A Review of New Things I've Tried #46 (Fruit and Veggies Edition)

New-to-me varieties of fruits and veggies are just as much fun as new prepared foods, I think! But it's less common for me to find them, so this post took a very long time to pull together, and I'm sure you've seen me refer to some of these things already. In some cases, you will have seen me refer to these things ages ago, and I have no idea whether I'll ever see some of these things again--I've never seen purple cauliflower or Lucy Glo apples after my first time buying them, but oh, well; the world is wide and there are always new things to try.

1. Purple Cauliflower

Purple cauliflower tasted like regular cauliflower to me, but it was purple and therefore more fun. The colors get even more vibrant when roasted. Intriguingly, it's not the same color all the way through. The center is white, with purple streaks. There are also hints of purple in the leaves, which is fun. (I do eat cauliflower leaves, of course.)

2. Sugar Bee Apples

Supposedly, the Sugar Bee apple is so-named because it was an accidental hybrid thanks to a bee. We don't know what apple this bee crossed with a Honeycrisp but this was the result. Based on the name, I expected an extra-sweet apple; this wasn't really that. But it was deliciously crisp and just sweet enough, in my opinion, with a hint of tartness. Thanks, mystery bee!

3. Cara Cara Oranges

Where blood oranges are red, and ordinary navel oranges are orange, Cara Cara oranges are pinkish, like a grapefruit. They're very sweet, though, so if you're expecting tart flavors, this won't give you that! I love these and I'm glad they're becoming easier to get. I try to pick them up every time I can throughout the winter.

4. Tiny Cucumbers

I love my tiny pickles, and I love these itty bitty cucumbers for the same reason--they're so crunchy. Plus, if you want to use them for dipping, they're already conveniently sized as a crudité, with nothing to do but wash them. I wouldn't get these every time, but they were certainly fun! And they go great in lunch boxes. (Note: I haven't shopped at Trader Joe's since I learned they are anti-union. But I can get similar cucumbers at my local Wegmans, too. They're called "cocktail cucumbers" there.)

5. Lucy Glo Apples

I haven't seen these often, but I hope to find them more! They're a naturally pink-fleshed apple with an olive green skin streaked with red. They're also as delicious as they look--a perfect balance of tart and sweet, and nice and crisp and juicy. Some people theorize that pink-fleshed apples may be more nutritious than the white-fleshed kind; I don't know. Apples are already pretty healthy, I would assume (though I am not that kind of doctor). But this is just fun!

6. Sambazon Unsweetened Acai Superfruit Packs

I had never had acai before, so I don't know how to rank this brand against any other brand. I had wanted to try acai for a really long time, but it is usually pricey. When it went on sale for 40% off, I took the plunge to try it out. On its own, the acai puree is kind of tart and not that appealing, but it does make for a gorgeous and delicious smoothie bowl when mixed with other frozen fruits and topped with the usual goodies. I don't think it's significantly different, other than in the vibrant purple color, from other smoothie bowls I make, though. It could be fun to try for a change here and there, but I wouldn't buy it if it wasn't on sale.

7. Plumcots

Summer sometimes needs a little something to make it bearable. For me, that's often stone fruit. So when I see a new-to-me stone fruit, I have to have it! This is a 50-50 hybrid of plums and apricots. Inside, they're vibrant, deep, pink. They have the texture of plums with a slightly different flavor. I enjoyed these thoroughly, even though plums aren't my favorite stone fruit and these remind me mostly of plums. Sometimes, we can only give ourselves the adventures we can give ourselves.

8. Rhubarb

I'd definitely eaten rhubarb before, but I'd never bought it to cook with. I was surprised that they were sold with the leaves attached, since rhubarb leaves are toxic to humans, but fortunately I knew that. They are tempting because they're so pretty--look at that green streaked with hot pink!--but definitely don't eat rhubarb leaves. 

I did enjoy cooking with rhubarb, though! It was so pretty that I even had fun cutting it. It rarely appears at the store--fresh rhubarb is a springtime thing--and it's a bit expensive compared to other things, but if you're in the mood for an adventure in spring, here's one you can take.

9. Red Passion Kiwi

Selective breeding has brought us kiwis with yellow-green flesh and vibrant red centers; they are gorgeous, yes, but also sweeter than green kiwis, and without the fuzz on their skins. These are pricier than traditional kiwis, but I really found them fun! I would buy them again, for sure.

10. Wegmans Frozen Artichoke Halves & Quarters

If I open a can of artichokes, I am committed to using it up. But if I open a bag of frozen artichokes, I can just take what I need and freeze the rest. These hold their shape better than canned, which is both good and bad. The canned artichokes are universally soft in my experience, but there are some hard, woody parts that make it into a bag of frozen ones. Still, for me, these are worth it. You just have to trim them a bit sometimes. Whatever gets me to eat more artichokes is a good thing in my view!