Our Blog

Only Fresh News

Monthly Archives: February 2019

A Cornucopia of Fresh Flavor – Sweet & Sour, Salty & Savory, and Floral

By | Edible Flowers, Herb & Flower Crystals™, MicroGreens, Mixology, PetiteGreens, Recipes | No Comments

Have you ever tasted an edible flower? How about one with the bold flavor of licorice? Or a microgreen as spicy as wasabi or Dijon mustard? Fresh Origins products deliver an intense range of surprising flavors like fresh garlic, sour green apple and fresh oysters, that are sure to drive your taste buds wild! Our MicrogreensPetite® GreensEdible Flowers and Specialty Items provide chefs and mixologists with distinctive and extraordinary flavors that heighten the dining experience every time! 

Our wide variety of products continue to inspire chefs and mixologists to experiment with different cooking techniques and applications that highlight every unique flavor. Whether potent or mild, delicious flavors of sweet, sour, savory, and spicy can all be found on our farm and they’re ready to impress! 

SWEET & SOUR 

Sweet flavor profiles are present in many different types of our products. Stevia Tops, Pineapple Bud™ and Jasmine Flower, for example, are just a select few of our sweet varieties. By simply tossing a sweet Jasmine Flower into a salad you can add a delightfully sweet bite and a striking pop of white color, providing contrast with the rest of the dish. Various sweet mint products like our Micro Mint Lemon™, Micro Mint Licorice™ and Micro Mint Lime™ can be muddled to extract a sweet/minty note for an enriched craft cocktail. 

Along with some sour and tart alternatives like the Sorrel Butterfly Purple™ and Hibiscus Leaf™, these products add a unique, mouth-watering taste and presentation to desserts and are easily the perfect finishing touch to craft cocktails.

Other surprisingly tart items like our Petite® Sorrel Green Apple™, Begonia Flower and Micro White Mum™ can be used to complement salads and seafood dishes while also providing contrasting flavors to the dish itself.
 
FLORAL 

Floral flavor notes are also very apparent in many of our Micros, Petite Greens and Edible Flowers, such as our Micro Mint Lavender™, Petite® Herbes de Provence Mix™, Basil Blossom, Fennel Flower, Marigold, Elder Flower and Rose products.  Even a sweet floral crunch can be experienced with our Flower Crystals® Fennel, Hibiscus and Rose! Each of these products can be used to enhance soups, flavor teas, brighten cocktails, sweeten baked goods and confections and even provide a dish with an enticing floral aroma! 


Fresh Origins Flower Crystals Rose

 

SALTY & SAVORY 

Numerous varieties of salty and savory microgreens grow in abundance here on the Fresh Origins Farm.  Savory flavors like our Micro Mustard Dijon™, Micro Oregano, Petite® Thyme and Garlic Flower provide dishes with potent flavor, making for a bold and lasting impression.

The vibrant, purple Garlic Flower and Garlic Flower Gold Crown™ are full of exceptional fresh garlic flavor!  Very pungent, they provide an unexpected burst of garlic flavor and are a great way to add a fresh touch to and seafood, meats and poultry dishes. 

Former Top Chef Nicholas Elmi adds contrast to his dish with the striking flavor and color of Fresh Origins’ Garlic Flower.

No matter the type of dish or cuisine, you can always count on there to be a microgreen or edible flower that will complement and enhance your menu! We continue to develop and grow new and exciting varieties, ensuring that the possibilities for culinary excellence are endless! 

What are your favorite microgreens and edible flowers? Drop a few lines here, we’d love to hear from you! 

For more inspiration, check out our favorite spicy, peppery, earthy and ocean-like products and follow us on Instagram or Facebook.

The Power of the Rose…Crystals!

By | Edible Flowers, Flower Crystals®, Fruit Crystals®, Herb Crystals®, Mixology, Recipes, Uncategorized | No Comments

The countdown to Valentine’s Day has officially started. This highly anticipated holiday adds more hustle and bustle to everything around us, especially at our farm! The days leading up to this heartfelt occasion are undoubtedly one of the busiest times for us. But we’re not complaining! As restaurants everywhere are also busy planning menus for one of their busiest days of the year, we’re making sure we meet the needs of the chefs at the forefront of the madness.  

For the single patrons or the affectionate lovebirds, crafting an endearing experience for restaurant goers is a MUST! But have no fear, lending a helping hand in finding ways to make your menu special is part of our forte. We posed the question of how to make this particular Valentine staple (or truly the classic symbol of adoration) into something even more amazing…and sparkly. That’s right, we’re talking about reimagining the flower power of the Rose that we all know and love! Giving your guests something new to experience is a no brainer. Giving them something to remember by forging a recipe that bears many indulging elements of this special day, now that’s genius. 

So this Valentine’s Day, explore the potential of Rose Flower Crystals on any dish, pastry, or celebratory cocktail. How can one enjoy the sensual aromas of the Rose? How does one begin to fathom the taste of the Rose? The answer is in the Crystals! All the fundamentals of this classic flower from smell, to taste, to color, have been taken apart and reassembled into tiny, dazzling, and sparkly Crystals, just waiting to expose its magic to your mouth! Of the many surprising flavors of Crystals we’ve come up with to date, the Rose is a true crowd-pleaser. 

Chef Robert Danhi says, “I love flavors such as rose…and when I tasted the Rose Flower Crystals, my heart swooned. They have figured a way to blend just two ingredients into a new form, and now I can twist open and sprinkle Fresh Origins Rose Crystals to create a flavor opportunity like no other.”  

Using real rose petals, we take advantage of their natural bold pigments and fresh fragrance and combine them with cane sugar to create a romantically sweet treat; and we did this without any added  colors, flavors, or preservatives! For taste, it’s safe to say they taste exactly like the scent of the rose. Not only do they add pretty pink accents to delectable desserts and gourmet meals, but they also add incredible texture and deliver flavor in an exciting and crunchy way. These characteristics are a game-changer when it comes to thinking up fun and innovative ways to elevate your Valentines creations. Quinn Adkins, Menu Development Director of Culver’s, says, “Small points of differentiation are crucial [in menu planning], and elements like Crystals make that goal easier.” 

If you can’t give diamonds, Crystals are the next best thing. Watch them dance in this rosé champagne and check out how you can shake things up in mixology with our glass rimmers: Mini Crystals

If you need to see, taste, and experience the magic of the Crystals for yourself, please contact us and we’d be happy to send you a small sample.