another interesting video. Yes informative too. I can taste and feel the difference in food from a garden over food store shelves. I think the food supply is good at suppling food. They do care about quality because they can't afford to. but in my back yard I can learn and apply what your doing and saying to get execlent results. I'm sure others will agree that your doing all of us a huge favor with your informational videos. thank you :)
About 50 years ago I read an article about this in The Mother Earth News. The article had to do with corn, and protein, and how important it is NOT to kill the worms with chemical fertilizers. The inorganic corn was about 11 % protein, the organic corn was over 14% protein. The 11% protein molded and decomposed, the 14% protein organic corn dried properly. I think the obesity problem in the U.S.A. is a problem with nutrition. There is little nutrition in our food. It looks pretty, but doesn't nourish us. Our bodies know, and signal that we are hungry, even after eating.
There is alot of factord at least 100 i would say that we dont even know em all thats how complex the body is but nutrition 100% contributes 1 reason would be thyroid nutrients which alot of people lack. Selenium, iodine, chromium, vanadium and i gurantee there are more nutritents
Great video, BRIX is a wonderful way to educate people about the nutritional quality of foods. Trace minerals + organic matter + good microbes = high nutrient density.
Excellent video John! Question... If you let store bought food ripen on your counter, will the Brix test result go up as the sugars fully develop? Obviously some foods won't ripen after picked, but for those foods that will ripen, does it make a difference?
great video, I had a "interaction" with the City over them spraying my storm drains, and tried to tell him that Roundup kills the soil, now it behooves me to explain to him why the soil shouldn't be dead. We need beneficial microbes, I understand, but why, again?
My only concern with this test is that you compared 3 different species of peppers. I don't know for sure, but I'm betting different species will have different nutritional traits. Can you provide an update to this and do a more controlled experiment? I appreciate the chart and info you provide but the lack of control doesn't make this compelling evidence. All this told me was to grow (or buy) the Carmen Sweet Peppers.
John, I've watched...a couple hundred of your videos (plus, bought a juicer from discountjuicers.com) - appreciate what you do. In this video (12:50) you show the additional amendments that you add to your raised bed mix. Here are my questions: 1.) Can you provide your updated list (for 2017-2018) of what soil amendments (boogie brew, worm castings, rock dust, bio-char, etc.) that you're currently using and recommend? (I saw your video on the "Best Way to Feed Plants Nutrients, Water & Oxygen", that includes that "nutrient injector" from Intelligent Irrigation (AquaJet), which is great, but I'd like to see the stuff that you're mixing in with the soil). Is there an updated video that you already have that goes over this? 2.) Is there a specific Brix tester that you currently recommend? 3.) I used Boogie Brew this year. My peppers did great, but my tomatoes were diseased (looked like Fusarium Wilt or something like that). I'm wondering if anybody else had problems like that this year when using Boogie Brew. AND...how do you kill the disease in your soil?
After you're done testing your produce press the red button on your refractometer, activate your lightsaber and save the galaxy from the tyranny of the Empire.
John, Have you tested Hydroponic plans versus one you've grown in soil? I've always stayed away from hydroponic food because I figured it was not as nutritious. Would LOVE to know your experience with soil vs hydroponic with nutrition.
John, different varieties will probably produce different results when grown in the same soil. A meaningful test should be based on the same varieties.
Hey John. A question about your present method for building soil for you beds. After a third of each compost, peat, vermiculite do you add all the ingredients that you mentioned in your video? Some seem to overlap as to what they add so are some redundant? Another question, I want to also amend my present raised beds so how much should I add per square foot of the rock dust, worm castings and insect frass (all the additives I think I should only need to add)?
I really appreciate your videos John. Thanks for all your effort. I'm relatively new as a subscriber, but want you to know that you have been really inspirational in my own gardening efforts here in Alabama!! Thanks.
