BEST of the BUNCH

TASTE TEST EXAMINES PEACHES, APPLES, TOMATOES

BY DIANE HUBER | The Olympian • Published September 07, 2008

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Fresh fruits and vegetables are dominating the grocery cart and many conversations these days. Everywhere you turn is information on organic-versusconventionally grown foods, buying local and the health benefits of eating more fruits and veggies.

All of the information can be overwhelming, conflicting and confusing, especially for those who want to balance a tight food budget with healthful, delicious foods.

So I set out to do an experiment: Which stores offer the best price, variety and flavorful produce? Where can I shop to support local farmers? Does locally grown food taste better?

I didn’t have the time or space to visit every local grocery store, so I chose a selection that sampled from Olympia Farmers Market, locally owned grocery stores and regional and national supermarket chains. I visited each store on a recent Thursday, focusing on three in-season fruits that you can find this month: peaches, apples and tomatoes. (Yes, tomatoes are a fruit, despite their veggie flavor.)

I followed my in-store evaluation with a blind taste test of each of the three items, selecting varieties that could be found at all locations. I know it’s not exactly foolproof: quality, taste and variety likely vary from day to day. And I chose to mix up organic and conventional for my taste test based on price, appearance and what was available.

Below are results of my unscientific study:

BAYVIEW THRIFTWAY

Organic yellow peach

Price per pound: $1.99 to $2.99 for conventional, $3.99 for organic Taste: This peach was just right — ripe, juicy and full of flavor. Source: I tried a Washington peach; some varieties are from California

Conventional Gala apple

Price per pound: $1.99 and up for conventional, $3.99 for organic Taste: Good firm texture; crisp, sweet and mild flavor Source: Galas were posted as a new crop from Eastern Washington; others were from New Zealand.

Organic tomato on the vine

Price per pound: 79 cents to $1.99 for conventional, $4.99 and higher for organics or for a box of grape or cherry tomatoes Taste: Juicy, ripe and flavorful, but not as sweet as I would like Source: Eastern Washington, California, Mexico, British Columbia Impression of this store: Pricier than the rest, but the taste was good for all three types of fruit.