste, or on the technology, give us a call at 459-5446 (please leave a message if we’re not in). We’ll try to use some of your comments in an upcoming story.
Grill guru
Need to sharpen your barbecue skills for summer? Bob Lyon of Bellevue, Wash., whose Beaver Castors Barbecue Team has won numerous honors nationwide, will conduct a class Sunday in Coeur d’Alene at Rustler’s Roost, 819 Sherman.
Participants will cook chicken halves and pork ribs and learn to make barbecue rubs from scratch. Cost is $25, including meat, materials for rubs, recipes and wood for smoking; you bring your own pit (a Weber-type kettle or a water-pan smoker) and a 10-pound bag of briquettes.
It’s useful for both backyard barbecuers and those planning to compete in contests, such as the Idaho state championship cook-off July 23 in Wallace. For more information on both the class and the contest, call the Retired Senior Volunteer Program in Coeur d’Alene at (208) 664-3114 and ask for Gala.
Plumb sugary
Newcomers always say that folks around here seem so sweet, and now we know why.
According to a survey for the National Confectioners Association, Spokane is the nation’s fourth-best market for candy and gum sales, at an annual $79 per person - almost twice the national average.
It’s a regional thing. Salt Lake City tops the list at $96 per person, Boise is third ($81), Portland fourth ($77) and Seattle/Tacoma 10th ($67).
And no, the candy people have no idea why. Offered one: “Maybe people are outdoorsy, hiking around a lot, and they need candy for energy?” Yeah, that’s the ticket.
MEMO: We’re always looking for fresh food news. Write to: The Fresh Sheet, Features Department, The Spokesman-Review, P.O. Box 2160, Spokane, WA 99210. Call 459-5098.