I would have loved to seen a comparison test using the Same Species Carmen sweet pepper as (1) grown organically and as sold in store, (2) grown hydroponically and as sold in store (3) Grown aquaponically and as sold in store, (4) grown but not organically (with the use of pesticicides etc), and as sold in store, and (5) home grown organically in arguably rich soil and picked fresh, and (6) home grown organically in organic soil mix from a "big box" store and picked fresh. As it is, the test conducted uses different kinds, not the same kind of bell pepper (that is, not not the pepper were Carmen sweet pepperr, and to me that, in and of itself, would give each different results that should not be compared to each other to say one is more nutritiously dense over another. I would naturally think a Carmen sweet bell pepper would be sweeter than a standard bell pepper, whether both were organically grown or if both were not. I still found the video valuable.
Am I the only one confused how little blurry his pepper score line is? I expected something more similar to7:07 picture after John used so many expensive soil amendmends( add-ons).
It doesn't necessarily matter he took readings from different variety of peppers. What matters is the method.Using the garlic press per pepper would be better then switching hand to press. Same variety wouldn't hurt either. BRIX is just measuring dissolved solids in liquid ie. minerals etc. Was invented for Viticulture. Also dehydrating/not watering plants will up BRIX level readings which can falsify nutrient density. Control the environment and testing methods to get more accurate readings.
Great info, I've been concerned lately about all the time and money spent growing veggies and hoping that they have the nutrients I think they should have. I have been adding Humic acid to everything else I do (compost, rock dust and worm castings to mention a few) to ensure the vegetables have the best soil to grow in and absorb the nutrients. Have you been to rootnaturally.com to see their products. Great products, they've been around a while, competitive prices and they don't charge shipping.Thanks again.
Good plug for hot house on the peppers, thing is they are whole sale buying from the farmer as well as having greenhouses themselves. Comes down to quality control for them.
Glad to see you have Spanish River Carbonatite, mined in Cartier (city of Greater Sudbury), Ontario, fifty miles from my home. Everyone… check out the analysis… amazing profile… even better than azomite dust. As a retired geologist, I offer one caveat about getting just any available rock dust… some rock dusts may contain harmful elements such as heavy metals, arsenic, or radioactive compounds. You should see the analysis before applying to your garden. God did not create all rocks the same LOL.
I don't have a garden,I don't have any indoor plants,I live in a cold cold place in Germany.....but I loooove watching your videos...it's so knowledgable and the next time I go to the market,I know exactly where to spend my money
Trying to purchase one myself, but, there are dozens of different Brix Refractometers available, all addressing a different concern/metering type. Which one did you actually use, John?
I'm not sure brix testing is a great way to measure nutrient content and flavor, but there's no doubt that good soil makes for better food. Keep up the good work, John.
not too sure if brix testing is the best way to test for nutrition. It actually tests for sugars, it just proves that the pepper you are growing is sweeter, or has more sucrose. At least this is what I learned in food sci
I have been watching a lot of the "raw vegan" videos out there on RUclips lately, and I think you are definitely one of the most grounded people out there. Really enjoy your videos!
Where can I get a Btix scale and tester? Do you have a redipe for soil admentation? What d o you know about Fulvic Acid? Fulvic Acid not Folic Acid. Can't wait to learn more thanks. .
Tbh, even if he used the same bell pepper, I still believe John's would win not just because of the soil, but because of freshness. Store bought produce are picked, and go through an avg of 48hrs processing before they make it to stores. Furthermore, commercial farmers don't build up their soil cause it would cost too much. As a farmer that grows his own food, he is better able to control his growing conditions when it comes to soil, at least, and when he harvests. That's just my opinion.
That's a lot of stuff to begin, but what about building soil health in more natural ways, the way nature does (as you mention)? Like letting the leaves decay from what you grow, comfrey mulch (green mulches). I don't like dependency on so many products. Gardening should strive towards self-sufficiency, otherwise it seems to be almost defeating the purpose.
You're a rock star, John! The Brix testing caught my attention, but I go so much more wrt soil building. Keep up the great vids, tons of helpful info and sense of humor! Thanks!
I thought refractometers/brix tests used by the ag industry are primarily used to measure sucrose levels in their crop. How then can it be correlated with nutritional content? Please someone explain! Other than that, thanks John for the great work you're doing!
He absolutely should. To make a comparison between two unequals is nonsense. I like this guy in general but he is not what you would call scientific. You can see the same bias when he compares juicers. Get it together Jon.
