Ask Professor Produce

Is the pineapple a form of citrus? Where did it originate? -Samantha, Minneapolis

While pineapples do contain citric acid and, as a result, bear high levels of Vitamin C, pineapples are actually a bromeliad, a tropical plant family that includes Spanish moss and some flamboyantly ornamental flowers.

Pineapples are thought to have been first cultivated in Paraguay, centuries before stunned Europeans realized that the world wasn't flat anymore. By the time Columbus reached the Caribbean, the pineapple was there to greet him, and it was one of the first "New World" fruits that he encountered. Indeed, Columbus or someone in his crew coined the Spanish term pina (pine, as in cone) for the fruit. Once it reached Europe, the pineapple became a symbol of royal living and colonialism, and centuries later, President George Washington raised them in a Virginia hot house as a testament to his dedication to future globalism. As for Hawaii, that island was relatively late in arriving on the pina scene. Credit the Dole family with making pineapples synonymous with Hawaii in the late 1800s.

Why are pineapples sometimes brown inside? Is that rot? Why do you sell them when they look like that? -Rupert, Minneapolis

That's not rot, Rupert, that's the dreaded EBS: Endogenous Brown Spots, a.k.a., Black Heart(!). Because pineapples are tropical critters, they don't like cold temperatures. If they sit in a cold truck or overly cold cooler for too long below 45 degrees, they get EBS.

We still sell pineapples with Black Heart in Wedge Produce because it really has no bearing on taste or texture. Ask a worker for a taste sometime if you're skeptical. They're not cosmetically perfect, but if you're juicing or making salsa, Black Hearted pineapples will serve you just as well.

A question for the Professor in response to the December/ January newsletter: How can a USDA ruling have any effect on Biodynamic certification? I didn't think Demeter had any association with the USDA. -Chris, Lindstrom

The glib, short answer to your question is that the chief Biodynamic certifier, Demeter, certainly does associate with the USDA. If you conduct agricultural business in America, then by definition, you do business with the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

But to give you a more thorough answer, let me explain that I was addressing the changing political landscape under the imminent USDA Final Rule on Organics. This rule is still evolving, and before it goes into effect next October 2002, there will be lots of wrangling over the law's language. Part of that wrangling involves the use of wording that doesn't step on the toes of the Biodynamic industry, which by its own definition, is totally separate from the organic industry. But because the USDA Final Rule governs how farmers certify themselves and the claims they make with that certification process, it seems unlikely that Biodynamic certification will be totally untouched by this rule.

Of course, all this could change, even by the time you read this article, so don't attach too much to what I say. If you want more accurate information on this topic, please call The Demeter Association, Inc. at (315) 364-5617 or e-mail them at demeter@baldcom.net.

The Biodynamic Farming and Gardening Association lists the following Biodynamic farms: Tend Her Fields, Camphill Village Minnesota, Food Farm, Philadelphia Community Farm, and others I think in most states. Do none of these grow produce that could supply the Wedge? -Chris, Lindstrom

The Professor tips his hat to your research, Chris. I passed along this info to Edward Brown, Wedge Warehouse Manager and eclectic food curator. He investigated all of your suggestions, but as it turns out, these are community supported agriculture farms, meaning consumers buy shares of the farm and food is sold directly to them, eliminating the middle man (i.e., The Wedge). "We're very interested in Minnesota Biodynamic farmers," said Edward, "but so far California and British Columbia are the only two places where we have found growers able to sell to us." But rest assured, Chris. We'll keep looking.

New Subject: Do lamb's quarters contain oxalic acid? -Chris, Lindstrom

For the uninitiated, oxalic acid is a health concern because minerals such as calcium, iron, sodium, magnesium, or potassium can combine with oxalic acid to form less soluble salts known as "oxalates." In binding with these important minerals in the body, oxalic acid neutralizes them and robs the body - especially of calcium. Worse, oxalates are irritating to tissue all by themselves and extremely high doses are fatal.

Lamb's quarters, a.k.a., pigweed and hen's foot, grows between the cracks in sidewalks and just about anywhere else it can drop roots. It's one of the first weeds to show up in spring, and it has become a popular pot-herb for kitchens, since fresh, it works well in salads, and dried, it's a favorite soup starter. It's also said to have sedative properties, and people have used the poulticed leaves to soothe burns.

Yes, Chris, lamb's quarters are very high in oxalic acid and come with a warning to that effect in the phytochemical journals I read. "Foods containing these chemicals," writes the ARS Phytochemical Database, "may be consumed in moderation. However, if you suffer from kidney disease, kidney stones, rheumatoid arthritis, or gout, it is usually recommended that you avoid foods that are high in oxalates or oxalic acid." But otherwise, as long as you don't eat it every day for weeks on end, you ought to be just fine eating lamb's quarters.