Food Wax

Today was a very busy day in the Larson kitchen. As I prepare to head back to my day job (or the one that earns me a paycheck), I'm trying to get as much baking done as I can because 1) it distracts me, and 2) I've just been having so much fun trying different recipes and seeing how the husband and baby respond. Today was an exceptional day. I started off the afternoon baking Zucchini Brownies from a favorite blog of me: www.athomewithginac.com. I really made these for a friend who is in the hospital, but of course, I couldn't give him ALL of them, so we selfishly kept the rest of them for ourselves. Mine aren't as pretty as Gina's, but they tasted so incredible.  They almost didn't come to be, however, because I nearly ate all the batter :)

As those baked, I cut up eight gala apples to make Crockpot applesauce...can you say, Yes Please!! No peeling, no baking, and no sugar!! You place enough water in the Crockpot just to cover the bottom and then toss in your apples. Cook on low for six hours. These almost leads me to tonight's post, but I'll get to it in a minute, I just want to finish with our afternoon of cooking. 

For dinner, I made burgers from a friend's cow. And when I say 'friend,' I mean a poor college student intern who has had to put up with me the last three months...(yes, her family owns many cows). The cows are all grass fed; the taste is a bit different, but we are getting used to it. It agains reminds me of how important the diet of the animal is that we are eating (they are supposed to eat grass after all, right?) Grass fed beef has higher levels of omega-3 fats which is just another good reason to eat this type of meat. The burger was simple: kelp salt, pepper, oregano, and a few sprinkles of Herbamare seasoning. On the inside of the burger, a surprise piece of smoked mozzarella cheese! Mmmmmm so yummy and Jackson couldn't eat his fast enough!!

And I have to brag that he ate more broccoli than both me and Jeff!!

Okay, on to tonight's blog...so I used to buy my organic apples from Costco. I LOVED that they provided healthy organic produce, until one fateful day they didn't have the organic apples (they ran out). So I ended up at my favorite store, PCC, to buy their much more expensive apples. Right off the bat, I noticed a difference: there was no wax coating the fruit. When I got home and finally tried one, I couldn't believe the taste different. The fruit was much sweeter and more vibrant than any other apple I had eaten at Costco. Since then, I've been meaning to research fruit waxes to see why they are used and if they are harmful. Here's what I have found:

• Waxing primarily helps limit water loss, preserve the look of the fruit, prevent mold growth, and extend shelf life. 
• The waxes on food are similar to those used to shine floors, furniture, shoes, and vehicles. Derived from petroleum and natural sources, they often contain some combination of paraffin, shellac, carnauba, polyethylene and synthethic resins. Due to its high melting temperature, the wax cannot be washed off and often used as a vehicle for applying bactericides, fungicides, growth regulators and dyes.
• The FDA has limited research on the safety of waxes and are labeled "generally recognized as safe." 

As much as I wanted to, I couldn't find any definitive evidence that the waxes are bad for us, but most of it was anecdotal and not based on anything than personal opinion. My opinion is that the wax seems to distort the taste. I also am such a purist, that I don't believe I should be putting chemically made waxes in my body. I did read that using vinegar is helpful to wash off the wax, but I haven't tried it, because I'm now a convert to the local, non-waxed organic variety :) 

I also just added "My Favorites" from Amazon.com. I thought this might be helpful for some of you to find some of my favorite things. I'll keep updating it, but there's a pretty good list of things right now. Full disclosure: I get a little kickback when you use my link to purchase.