UC Food Blog

Twenty minutes of hail

Twenty minutes of hail on Easter Sunday means no melons for July 4th at Pacific Star Garden's farmers' market stall. Hail comes sometimes, suddenly and randomly, in February or March or April. It can hit one farm but not the one down the road. This time...

U-Pick strawberry sign

U-Pick strawberry sign

Honey, I hardly know you!

“My jar of honey went bad so I threw it away.” How many times have you heard that? It did not go “bad” but it did granulate, as honeys do. Granulation is the formation of sugar (glucose) crystals. Reheat the honey and it’s...

Honey bee foraging on pomegranate blossom. Pomegranate honey is the result.(Photos by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

Honey bee foraging on pomegranate blossom. Pomegranate honey is the result. (Photos by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

Starthistle honey: granulated or crystalized on the left; liquid honey on the right.

Starthistle honey: granulated or crystalized on the left; liquid honey on the right.

Breeding a better carrot

Whether farmers are growing carrots destined to be baby-sized for school lunches, cut into small pieces in frozen pot pie or the classic length sold with their green feathery tops intact, they rely on a collaborative breeding program that has been in the...

Why growing fruits and vegetables matters

From broccoli to watermelon, California farmers grow more than 400 agricultural commodities. In 2011, California was the primary producer of almonds, artichokes, dates, figs, raisins, kiwi, olives, cling peaches, pistachios, dried plums, pomegranates and...

How do we sustainably feed 8 billion people by 2025?

Some of us spent our weekend in the garden or at the farmers market, obsessing over our fresh produce that will get us through the week. Some of us went to bed last night dreaming about a Frostie from Wendy’s and fries from McDonald’s. Still,...

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