“There's nothing like home grown food in your aquaponics system. It tastes real again.” - Candy Alexander

What does REAL FOOD taste like anyway?

I had someone over for lunch the other day. I made ‘my type of salad’ (no lettuce, but there was a type of spinach instead). Everything was from my aquaponics system and garden and was raw except for the sweet potatoes that I roasted and added to the salad cold.  

After making the salad, they asked what type of dressing I was going to use.

At this point, I think my jaw dropped.There was a clash between embarrassment and horror.

Aside from my pesto based dressing (super healthy and delicious, especially on poached salmon), I don’t use salad dressings.

I like the taste of my home grown food. You know, what the veggies, herbs and fruit REALLY taste like.

The embarrassment was because I hadn’t thought to put a dressing near my food ~ and for a moment, I thought that was wrong. Salads in shops always have dressing after all. Then horror at the thought of hiding the taste of the veggies.

I asked if they could try it without a dressing, and if it needed one, I could easily make one (that your chef apprenticeship).

It took one mouthful and they had forgotten the dressing.

I spent many hours thinking about this though.

How much sauce, dressings, salt, flavours do others actually use?

This had me down at the supermarket the next day walking through the aisle.

Wow. My only thought was ‘WHY’?

This got me thinking about food over the years, and my experiences with the fruit and veg that you can buy, and how food is often grown.

Gardening Whilst Growing Up

My grandparents grew everything on the farm organically. Back then, it didn’t need an ‘organic’ label. By comparison, as a child and teenager, my mothers ‘vegetable garden’ included daily pesticide, fungicide and fertiliser sprays.

That is when I stopped wanting to eat ‘food’. I was always sick. Just thinking about those spray and powders makes me feel ill now. And that is when food stopped tasting like food, and sauces became a predominant thing.

I can actually remember my mother putting a sauce on my grandmothers food at the farm, ‘to give it more flavour’, and the argument that happened that night.

Nan’s food tasted amazing, Mums didn’t, and the difference was the sprays. Then Mum stopped gardening, and bought vegetables, with pesticides being used.

Our veggies were changed.

For me vegetable gardening isn’t just a way to save money, it is to avoid getting sick.

Whenever someone brings store-bought veggies to me, I am sick. I break out in a terrible rash. Hence my goal to grow 85% of my fruit and veggies yearly.

I’ve been growing my own vege garden for so long now, that I am used to vegetables tasting ‘real’ again. The smell, the texture, the burst of flavour. Not a dull, ‘mini’ taste, but a mouthful of orgasmic deliciousness.

Sound odd that I use that word? 

Isn’t that what real food is though? An arousal of the senses, and a mind-blowing one at that.

LOL ~ I know, it sounds weird.

Food With Real Flavour

When you eat FOOD that is really great, it is incredible ~ and REAL food, real flavour is just amazing.

I do love it when I share my produce with people, especially when cooked here and I know they get to taste the food.

It’s real. It’s full of flavour, clean, healthy and fresh.

Not a cardboard-tasting semblance of food that we have forgotten ‘should’ have flavour, that we cover with ‘dressing’ and sauces to make it palatable.

This is why I am so passionate about aquaponics. Not everyone can have soil gardens, and after having to move so often, I know what it is like renting and not being able to garden in the soil. Additionally, the soil can filled with chemicals from others who've lived there before.

But with my backyard aquaponics systems, I can take them with me. I can move, I can rebuild at no extra cost.

After the initial cost, there is minimal ongoing expense unlike container gardening or soil gardening.

And mostly, there is no chemicals added ~ as my fish would die.

Edible, and healthy straight from the plant.

Check out My YouTube Channel 'Candy The Aquaponics Lady'

Aquaponics is an ecosystem, and with anything it takes time to learn how it works. So, sit back and binge watch my 'how to' playlist and the 'Water Quality Made Simple' Playlist, and learn the next steps in your aquaponics system as you create the ecosystem.

Want to get your Eyes and Hands on the FREE Online Aquaponics Essentials Course?

This is a great free resource to really understand how aquaponics is a sustainable ecosystem that will grow your organic food is a productive way.

You learn how all the 'parts' make up the 'whole', and helps to give you the foundations of understanding aquaponics.

Sign up HERE

Candy Alexander is a dedicated aquaponics enthusiast with a wealth of formal training in aquaculture. Over the past 15 years, Candy has been deeply immersed in both commercial and backyard aquaponics, honing her skills and expertise in this sustainable farming method.

Candy's passion lies in making aquaponics accessible to everyone. With a mission to simplify aquaponics, she believes that anyone can embark on this sustainable journey.

She encourages those new to aquaponics to "kick the tires" without a significant financial investment. Her guidance focuses on helping people start their aquaponics journey with small-scale systems, ensuring a low barrier to entry for newcomers.

Candy shares practical tips, step-by-step guides, and personal stories to inspire and guide readers on their aquaponics adventure. Whether you're a seasoned farmer or a curious beginner, Candy Alexander is your go-to source for simplifying aquaponics and fostering a sustainable gardening experience.