Brix refractometer exactly( as phantomcreamer correct said) measures sugar contents in water (aqueous) solution( friut and vegetables juices, oil emulsions, milk drinks etc. Brix scale (Bx grade)= 100 gram of sugar water fluid contains how much gram of sugar.Accuracy of the measurment depands of other staff (besides sugar) in fruit juice and is shown by blurry line(nutrients,fiber etc.).
Refrectometer measures fluid properties by means of light refraction. Refractometers(plural) measure SOLIDS (not only sugar) and that's correct. There are so many kinds of refractometers: for fluids measurement in cars,for urine measure, for honey quality ( how much water in honey), for alcohol% in stuff and for sugar content in fluid ( used by wine-making)all kind of scale (NM,CNM grade in Czech Republik, KMW in Austria(Babo), Oe in Swiss,Germany and Brix in US.(%Mas Sacch)You can by all in one
I am a fan but also say that I am the critic. I am a science college student. I wanted to point out that there were a few variables that were not accounted for as possible sources of error: the type of pepper (bell vs Carmen sweets), method of juice extraction (hand sqeezed vs pressed- pressed generated higher numbers, possibly putting more solute in the solution), and method of cleaning the brix lens between juicing. Again, I am a FAN and I agree with and believe in what you are doing. :)
I Like you method of growing crops, and use it as much as i can my self (rock dust, organic soil amendments, no herbecides/pesticides, etc) But brix is simply sugar content of a liquid solution. I among other things I grow grapes for a living, and have to make a brix test every day or so before harvest to get it exactly right for making wine. It is simply the sugar content, nothing more, it will not tell you how they taste (excluding sweetness) and will not tell you how nutritious it is.
Bell pepper is sweet depending on what color stage u pick them at. When u pick a bell pepper red, it really taste almost like apples and have a very tasty fruity sweet taste. If you pick them when they are green, they have very little sweetness and mostly jst essence of pepper. I prefer to pick all my bell peppers when red with jst a touch of green, as that's when it's sweet yet juicy with a nice hint of bright pepper essence.
Not a sustainable resource. All you need is compost, mulch, rock dusts, worm castings and compost tea, maybe some humic acids, humic acids increase the cation exchange capacity of soils, stimulates microbial action and increases humus creation. Humus is extremely stable and has a very high CEC. If you want to talk about charcoal maybe from annual, sustainable sources such as hemp, then youd have an argument. It would be better to just till the hemp right back into the top 4 inches of soil.
Beneficial microbes are usually aerobes and facultative aerobes/anaerobes, where as most harmful microbes are anaerobes (with some exceptions). If you have healthy soil biology with a large diversity of organisms then the beneficial microbes will outcompete the harmful microbes for food, water and space. By spraying plants completely with compost tea you can help prevent powdery mildew and other fungal diseases from having space to take hold.
When u mentioned cloudyness as being probably better quality, even that's not exactly true, as when u press juice out with your finger versus using a press, you will get more fiberous micro particles with a press then u can with your fingers. My suggestion for quality of food testing is ultimately be in touch with your own body. Taste quality has more to do then sweetness. If your highly perceptive and aware of your own body reactions, you will know. Your body is the best tool for measuring.
actually, your partially correct. Brix is measurement of sugar concentration, not TDS. Brix measurement tool, aka refractometer, measures TDS. But essentially, the idea is centered around the sugar concentration, as they decided to mistakenly call the tool Brix meter and not a refractometer or some appropriate name.
The cheapest meter I can buy in New Zealand is "RF10 Portable Sucrose Brix Refractometer (0 to 32%)" @ $182.00 so I don't think I will be buying one. The dearest is "RF11 Portable Sucrose Brix Refractometer (0 to 10%) with ATC" @ 227.00. I bet they are a whole lot cheaper in the states.
I agree, a couple years of soil amendments covered with annual mulching and one wouldn't (eventually) need to add anything to the soil once the mulch was thick enough to provide sufficient cover for all the micro-organisms to thrive year round.
The refractive index of a solution depends not only the concentration but also the compositions of the dissolved compounds such as carbohydrate, sugar and various minerals. The comparison of RI is useful, thus only the composition are same.
