Texas Spinach

At first glance, this part of south Texas is a fairly unremarkable region. The towns have a few nice old buildings and downtown parks. But poke around Crystal City, and you’ll find what, or who, makes this place special. Here’s a hint: he’s got really big arms and a sailor’s hat!

Crystal City adopted the cartoon character Popeye nearly a half-century ago because Popeye the Sailor got his strength from spinach. And south Texas calls itself the “Spinach Capital of the World”.

Jimmy Crawford owns and leases about 2,000 acres of farmland. About 300 acres are devoted to growing spinach. Crawford says both the land and the climate offer ideal conditions for the leafy vegetable.

“We do have freezes and we get cold, but we don’t typically freeze out like they do in the northern part of the state,” Crawford explains. “The soil is real high in pH, and rich in calcium, and therefore it’s real good for growing spinach.”

In fact, this area southwest of San Antonio is known as the “Winter Garden”. Mild conditions mean farmers can grow and harvest spinach throughout the winter and spring. It totals about 20 million pounds, making Texas the nation’s fourth largest Popeye-food provider.

Giant harvesters actually clip the leaves off the top of each plant. Then they let it grow some more. That means farmers can harvest the same field up to three times in one season.

And a lot of it goes to Del Monte, which built a local cannery back in the 1940s. It’s still the nation’s biggest. Del Monte’s Allen Mize says this plant can turn out a million cans of spinach a day for 70 to 80 days a year.

The process involves a lot of rinsing and spinning. First, large wheels cast off dirt, weeds and excess moisture. Putting the spinach through high temperature, high pressure water troughs further cleans it and soften the leaves.

It takes about 25 acres to produce those million cans a day. Del Monte gets all their spinach from about fifteen nearby spinach farmers. The company provides the seed, gives advice on land preparation and planting and helps with the harvest.

The cans of spinach are distributed all over the United States. So next time you dig into this leafy green stuff, thank the farmers of south Texas. And leave a little for the sailor guy.

Additional information:

Fast Facts:
Even Popeye might be interested to know this:

Cooked spinach may be just a little better for you than the uncooked leaf you find in salads. Some nutritionists say that cooking makes beneficial antioxidants found in the leafy plant easier for the body to absorb.

For more information:
Texas is a year ‘round destination, especially southern Texas which enjoys moderate temperatures in winter. Plan your trip at www.traveltex.com