This Q&A is based on feedback from our most recent survey and myths or questions about nutritional quality of produce.
Buy Local
We purchase fresh local fruit and vegetables whenever possible for our accounts. Sometimes we are able to have a relationship with the farmer directly (such as Bonnyman’s Wild Blueberries), but often we have to rely on a distributer such as Keddy Bros because it makes the process easier for us and the farmers. Keddy Bros builds relationships with farmers in Atlantic Canada then they collect and store produce and distribute and deliver to clients like us.
Atlantic Canada has a short growing season, and some popular items just don’t grow well here, or aren’t grown in enough quantities to meet the demand of everyone in the province year-round. Keddy Bros sources and purchases in additional product to round out the selection and availability based on the demand locally. When we work out our contracts with distributers, we specify that we preferentially want to purchase fresh, local, and sustainably sourced product whenever possible.
Fresh Frozen
Some items, like wild blueberries, have a very short “get them fresh” season. If they aren’t eaten or processed within a couple of days of harvest- they deteriorate quickly. Their harvest season lasts only a few weeks in late August and September. So if you want to enjoy wild blueberries the rest of the year- you need to have them frozen, or processed in some other way (like jam!).
Luckily, freezing produce like blueberries locks in all their nutritional value and flavor for a very long time. The texture is impacted a bit, but the nutrition is preserved at maximal levels. There is a common misconception out there that “fresh” produce is healthier or more nutritious for you than frozen or canned produce. This is not true! You do have to keep an eye out for salt or sugar syrups sometimes added to canned produce. Plain canned or frozen fruits and veg are still just as nutritious as fresh, sometimes more so!
Another example: Something is out of season locally. Let’s say its winter and you want a bell pepper. Sliced frozen bell pepper likely has better micronutrients and antioxidants in it than the fresh bell pepper imported from somewhere closer to the equator. The moment a pepper is picked, it starts to slowly break down nutrients. It can be weeks before that fresh pepper that was picked someplace warm makes it into a kitchen to be cooked and eaten. The frozen pepper is picked and frozen almost immediately, locking in that level of nutrition until it is thawed and used in a dish.
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