I live in a desert, i was told by someone to add the gel from a diaper to my soil to help keep the water in longer....is this a good idea, i understand it wouldn't be "organic" then but is there any reason i should be afraid of this method.
I'm surprised there are no comments on how unfair this comparison is. From my, research Brix is more of a sugar content tester. You tested a regular bell pepper, to a mini sweet pepper, to a sweeter pepper of your own. It only makes sense that the higher sugar content peppers would have a higher reading.
Proofs in the pudding! Say John I've been reading up on bokashi. Wasn't interested in fermenting food seemed kinda gross but I've seen the results now. Is this something you do or consider?
I find all your videos to be interesting. But this is the one of the most interesting ones I've seen. A truly accurate concrete way of measuring the health of your crops and soil. I'm curious to see how much healthier some of your other crops are in comparison to what is bought from a grocery store using this devise. The health of plants grown in a healthy backyard garden versus that which is grown commercially really interests me.
John, saw you when you were last a guest speaker at the Maui Vegetarian Society....you taught me a lot. I want to buy a Brix Refractometer and want to know what brand you use, and did it come with the fruit & vegetable comparison chart?
They shouldn't sell it if it's below average. Umm if the average was 5 brix and nobody sold below that, the average would rise very quickly to say 8 or 9. I get what you're saying but averages need highs and lows. So supermakets in general would provide the lows, hopefully good organic producers are in the middle somewhere and home grown, in best conditions gives the highs.
No, it specifically measures sugar. Taking the authors example and not researching before you make a claim is bad for the advancement of human well being.
do you know that brix measurement can be decrease your pepper not fresh? Try to measure brix after you keep it about 1 or more days, even in refrigerator.
It's good that you are trying to logically evaluate quality of produce, however, i would have to say your being way too simplistic in how you go about this. Brix measures sucrose level, and that's not enough of a factor alone to determine that. You can have a high sucrose level fruit and still be lacking many nutrients. Not to mention, the timing of when the fruit was tested, ex. after rain or before, and how long it's been sitting. We all know hydration lvl affects sugar concentration.
"you'll actually need less of it" is a good point. Because many times, what is interpreted as hunger, is your body craving nutrients. If you don't get those nutrients, you'll end up being "over fed and under nourished"
For more accuracy of measurement: after you drop some fruit juice( use pipette) make sure there is no air-cells, wait 30 sec to level out temp., use the same light source and clean your staff correctly.
another interesting video. Yes informative too. I can taste and feel the difference in food from a garden over food store shelves. I think the food supply is good at suppling food. They do care about quality because they can't afford to. but in my back yard I can learn and apply what your doing and saying to get execlent results. I'm sure others will agree that your doing all of us a huge favor with your informational videos. thank you :)
Finally someone teaching BRIX. This is the key to everything related to agriculture, health and the environment.
About 50 years ago I read an article about this in The Mother Earth News. The article had to do with corn, and protein, and how important it is NOT to kill the worms with chemical fertilizers. The inorganic corn was about 11 % protein, the organic corn was over 14% protein. The 11% protein molded and decomposed, the 14% protein organic corn dried properly.
I think the obesity problem in the U.S.A. is a problem with nutrition. There is little nutrition in our food. It looks pretty, but doesn't nourish us. Our bodies know, and signal that we are hungry, even after eating.
There is alot of factord at least 100 i would say that we dont even know em all thats how complex the body is but nutrition 100% contributes 1 reason would be thyroid nutrients which alot of people lack. Selenium, iodine, chromium, vanadium and i gurantee there are more nutritents
this is an answer to a need for sure
Thanks for teaching us something new.
Great video, BRIX is a wonderful way to educate people about the nutritional quality of foods. Trace minerals + organic matter + good microbes = high nutrient density.
Good job John! 🎉
Excellent video John, thank you......
Awesome veggies growing in your garden!!
Another great one brother!
Excellent video John! Question... If you let store bought food ripen on your counter, will the Brix test result go up as the sugars fully develop?
Obviously some foods won't ripen after picked, but for those foods that will ripen, does it make a difference?
This is awesome I buying a refractometer NOW
I think trace minerals are critical for quality. Seaweed, azomite, green sand.
