By Best Market
We love our community. That’s why we buy from local suppliers from both Long Island & Upstate New York whenever possible. Finding the freshest, highest quality product can sometimes be challenging, but Gabrielsen Farms in Jamesport, NY is changing the game for “fresh”.
Our favorite product from Gabrielsen Farms is Living Lettuce – hydroponically grown variations of both lettuce (boston, red sweet crisp, green sweet crisp, read butter, green butter, alkindos), asian greens (mizuna, kyoto, koji, tatsoi, red rain, pac choi, garnet giant ) and herbs (basil, oregano, mint, parsley, sage, rosemary, thyme, cilantro) that are as fresh as they come. When you pick up a “Grown on Long Island” Living Lettuce product, the roots are still attached – this is because basic lettuce loses over 50% of the nutrition after one day of the roots being cut off. With the roots still attached and placed in a little bit of water, living lettuce promises the fullest flavor as well as extended freshness. (about 10 days!)
As the only supplier of this unique crop, we can tell you that there is more to appreciate about Hydroponic Living Lettuce than its superior taste and longer shelf life.
Hydroponics is “the art of growing plants without soil.” While this is a foreign concept to some, hydroponics has been a growing method since the 1960’s. It has gained more popularity in recent years due to climate change and conservation concerns. There are 3 heavy positives to this method that have some calling it the “future of farming”.
1.) Environmentally Beneficial – while it might seem like hydroponically grown plants would use more water, it is entirely the opposite! The water the plants are grown in is recycled through a filtration system and reused for both existing and new crops. There is also no use of pesticides – instead helpful insects are introduced to take care of the unwanted ones.
Grown hydroponically in nutrient enriched water.
2.) Cost Efficient – The cost of running a hydroponic farm is much lower due to the reusable water and freedom from fertilizer. More crops can also be grown in less space. To make the switch to a hydroponic farm is not a costly endeavor, and any investment will quickly pay for itself (see our next point). The bulbs used to simulate the sun’s rays last for 50,000 hours and use 20 percent of the electricity of regular lights.
3.) No “Off Season” – with the facilities temperature controlled, hydroponic farms yield healthy product all year round.
What You Should Know Before Buying
- When you buy your Living Lettuce you will notice the roots are still attached. To preserve freshness, do not detach from the roots until meal preparation.
- You don’t have to refrigerate your living lettuce – simply keep it on your counter with sufficient light and it will stay fresh for about 10 days.
And There Is So Much To Choose From!
Taste the difference living lettuce makes today – find it at your local Best Market in Harlem.
Learn more about Gabrielsen Farms, living lettuce and Best Market in Harlem HERE!
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