We dug up all sorts of cool, wacky, insightful, useful, intriguing posts on social media this week. Laugh, nod or find some things that make you go “hmmm” along with us.
Screenshots by Amy Sowder
Gastroobscura caught our attention with these blushing blueberries. No, they're not unripe. They are meant to be that color. And this post seems very on-brand for an account about obscure foods, amirite?
We love the variety name of “pink lemonade” and are totally jonesing to taste this almost tropical flavor. It's cool they are trying to gain audience engagement with a pseudo contest too. But really, Pink Lemonade a sweet name already.
Now, who's going to ship them to our staff for a tasting at The Packer? Anyone? Anyone?
Find them at @gastroobscura on Instagram.
With two of us representing The Packer at PMA's Foodservice Conference and Expo in Monterey, Calif., this quick, simple post was a great teaser. Anyone traveling to a show could want a few key tips to consider before taking the trip.
We find “what you need to know about” posts particularly catchy. Dollop on a couple produce emojis and a link, and your post is complete.
The photo may or may not be an actual coastal Monterey scene, but it looks like it is. The blog is part of DMA Solutions, a marketing firm for fresh food and floral companies.
Find them at @TheCoreBlog on Twitter.
We know it's hot out there in the West, but this post drove it home — particularly how the scorching temps are cooking apples on the trees.
First, we read that Byron Phillips, key account manager at Wilbur-Ellis based in Wenatchee, Wash., measured apple surface temperatures, and ambient temperatures ranged from 109-113 degrees Fahrenheit. We had to know more, so we did that thing where you click “… see more.”
“When the FST (fruit surface temperature) gets up into the 150's F, you can quite literally watch the apples bake on the trees,” he wrote. Wilbur-Ellis is a marketer and distributor of agricultural products, animal nutrition and specialty chemicals and ingredients. Phillips does extensive testing using all sorts of cooling solutions. It was quite illuminating.
Find him by searching for “Byron Phillips” on LinkedIn.
TikTok
A woman talking to a droopy plant that has a face and talks back made us watch this over and over (and over) to get the full message. It's loosely based on produce, but we say it still applies. The post by Kristin C. Donnelly, host of the Plant Out Loud podcast, cookbook author, is funny and insightful. In her reel, Donnelly says when a plant is sad, we usually ask ourselves if the plant needs more water, light, different fertilizer or better soil.
“Seems kinda ridiculous to blame our plants for not thriving, doesn't it? Then why do we do that with humans?”
Donnelly then reads an excerpt from Lessons from Plants by Beronda Montgomery: “To cultivate individual growth and success in people we must apply the same kind of inquiry-based mindset that we use for plants.” Mind blown.
Find her at @kristincdonnelly on TikTok.
This column isn't complete unless there's at least one post featuring a dish made from fresh produce. And this week, Zespri Kiwifruit delivers.
The SunGold kiwi slices having a summer fling with watermelon squares looks fabulous and refreshing. But hello, there's tomato there at the party too. Is it chopped meat?
Anyway, for many of us, it's too hot to use the oven that much, so easy salads are the way to go. And you don't always need a leafy green in there to qualify as a salad. Wait, but we see sprigs of fresh mint, so that counts. There doesn't seem to be any recipe link, but it looks simple enough. Besides the three fruits, mint and mild, creamy goat cheese or crumbly, salty feta, we're betting there's some vinaigrette using honey, olive oil, vinegar, salt and pepper. Just a guess.
This is a fun, pretty post, and that's about all we can handle sometimes in the heat of the moment.
Find them at @ZespriKiwifruit on Facebook.