I like them because theyre good for dwc set ups and dwc is amazing.
great video, I had a "interaction" with the City over them spraying my storm drains, and tried to tell him that Roundup kills the soil, now it behooves me to explain to him why the soil shouldn't be dead. We need beneficial microbes, I understand, but why, again?
My only concern with this test is that you compared 3 different species of peppers. I don't know for sure, but I'm betting different species will have different nutritional traits. Can you provide an update to this and do a more controlled experiment? I appreciate the chart and info you provide but the lack of control doesn't make this compelling evidence. All this told me was to grow (or buy) the Carmen Sweet Peppers.
Also, on a side note, is it possible to compare similar species with those grown via your garden, via hydroponics, via aquaponics, etc?
John, I've watched...a couple hundred of your videos (plus, bought a juicer from discountjuicers.com) - appreciate what you do. In this video (12:50) you show the additional amendments that you add to your raised bed mix. Here are my questions:
1.) Can you provide your updated list (for 2017-2018) of what soil amendments (boogie brew, worm castings, rock dust, bio-char, etc.) that you're currently using and recommend? (I saw your video on the "Best Way to Feed Plants Nutrients, Water & Oxygen", that includes that "nutrient injector" from Intelligent Irrigation (AquaJet), which is great, but I'd like to see the stuff that you're mixing in with the soil). Is there an updated video that you already have that goes over this?
2.) Is there a specific Brix tester that you currently recommend?
3.) I used Boogie Brew this year. My peppers did great, but my tomatoes were diseased (looked like Fusarium Wilt or something like that). I'm wondering if anybody else had problems like that this year when using Boogie Brew. AND...how do you kill the disease in your soil?
After you're done testing your produce press the red button on your refractometer, activate your lightsaber and save the galaxy from the tyranny of the Empire.
Hi John ! Could You Please put up the list of Refractive Index of Crop Juices, You are Using !!!
John, Have you tested Hydroponic plans versus one you've grown in soil? I've always stayed away from hydroponic food because I figured it was not as nutritious. Would LOVE to know your experience with soil vs hydroponic with nutrition.
John, different varieties will probably produce different results when grown in the same soil. A meaningful test should be based on the same varieties.
wow, John. Just wow. Amazing info, clear proof that your soil building works! I'm on it.
Hey John. A question about your present method for building soil for you beds. After a third of each compost, peat, vermiculite do you add all the ingredients that you mentioned in your video? Some seem to overlap as to what they add so are some redundant? Another question, I want to also amend my present raised beds so how much should I add per square foot of the rock dust, worm castings and insect frass (all the additives I think I should only need to add)?
John, where did you get that brix printout. I would like to have that comparison chart for my plants.
I really appreciate your videos John. Thanks for all your effort. I'm relatively new as a subscriber, but want you to know that you have been really inspirational in my own gardening efforts here in Alabama!! Thanks.
Would be nice if the variety was the same.. the test is a nice example. But not very fair comparison
I would have loved to seen a comparison test using the Same Species Carmen sweet pepper as (1) grown organically and as sold in store, (2) grown hydroponically and as sold in store (3) Grown aquaponically and as sold in store, (4) grown but not organically (with the use of pesticicides etc), and as sold in store, and (5) home grown organically in arguably rich soil and picked fresh, and (6) home grown organically in organic soil mix from a "big box" store and picked fresh. As it is, the test conducted uses different kinds, not the same kind of bell pepper (that is, not not the pepper were Carmen sweet pepperr, and to me that, in and of itself, would give each different results that should not be compared to each other to say one is more nutritiously dense over another. I would naturally think a Carmen sweet bell pepper would be sweeter than a standard bell pepper, whether both were organically grown or if both were not. I still found the video valuable.
Am I the only one confused how little blurry his pepper score line is? I expected something more similar to7:07 picture after John used so many expensive soil amendmends( add-ons).
It doesn't necessarily matter he took readings from different variety of peppers. What matters is the method.Using the garlic press per pepper would be better then switching hand to press. Same variety wouldn't hurt either. BRIX is just measuring dissolved solids in liquid ie. minerals etc. Was invented for Viticulture. Also dehydrating/not watering plants will up BRIX level readings which can falsify nutrient density. Control the environment and testing methods to get more accurate readings.
