Moringa Seedling Day 2

This plant really knows how to assimilate, photosynthesize and make itself grow! By day two it's over two inches tall! I've heard this was a very fast growing tree! Click here for a link to a video of this seedling growing.

Moringa seedlings now growing!

It was exactly twelve days since I soaked a pair of Moringa seeds that had arrived direct from India and I was about to give up. Then, like magic, an early morning inspection of both peat pots revealed two new plants!

Now in the meantime, five days ago, I planted another seed in a much larger plastic pot that had a high mix of sand to soil. I’m hoping this one will also yield a new seedling.

For anyone who is not familiar with the Moringa tree which is also known as the drumstick tree in India and parts of Africa, it does have some interesting properties. Not the least of which is the very high nutritional content of the leaves and seed pods.

So, so far so good. I’ll try and post follow up blogs as times goes along.

Moringa seed planting – Day 1

My Moringa tree or ‘Drumstick’ seeds arrived from India yesterday, December the 16^th. I was amazed that while the seeds were inside a regular seed packet, they were also enclosed in a tiny white box complete with packing material. I’m only guessing that this was done to keep them from getting squashed as they are rather large as seeds go.

The directions on the package stated that they needed to be soaked in water for twenty-four hour prior to planting. I decided to place two seeds in between some layers of paper towel that was then soaked with water and placed into a baggie unsealed. After a day, the seeds were then placed, one each, into two peat pots that also have Miracle Gro potting mix in them. I noticed the mix was a little dry when I originally placed it into the pots so I also soaked these in a tray of water for seven hours prior to planting. As per the package instructions, the seeds were planted to a depth of about and inch and were then placed in a larger baggie that was also left slightly open. (I think it best to refrain from sealing the seeds when attempting seed germination to avoid problems with molds and fungi). This whole deal was then parked over my TV set which is warm when the set is on (most always) and which also` allows me to keep an eye on them.

So, now I will have to wait to see what happens. If and when I get germination, I will plant a couple more. I received ten seeds for $4 so I sure do not want to waste any. If they do germinate, I have a dual bulb florescent fixture in the kitchen area that should supply more than enough light early on.

Hopefully, my next blog on this subject will be to talk about two small Moringa plants!

A Moringa tree competition!

A friend by the name of Sunny Miller, who also loves to grow things, was kind enough to lend me a book whose topic is a most interesting tree. The title of the book is Moringa – Nature’s Medicine Cabinet. It was written by Sanford Holst, a ranger in California who works for the U.S. Forest Service. He is also best known for his book called LifeCycle which provides the reader with a healthy and natural approach to life.

What inspired me the most this tree which is native to India, were the stories about its medicinal properties, and the fact that most of it can be eaten or used for other purposes. (Even the flowers can be eaten with some reporting that they taste like a mushroom). Interesting.

So, of course, I just had to try and grow one even though they cannot handle the hard frosts we sometimes get where I live. That will mean growing it in a large container that can be brought inside. (My current thinking will be to get one growing this winter and then take it outside where it will absolutely love the hot summers here in southwest Missouri). By next fall, I can bring it indoors where I also have a sodium discharge lamp that should provide more than enough light. This sounds like it may be a long term project!

I’ve just ordered the seeds from a company called Seeds of India and will plan on follow up blogs, if and when, I get some to germinate. I will be in competition with Sunny to see who can produce the first flower. Her first name may just give her the edge!

Generic corn versus brand name corn

One day while standing in the canned goods isle of my grocery store, I happened to glance at two cans of whole corn that were displayed side by side. One was a generic brand called ‘Always Save’ while the other was a can by ‘Del Monte’ No Salt Added. The price for the Always Save was fifty-five cents while the price for what appeared to be the exact same thing was $1.39. (Note: on the day I purchased this product, it was on sale for $1.15 so I did get a bit of a break).

“Why would that be,” I thought to myself. So, I grabbed both cans to take home with me. I wanted to take a close look at each and to perform a simple test to see just what that extra 60 cents was getting me or not getting me.

After arriving home, I also sent quick emails off to the folks of both companies to see what their views were on the subject of cost versus quality. Both responded in prompt fashion and while Del Monte suggested I do my own research, Always Save informed me that much of the difference in cost was due to differences in advertising strategies.

Test One – A nutritional comparison

The first thing I would think about two identical products that were so dissimilar in price was that perhaps one was less nutritional than the other. Here are some differences I discovered:

Weight: Always Save 432 grams versus Del Monte also at 432 grams so both are the same as far as contents go. After opening the cans, I found both to contained about 2/3 of a cup of liquid. The Always Save had about ten grams more kernel by weight but I cannot count this as a factor since my technique to remove the liquid from each was not very scientific.

Ingredients: Always Save has listed on its label as having Corn, Water, Sugar and Salt versus Del Monte's with only Corn and water. The No-salt added bit is definitely a plus for the Del Monte product as salt acts as a flavor enhancer at the expense of your health.

Calories: Always Save had 80 calories in a 125 gram serving versus Del Monte at 60 for the same size serving. Once again, I’d score the Del Monte product higher for the fewer calories.

Salt: Always Save with 310 mg per serving versus Del Monte at 10 mg. While I’m not sure why something that has less of an ingredient should be worth more, this is another reason why you might consider paying a little extra.

Test Two – Appearance

OK. Let’s take a look at appearances. After all they do count.  I dumped both cans out into identical bowls and took a hard look. You may or not be able to make out one immediate difference. The Del Monte kernels are definitely fuller and of a darker yellow color than the AS kernels. Score another one for the Del Monte product.

Test Three – Taste

After sampling both, I gravitated toward the Del Monte mainly because the kernels were fuller with more flavor than those of the Always Save. This test was done without salt, pepper or butter so the overall taste of both was bland. Although an interesting point is that the Del Monte with no added salt did taste richer.

Conclusion

OK. I can hear some out there in the blogosphere that are saying this was not a fair test as the generic product had salt whereas the brand name did not. But, that is part of the point here I think. You get often a better choice from the branded cans than you do from the generic. In practical terms, if you are not concerned with sodium levels or calories, then by all means go for the cheap stuff. In my case, while I would use the generic as part of a recipe like Chili Con Carne, I would want the more expensive Del Monte when presenting this vegetable as a side and where my health is concerned.

Disclaimer: This test was not of a scientific nature and may or may reflect reality. This work and the results obtained in this comparison are the sole opinion of the author.I feel both products are made using the highest of standards and represent viable, good tasting products to the consuming public.