It is a well known fact that we should be eating a healthier diet, primarily focused on organic and locally grown food, but until recently we did not have the capability of scientifically checking the individual quality of the food we eat.

The Brix Refractometer which costs around $20 to $50 on e-Bay, allows you to immediately and accurately check the quality of the food you grow or purchase, both organic and non-organic.

The test is very easy to perform; you simply squeeze a drop of juice from the fruit or vegetable onto the glass plate of the instrument. Then look through the eyepiece to check the number listed on the internal scale, shown here as the line between blue and white. This shows the reading for a good to excellent piece of corn.

Once you have obtained your Brix reading, then you check that number against the number listed on the simple-to-read Brix Chart, as you can see below, each item has a Brix number related to the quality of the produce, rating from poor to excellent.

The rating indicates the mineral, vitamins, proteins, and natural sugars present within the produce, providing a quick guide to the type of food you are consuming, and providing a unique and healthy methodology to judge the true value of produce beyond price and appearance.

The Brix rating is increased by the mineralization and health of the soil where the produce is grown, and sometimes it is possible to find organic produce that is grown in depleted soil that will provide a poor rating. Although the organic produce will still be devoid of pesticides, fungicides, and other dangerous chemicals, Brix provides a methodology to quickly rate the quality of the food that you purchase, and the ability to increase the quality of food that you grow personally.

You can raise the quality of home-grown produce through adding high mineral content sea salt and other natural products to your ground before planting, ensuring that the produce you grow for yourself and family is of the highest quality possible.

Ask your Community Shared Agriculture (CSA) farmer about Brix, as most of them are already testing and preparing to increase the beneficial mineral content of their wonderful organic produce for this year’s crop. But, if they are not, this is a good time to mention it to them so that we can increase the quality of organic food grown throughout Saskatchewan and hopefully Canada, as the information spreads.

You can pick up a Brix Refractor inexpensively online and start testing your produce today, you will be amazed at what you find and very quickly discern which products are consistently good to excellent and which are in the poor range and not worth supporting.

High Brix-rated food is sweeter tasting, with higher protein and mineral content, containing lower nitrates and excess water, which in turn provides a lower freezing point and better storage attributes for the long Saskatchewan winters.

The more we demand a better standard of food and educate our suppliers and friends, the quicker we can obtain a better overall food product.

High Brix organic produce should quickly become the new standard of quality for all fruit and vegetables.

References:
www.goodguide.com
www.highbrixgardens.com

Graham Noble, a retired chartered financial consultant, lives in Canora, SK, with Sharon, his wife of fifty years. Together, they manage Canora Home Rentals and Canada’s Only Toy and Autograph Museum. Graham’s primary focus is “Getting Good At Life,” practicing “Simple Abundance,” and eating organic foods.