- Author: Pam Devine
I first tasted a feijoa (fay-zho-uh, or pineapple guava) as a student here at UC Davis many years ago. A friend showed me her secret trees (south side of Wellman in Davis — tons on the ground right now!), and I was hooked. I didn’t think much of it at the time, other than thinking this is one of the best things I have ever eaten in my life. It tastes better than candy, and ripens right around Halloween - sweet! I had never seen or heard of a feijoa. You likely haven’t either, so I’m writing to introduce you.
First a little history. This subtropical plant originated in the higher altitude regions of central South America, but has since been introduced and grown...
- Author: Mary E. Reed
The UC Davis Postharvest Technology Center has the opportunity to develop a new condensed short course for 2012 that will look at "Emerging Postharvest Technologies for California Agriculture."
Please help us establish the course curriculum by taking a few minutes to let us know about your company's biggest postharvest handling challenges, and the technologies about which you would like to know more. You can use the linked survey to provide us with your feedback.
If you give us your contact information at the end of the survey, you will be entered in a...
- Posted By: Mary E. Reed
- Written by: Elizabeth Mitcham
The Postharvest Technology Center welcomes Carlos Crisosto as a new member of our management team. Carlos is well known by many of you for his strong program on postharvest biology and technology of stone fruit, kiwifruit and other fruit.
He has been a member of the Postharvest Technology Center since he joined UC Davis in 1990. As Associate Director, Carlos will lead our efforts in developing a new course for retailers, assist with the development of a certificate program, and create new Center publications and web site content.
- Author: Mary E. Reed
With a daughter soon to complete a degree in Health Safety, discussions of Salmonella, E. coli and the like sometimes arise as we sit around the dinner table. As an agriculturally-focused family, we like to think we’re pretty savvy about the best way to handle our produce to keep it safe and tasty.
Some are very concerned about food safety. A gentleman phoned the Postharvest Technology Center a few months ago, and shared that he was very concerned about eating strawberries. He thought perhaps he should scrub each one with a soft toothbrush, and then soak them in a diluted chlorine bath.
Others are much less aware of food safety concerns, sometimes using cutting boards and knives interchangeably between raw...
- Author: Mary E. Reed
As you returned home from the market and unloaded your sack of produce, have you ever simply admired the satisfying bounty? Enjoyed the color, texture, and aroma as cantaloupe, broccoli, carrots, tomatoes, lettuce, cherries, apricots, avocado, strawberries, and more passed through your hands? But now, what to do with each item … how best to keep it fresh and tasty until you’re ready to eat it?
The Postharvest Technology Center offers free copies of an 8.5” x 11” full color poster that shows which produce items should go in your refrigerator, which items should never go in the...