Loved this. Thank you for the info. How do I check the nutrients of veggies like green beans, brussel sprouts and carrots ?
Great info, I've been concerned lately about all the time and money spent growing veggies and hoping that they have the nutrients I think they should have. I have been adding Humic acid to everything else I do (compost, rock dust and worm castings to mention a few) to ensure the vegetables have the best soil to grow in and absorb the nutrients. Have you been to rootnaturally.com to see their products. Great products, they've been around a while, competitive prices and they don't charge shipping.Thanks again.
Good plug for hot house on the peppers, thing is they are whole sale buying from the farmer as well as having greenhouses themselves. Comes down to quality control for them.
Glad to see you have Spanish River Carbonatite, mined in Cartier (city of Greater Sudbury), Ontario, fifty miles from my home. Everyone… check out the analysis… amazing profile… even better than azomite dust. As a retired geologist, I offer one caveat about getting just any available rock dust… some rock dusts may contain harmful elements such as heavy metals, arsenic, or radioactive compounds. You should see the analysis before applying to your garden. God did not create all rocks the same LOL.
I don't have a garden,I don't have any indoor plants,I live in a cold cold place in Germany.....but I loooove watching your videos...it's so knowledgable and the next time I go to the market,I know exactly where to spend my money
Trying to purchase one myself, but, there are dozens of different Brix Refractometers available, all addressing a different concern/metering type. Which one did you actually use, John?
I'm not sure brix testing is a great way to measure nutrient content and flavor, but there's no doubt that good soil makes for better food. Keep up the good work, John.
Show me the data, everywhere I have looks suggests it is sucrose or other sugars that behave similarly.
I agree with many of these comments, really useful and one of your best videos! Thanks
not too sure if brix testing is the best way to test for nutrition. It actually tests for sugars, it just proves that the pepper you are growing is sweeter, or has more sucrose. At least this is what I learned in food sci
I have been watching a lot of the "raw vegan" videos out there on RUclips lately, and I think you are definitely one of the most grounded people out there. Really enjoy your videos!
Where can I get a Btix scale and tester? Do you have a redipe for soil admentation? What d o you know about Fulvic Acid? Fulvic Acid not Folic Acid. Can't wait to learn more thanks. .
Pamela Weir Hi Pam, there are Brix Meter Refractormeters on Amazon. Good luck!
Tbh, even if he used the same bell pepper, I still believe John's would win not just because of the soil, but because of freshness. Store bought produce are picked, and go through an avg of 48hrs processing before they make it to stores. Furthermore, commercial farmers don't build up their soil cause it would cost too much. As a farmer that grows his own food, he is better able to control his growing conditions when it comes to soil, at least, and when he harvests. That's just my opinion.
Hahaha cool shirt, dinosaur kale. Are you still doing the 10 min consultations ?
nice vids
Damn Jon your peppers are buff!
That's a lot of stuff to begin, but what about building soil health in more natural ways, the way nature does (as you mention)? Like letting the leaves decay from what you grow, comfrey mulch (green mulches). I don't like dependency on so many products. Gardening should strive towards self-sufficiency, otherwise it seems to be almost defeating the purpose.
Thanks for introducing me to the Brix scale and the refractometer.
You're a rock star, John! The Brix testing caught my attention, but I go so much more wrt soil building. Keep up the great vids, tons of helpful info and sense of humor! Thanks!
Its a LIGHT SABER!!! You're not fooling anyone. Jedi garden grower.
There was a lot of "KICK ASS" in this vid lol.
I always enjoy your videos, but I have to disagree with your method of testing nutritional value of crops.
This is not a fair test. You should use the same kind of pepper. The chart that you used are bell peppers, not hot house or carmen peppers.
I thought refractometers/brix tests used by the ag industry are primarily used to measure sucrose levels in their crop. How then can it be correlated with nutritional content? Please someone explain!
Other than that, thanks John for the great work you're doing!
I teach BRIX and find most people don't know what it is or what it means.
He absolutely should. To make a comparison between two unequals is nonsense. I like this guy in general but he is not what you would call scientific.
