find in January are from south of the border…way
way south. They’re expensive because they flew here,
and flavorless for the same reason.
Three farmers markets with a long history are in
Jasper, Lufkin and Nacogdoches. Most established
markets have a Facebook page or website where
you can find out the hours they are open and what
is in season. You can also find farmers markets
anywhere in the country by zip code or city in the USDA’s
database:http://search.ams.usda.gov/farmersmarkets
open every Saturday from 8 am to 12 noon, year round.
During peak season, they also open Wednesday
afternoons, 2 to 6 pm: www.nacogdochesfarmer
market.com or facebook.com/nacogdochesfarmer
market.
This city market is 8 years old and averages 30
vendors. Besides the usual fresh produce, local honey
and eggs, they have lots of crafts, baked goods, jams
and jellies, organic beef and chicken, homemade
soaps and locally made fruit wines.
The Nacogdoches market is located at the old Half the fun is visiting with people like the cheese
“hitch lot” downtown at 107 W. Pearl Street. They are man, who buys Texas artisan cheeses from all over
the state and can tell you which ones have won
national and international awards. He’ll let you taste
before you buy. Expect the unexpected, like the sharp
bite of caraway cheddar, or the smooth silky texture
of a Monterrey Jack goat cheese with green peppers.
The Lufkin market is located behind the
Angelina County extension office on the loop at
Highway 69, 2107 S. Medford Drive; http://www.vis
itlufkin.com/ShopDine/FarmersMarket/
It is unusual in that it is a hybrid market, a
combination of locally grown produce and items
bought wholesale from farther away. Because it
draws produce from a much larger area, it’s open
year round, Monday to Friday 9 am to 5:30 pm, and
Saturday 9 am to 4 pm. On a fall day, you might find
locally grown pumpkins and winter squash along
with bags of citrus from down in the Valley and
apples from northern states where they grow better
than in Texas.
You may find Tyler roses, fresh cut flowers, sweet
potatoes or Mexican vanilla. Some vendors sell
salsa’s, sauces, pickled preserves and relishes that have
been prepared by a private canning company to their
recipe and private labelled for that market.
For the most part, home canners are restricted to
cucumber pickles or fruity preserves that can be
prepared in a water bath canner. Vegetables that
require pressure canning or salsa’s in particular
require special kitchen facilities and additional
training and certification before a vendor can sell to
the public.
The Jasper County farmers market is 5
years old and does not have a covered permanent
marketplace. They are open May through
mid-November (except closed in August). Location
is the parking lot in front of Tractor Supply at the
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