Consume: Our favorite food products this week
Eat
Opal apples
99 cents-$1.69 per pound; available at local markets; www.opalapples.com
The season winds up soon for these naturally non-browning, sweet-yet-tangy apples. The Opal, a combination of Topaz and Golden Delicious, is verified as a non-GMO variety, having been bred so they can be sliced and tucked in a lunch box without worry about enzymatic browning. Broetje Orchards in Washington grows them. Normally they’re available December to April, but can still be found in some markets. Get crunching.
Pour
Butternut Mountain Farm Maple Syrup
$9.99 for 12-ounce bottle; available at Nugget; www.butternutmountainfarm.com
Kids love syrup, but moms and dads hate the mess little hands can make pouring it out. Butternut Mountain has solved this gooey problem with a simple solution: a squeeze bottle, full of organic, Grade A amber goodness. Bring on the pancakes.
Buy
Pop Top Microwave Popcorn Popper
$19.99; available at Amazon; www.chefn.com
Expanding kernels will literally pop the top of this reusable microwave cooker. This Pop Top is made of high heat-resistant silicone and makes up to 10 cups of popped corn. After cleaning it the dishwasher, the popper folds down for storage – even if it’s a bit like a 3-D puzzle the first few times you try to close it up. Popping your own corn allows you to control the ingredients that go into the snack.
Snack
Simply Sprouted Way Better Snacks Pepper Crackers
$3.99 for 5-ounce box; Sprouts: gowaybetter.com
Get your fill of fiber and whole grain with these spicy crisps, made with a mix of spouted grains including barley. With interesting flavors such as mustard seed and cheddar or black beans and salsa, Way Better’s healthy crackers still feel like an indulgence.
Cook
Bibigo Mini Wontons
$7.99 for 3-pound bag.; Costco; us.bibigo.com
These Korean-style chicken and cilantro wontons come in bite-size bits for easy snacking, whether you’re cooking for kids or looking for something to serve at a cocktail party. Just give them a quick pan fry for appetizers, or add them to soup for a meal.
Bee staff
To suggest items for Consume, please send submissions to sacfeast@sacbee.com.
This story was originally published May 22, 2015 at 5:01 PM with the headline "Consume: Our favorite food products this week."