You can see the same bias when he compares juicers. Get it together Jon.
Brix refractometer exactly( as phantomcreamer correct said) measures sugar contents in water (aqueous) solution( friut and vegetables juices, oil emulsions, milk drinks etc. Brix scale (Bx grade)= 100 gram of sugar water fluid contains how much gram of sugar.Accuracy of the measurment depands of other staff (besides sugar) in fruit juice and is shown by blurry line(nutrients,fiber etc.).
Refrectometer measures fluid properties by means of light refraction. Refractometers(plural) measure SOLIDS (not only sugar) and that's correct. There are so many kinds of refractometers: for fluids measurement in cars,for urine measure, for honey quality ( how much water in honey), for alcohol% in stuff and for sugar content in fluid ( used by wine-making)all kind of scale (NM,CNM grade in Czech Republik, KMW in Austria(Babo), Oe in Swiss,Germany and Brix in US.(%Mas Sacch)You can by all in one
I am a fan but also say that I am the critic. I am a science college student. I wanted to point out that there were a few variables that were not accounted for as possible sources of error: the type of pepper (bell vs Carmen sweets), method of juice extraction (hand sqeezed vs pressed- pressed generated higher numbers, possibly putting more solute in the solution), and method of cleaning the brix lens between juicing. Again, I am a FAN and I agree with and believe in what you are doing. :)
I Like you method of growing crops, and use it as much as i can my self (rock dust, organic soil amendments, no herbecides/pesticides, etc)
But brix is simply sugar content of a liquid solution.
I among other things I grow grapes for a living, and have to make a brix test every day or so before harvest to get it exactly right for making wine. It is simply the sugar content, nothing more, it will not tell you how they taste (excluding sweetness) and will not tell you how nutritious it is.
Bell pepper is sweet depending on what color stage u pick them at. When u pick a bell pepper red, it really taste almost like apples and have a very tasty fruity sweet taste. If you pick them when they are green, they have very little sweetness and mostly jst essence of pepper. I prefer to pick all my bell peppers when red with jst a touch of green, as that's when it's sweet yet juicy with a nice hint of bright pepper essence.
Not a sustainable resource. All you need is compost, mulch, rock dusts, worm castings and compost tea, maybe some humic acids, humic acids increase the cation exchange capacity of soils, stimulates microbial action and increases humus creation. Humus is extremely stable and has a very high CEC. If you want to talk about charcoal maybe from annual, sustainable sources such as hemp, then youd have an argument. It would be better to just till the hemp right back into the top 4 inches of soil.
Beneficial microbes are usually aerobes and facultative aerobes/anaerobes, where as most harmful microbes are anaerobes (with some exceptions). If you have healthy soil biology with a large diversity of organisms then the beneficial microbes will outcompete the harmful microbes for food, water and space. By spraying plants completely with compost tea you can help prevent powdery mildew and other fungal diseases from having space to take hold.
When u mentioned cloudyness as being probably better quality, even that's not exactly true, as when u press juice out with your finger versus using a press, you will get more fiberous micro particles with a press then u can with your fingers. My suggestion for quality of food testing is ultimately be in touch with your own body. Taste quality has more to do then sweetness. If your highly perceptive and aware of your own body reactions, you will know. Your body is the best tool for measuring.
John do you eat all that produce yourself? my goodness thats alot!
actually, your partially correct. Brix is measurement of sugar concentration, not TDS. Brix measurement tool, aka refractometer, measures TDS. But essentially, the idea is centered around the sugar concentration, as they decided to mistakenly call the tool Brix meter and not a refractometer or some appropriate name.
The cheapest meter I can buy in New Zealand is "RF10 Portable Sucrose Brix Refractometer (0 to 32%)" @ $182.00 so I don't think I will be buying one.
The dearest is "RF11 Portable Sucrose Brix Refractometer (0 to 10%) with ATC" @ 227.00. I bet they are a whole lot cheaper in the states.
I agree, a couple years of soil amendments covered with annual mulching and one wouldn't (eventually) need to add anything to the soil once the mulch was thick enough to provide sufficient cover for all the micro-organisms to thrive year round.
