Skip to main content

A Seed Primer

I wrote this for the WE Cooperative CSA newsletter this week and thought I'd share it here, too. All of these terms are ones I hear, but I was never sure of their exact meaning and implication for my food. Here's what I found...


We read and hear a lot of different terms in regards to our fruits and vegetables - heirloom, organic, hybrid, and GMO (genetically-modified organism). I thought I'd give you a brief run-down so you can begin to decipher what it all means...and why you should search out some and avoid others. Let’s take a look at a few definitions so we can better understand what an heirloom seed is compared to a hybrid or genetically modified seed.

Heirloom
'Heirloom' - like your great-grandmother's brooch or your great-uncle's cello -  generally refers to something passed down from generation to another. Heirloom seeds are from a plant that has been passed from one generation to another, cultivated and preserved because of its value. The value could be flavor, productivity, adaptability, or a combination of desirable characteristics. Many heirlooms have a legacy reaching back three centuries or more. These seeds are almost always the most prolific, most flavorful, and most dependable varieties.

Open-Pollinated
'Open-pollinated' is a term sometimes used interchangeably with heirloom; however, they are not synonymous but they are related. An open-pollinated seed is simply a seed that can be harvested from the plant, saved, replanted, and the same variety will grow year after year. Open-pollination is how heirloom seeds are produced. But not all open pollinated seeds are heirloom, as there are open-pollinated varieties that are not old enough to be considered heirlooms.

Organic
'Organic' denotes a crop grown to a strict and regulated set of standards, including not being treated with pesticides. The certification process includes inspections of the fields and processing facilities, detailed record keeping and periodic testing of soil and water to ensure that growers and handlers are meeting the required standards laid-out by the USDA.

Hybrid
A hybrid seed is produced by artificially cross-pollinating two genetically distinct plants of the same species, such as two different apples or two varieties of tomatoes. The cross-pollination is done manually and the farmer or gardener has to purchase new seed every year. Hybrids are typically bred for higher yield, greater uniformity, improved color and disease resistance. Flavor, historically, has not been a characteristic when selecting characteristics for new hybrids.

GMO
Genetically Modified Organism (GMO) seeds have been altered using DNA from completely different species and organisms to produce traits such as resistance to herbicides. Some GMO corn, for example, creates its own herbicide in its roots. The major crops that are currently genetically-modified are corn, cotton, soybeans and wheat.

Why Choose Heirloom
Many people come to heirlooms for nostalgic reasons. They are searching for flavors that they remember from their childhoods. Flavor has been one of the major reasons for the preservation of specific varieties. It’s the classic conundrum: quantity vs. quality. Thank goodness quality is making a comeback.

Comments

  1. Thanks for sharing this. It is always good to get a refresher!

    ReplyDelete

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Connecticut Lobster Rolls, Canned Lobster Bisque, and a 2019 Henry Fessy 'Maître Bonhome' Viré-Clessé #Winophiles

This month the French Winophiles group is looking at affordable wines from Burgundy.  Host Cindy of Grape Experiences wrote: "Burgundy, or Bourgogne, is known for its wines of Chardonnay and Pinot Noir... as well as Aligote, Gamay, Sauvignon, César, Pinot Beurot, Sacy, Melon in lesser quantities. Many of the well-known wines are quite expensive, but there are plenty of values to be found." Read her invitation here. And there won't be a Twitter chat for this event, so you will have to dive into the articles themselves to read about our pairings and findings. Here's the line-up... Wendy Klik from A Day in the Life on the Farm enjoys Domaine Chevillon Chezeaux Bourgogne Hautes Cotes de Nuits, 2018 Paired with a Maple Pecan Chicken . Camilla Mann from Culinary Adventures with Camilla shares her love of Connecticut Lobster Rolls, Canned Lobster Bisque, and a 2019 Henry Fessy 'Maître Bonhome' Viré-Clessé. Jeff Burrows of FoodWineClick! explains why we should Look t...

Homemade Lorna Doone Cookies #SundayFunday

Today the Sunday Funday group is celebrating childhood favorites. Thanks to Stacy of  Food Lust People Love , Sue of  Palatable Pastime , Rebekah of  Making Miracles , and Wendy of  A Day in the Life on the Farm  for coordinating this low-stress group. Today Stacy is hosting and she's given us the following prompt: "Childhood favorites. Did you have a favorite dish growing up? It could be something your family cooked or a restaurant dish, even a Chef Boyardee canned good or packaged ingredients like Rice-a Roni or mac and cheese. Recreate THAT dish from SCRATCH for this event."  Here's the #SundayFunday childhood favorites line-up... Chili Mac from A Day in the Life on the Farm Ham and Mushroom Breakfast Burritos from Making Miracles Homemade Lorna Doone Cookies from Culinary Adventures with Camilla Homemade Wonder Bread from Karen's Kitchen Stories K-Mart Sub Sandwiches from Palatable Pastime Kempakki Dosa from Sizzling Tastebuds Meat Chilly Fry...

Quick Pickled Red Onions and Radishes

If you've been reading my blog for even a short amount of time, you probably know how much I love to pickle things. I was just telling a friend you can pickle - with vinegar - or you can ferment - with salt - for similar delicious effect. The latter has digestive benefits and I love to do that, but when I need that pop of sour flavor quickly, I whip up quick pickles that are ready in as little as a day or two. I've Pickled Blueberries , Pickled Asparagus , Pickled Cranberries , Pickled Pumpkin , and even Pickled Chard Stems ! This I did last night for an upcoming recipe challenge that requires I include radishes. Ummmm...of course I'm pickling them! Ingredients  makes 1 quart jar radishes, trimmed and sliced organic red onions, peeled and thinly sliced (I used a mandolin slicer) 3/4 C vinegar (I used white distilled vinegar) 3/4 C water 3 T organic granulated sugar 1 T salt (I used some grey sea salt) 6 to 8 grinds of black pepper Proce...