A Perfected Family Tradition

You may be expecting us to say that the recipe for our famous homemade Italian sausage has gone unchanged for hundreds of years, but that would only be partially true. As has been the case in many Italian families, the original family recipes did not exist in written form but were handed down from one generation to the next in the kitchen. Young people learned the craft by observing and helping their parents, grandparents, and other relatives. This is why there are subtle (and sometimes not so subtle) variations between the same dishes as prepared by different members of the same family.

Of course when it comes to making Angelo’s Signature Italian Sausage for our customers, some of whom drive quite a few miles to get theirs, consistency becomes rather important. We couldn’t simply hope that the unwritten traditions handed down through the generations would translate to the same great tasting product day after day. Rather, we felt compelled to make it even better!

We begin with our old-world tradition of using hand-trimmed lean pork and mix in our private blend of aromatic spices and seasonings, developed expressly for this purpose. It has taken years of continually refining our art to reach this point and the result is a consistent sausage that’s bursting with flavor and will simply amaze your palate! We are confident you’ll enjoy our homemade Italian Sausage from the first bite! Get some on your grill today! 

What Do You Know About Jackfruit?

If you’ve visited the fresh produce department at any of Angelo Caputo’s Fresh Markets lately, you may have seen this extremely large, bumpy, green-yellowish fruit on display and wondered what it was. Jackfruit is the largest tree-borne fruit in the world. Jackfruit is relative of the mulberry, fig, and breadfruit. One mature jackfruit tree can bear 100 or more fruits in a year and each fruit can be 8 inches to 3 feet long and 6 to 20 inches wide, ranging in weight from 10 pounds to over 100 pounds.

The rind of a jackfruit is pale brown or green and covered with many little cone-like spikes. The inside contains edible bulbs that range from savory to sweet, depending on ripeness. Immature jackfruit is sometimes used as a meat substitute because its texture is somewhat like that of pulled pork. Being a fruit, however, it is high in carbohydrates and does not contain much protein.

By comparison, ripe jackfruit is sweet and bears an aroma similar to pineapple or banana. The sweet, yellow bulbs can be eaten as is or used in desserts, smoothies and more.

The seeds inside the bulbs are to be removed and can then be steamed or roasted. Raw seeds are not digestible due to the presence of a powerful trypsin inhibitor, which is broken down through cooking.

The inside of a jackfruit contains a gummy latex that will stick to your hands, utensils, and just about anything else. Rub your hands and knife blade with salad oil before cutting into the rind. If you opt to wear gloves, oil them as well or else they will stick and likely rip and tear. 

When digging out the edible bulbs, with well-oiled gloves or hands, go fo the healthy yellow bulbs. Avoid any areas that may have gone beyond ripe. They will be pinkish brown in color and the smell will be off, too. If working indoors, once you have harvested the bulbs and seeds, discard all the remains and remove them from the kitchen, as they will deteriorate quickly.

Nutritionally, jackfruit is a good source of antioxidants and fiber and is rich in vitamin A, vitamin C, magnesium, and vitamin B6. Not surprisingly, jackfruit has been used in eastern medicine for years.

The following video, published by Wendi Phan on YouTube, provides a visual demonstration of how to open and eat a jackfruit.

60th Anniversary Charity Golf Outing A Win-Win

By all indications, our 60th Anniversary Charity Golf Outing, held June 26 at St. Andrews Golf and Country Club in West Chicago, was a success. Even mother nature cooperated by clearing out the torrential rains before we started. We even saw some sunshine as the day wore on.

During the reception that followed, Angelo Caputo’s Fresh Markets CEO Robertino Presta presented two checks for $12,500 each. Accepting on behalf of the Knights of Columbus Pope John Council 5732 was Grand Knight Gregory J Martucci. Accepting on behalf of St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital was Maria D’Alessio, Volunteer Development Representative-Midwest Region of ALSAC, the fundraising and awareness organization for St. Jude’s.

This event was made possible by the generosity of our vendor community. We are grateful for the ongoing relationships that we enjoy with our vendor partners and look forward to our continued mutual success.