The refractive index of a solution depends not only the concentration but also the compositions of the dissolved compounds such as carbohydrate, sugar and various minerals. The comparison of RI is useful, thus only the composition are same.
I live in a desert, i was told by someone to add the gel from a diaper to my soil to help keep the water in longer....is this a good idea, i understand it wouldn't be "organic" then but is there any reason i should be afraid of this method.
I'm surprised there are no comments on how unfair this comparison is. From my, research Brix is more of a sugar content tester. You tested a regular bell pepper, to a mini sweet pepper, to a sweeter pepper of your own. It only makes sense that the higher sugar content peppers would have a higher reading.
Proofs in the pudding! Say John I've been reading up on bokashi. Wasn't interested in fermenting food seemed kinda gross but I've seen the results now. Is this something you do or consider?
I find all your videos to be interesting. But this is the one of the most interesting ones I've seen. A truly accurate concrete way of measuring the health of your crops and soil. I'm curious to see how much healthier some of your other crops are in comparison to what is bought from a grocery store using this devise. The health of plants grown in a healthy backyard garden versus that which is grown commercially really interests me.
John, saw you when you were last a guest speaker at the Maui Vegetarian Society....you taught me a lot. I want to buy a Brix Refractometer and want to know what brand you use, and did it come with the fruit & vegetable comparison
chart?
They shouldn't sell it if it's below average.
Umm if the average was 5 brix and nobody sold below that, the average would rise very quickly to say 8 or 9.
I get what you're saying but averages need highs and lows.
So supermakets in general would provide the lows, hopefully good organic producers are in the middle somewhere and home grown, in best conditions gives the highs.
yeah, we can tell the quality is better with local CSA and homegrown being WAY better than any shipped in organic produce.
No, it specifically measures sugar. Taking the authors example and not researching before you make a claim is bad for the advancement of human well being.
you could inoculate some beds with edible oyster mushrooms instead of the other fungi amendment. just a suggestion...
So, I don't get it. You test three different varieties of peppers which give you three different values? Seriously, you call that results?
Congratulations John, loving your soil really pays off. You are inspirational!
Why not farm in Hawaii? With the right approach with nutrients, i think large scale farming is possible.
So important to spread the word! I now want to live near you and get all my produce from you, lol!!!
hey John use the refractometer to check the juice on your juice off, to test your different Juicers
If you use the brix for evaluating nutritional value Cola would be the best food on the planet.
do you know that brix measurement can be decrease your pepper not fresh? Try to measure brix after you keep it about 1 or more days, even in refrigerator.
organic teas. :)
If you are growing your greens, why do you have so much store bought produce?
Tested my orange sweet pepper, its a 15. I had no idea.this plant 2 yesrs old.i give it water and compost tea.take care.
Must be RefractoMeter Test Fairly in the Same Sun-Light Conditions.
Great vid. Do you have any concern about the miracle grow / round up / monsanto connection?
Any body knows how to prepare oyster shell to use in vegetables for Calcium
How much of each kind of amendment? Anyone know of another video he has to explain?
hold up if Brix is for sucrose how is that better to eat more sugar I understand taste wise but what grounds is it better for you?
Brix measures total dissolved solids within a juice, not just the sugar level.
Is a bell pepper a sweet pepper? I wish you used all the same exact pepper...
It's good that you are trying to logically evaluate quality of produce, however, i would have to say your being way too simplistic in how you go about this. Brix measures sucrose level, and that's not enough of a factor alone to determine that. You can have a high sucrose level fruit and still be lacking many nutrients. Not to mention, the timing of when the fruit was tested, ex. after rain or before, and how long it's been sitting. We all know hydration lvl affects sugar concentration.
"you'll actually need less of it" is a good point. Because many times, what is interpreted as hunger, is your body craving nutrients. If you don't get those nutrients, you'll end up being "over fed and under nourished"
For more accuracy of measurement: after you drop some fruit juice( use pipette) make sure there is no air-cells, wait 30 sec to level out temp., use the same light source and clean your staff correctly.
can i just say
11 is halfway between 10 and 12, not 10.25
The BRIX test isn't calibrated to measure processed sugars.
Does reflex index depend on temperature of the fruit juice?