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Organic groceries in Puerto Plata area?
boy, oh boy... puerto plata is a small city. you will not find here organic shops as such. your best shot is buying off the street. sounds scary? it is not 
there are pickups full of fresh produce passing the streets of puerto plata barrios on daily basis. they have vegetables and friuts you can buy whatever is in season, by one, if need be. we also have a fruit and veg market in the city, called mercado nuevo, it should supply all you need.
other pick ups carry milk. milk HAS to be boiled before use because it is not pasteurized. but it has half the price of the milk in cartons, it is fresher and tastes better. you can use this milk to make your own white cheese - curd cheese, i think it is called). i can provide you with easy and fool proof recipe, if you want. for diary products you should really travel outside the city, there are several places selling fresh cheese: those in maimon and in sabaneta are great, especially sabaneta one that also has yogurts and other milk products.
local butcher shops look and smell really bad to someone coming from a civilized world but they will have the meat you want. there are few small slaughterhouses just outside the city, you can buy meat there: beef, pork, goat, lamb. it will come from neraby farms and local producers, as organic as it can get.
your civilized alternative is a german butcher in sosua. he is expensive but his cuts are exquisite. and he is very picky about the cows he receives (my father in law supplies them occasionally) so the quality is guaranteed.
in the morning you can see fishermen offering their fresh catch. this is the only non frozen fish you can buy (unless you catch one yourself). there are also people who will sell langosta, shrimps and other seafood. this is all local, fresh and great tasting, as good as it gets. there are few pescaderias (fish shops) in POP that sell frozen fish, already filleted.
there are pickups full of fresh produce passing the streets of puerto plata barrios on daily basis. they have vegetables and friuts you can buy whatever is in season, by one, if need be. we also have a fruit and veg market in the city, called mercado nuevo, it should supply all you need.
other pick ups carry milk. milk HAS to be boiled before use because it is not pasteurized. but it has half the price of the milk in cartons, it is fresher and tastes better. you can use this milk to make your own white cheese - curd cheese, i think it is called). i can provide you with easy and fool proof recipe, if you want. for diary products you should really travel outside the city, there are several places selling fresh cheese: those in maimon and in sabaneta are great, especially sabaneta one that also has yogurts and other milk products.
local butcher shops look and smell really bad to someone coming from a civilized world but they will have the meat you want. there are few small slaughterhouses just outside the city, you can buy meat there: beef, pork, goat, lamb. it will come from neraby farms and local producers, as organic as it can get.
your civilized alternative is a german butcher in sosua. he is expensive but his cuts are exquisite. and he is very picky about the cows he receives (my father in law supplies them occasionally) so the quality is guaranteed.
in the morning you can see fishermen offering their fresh catch. this is the only non frozen fish you can buy (unless you catch one yourself). there are also people who will sell langosta, shrimps and other seafood. this is all local, fresh and great tasting, as good as it gets. there are few pescaderias (fish shops) in POP that sell frozen fish, already filleted.
I think finding certified organic fruits and vegetables will be difficult.
I know people who have large certified organic enterprises in Constanza, and their crops are for export only, because those market are willing (and able) to pay the premium price.
I have seen some items marked organic in some supermarkets in Santo Domingo though, but that won't help you in POP.
I know people who have large certified organic enterprises in Constanza, and their crops are for export only, because those market are willing (and able) to pay the premium price.
I have seen some items marked organic in some supermarkets in Santo Domingo though, but that won't help you in POP.
you will need full fat milk, non pasteurized, straight from the cow no other ingredients.
you need to pour milk into a large pot, cover and leave in room temperature to spoil/cut. in DR you will take about 24hrs. you will know the milk is ready because it will separate: white mass on the top and greenish liquid at the bottom.
put the pot over low fire, uncovered. you cannot let it boil but it needs to reach relatively high temperature. you will know the milk is ready when you see first small bubbles starting to form.
all this time you should be able to touch the sides of the pot without burning yourself (hot but not boiling).
turn off the fire. let the milk stand and cool down.
use a tight sieve, line it with a clean fabric diaper (can be thin linen). slowly pour the milk through the sieve. the cheese will stay in the linen and the water will be separated.
this water is very healthy, apparently. it is called whey and it is very high in protein and calcium while low in fat. i give it to my dogs but it can be drank by people and has many household uses: you can substitute it for milk in protein smoothies and baking. Whey - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
one more trick: after the milk goes "off" you will see it has a thick layer of greasy mass on the top. this is cream. you can scoop it off and have full fat, totally organic cream. separating cream from the rest of the milk will result in drier, less fatty cheese.
the cream can be easily made into butter, the simplest home method for butter making there is: pour your home made cream into a jar (half-filled). shake the jar and keep on shaking (built-in exercise). you will see small lumps start to form as the butter separates from buttermilk. you are done when the lumps start to come together and are large. open the jar, put the butter lump into cold water. squeeze to get the rest of the buttermilk out. change the water, repeat. shape the lump and put in the fridge - your home made, 100% organic butter.
i sound like yanandu, no?
no other ingredients.you need to pour milk into a large pot, cover and leave in room temperature to spoil/cut. in DR you will take about 24hrs. you will know the milk is ready because it will separate: white mass on the top and greenish liquid at the bottom.
put the pot over low fire, uncovered. you cannot let it boil but it needs to reach relatively high temperature. you will know the milk is ready when you see first small bubbles starting to form.
all this time you should be able to touch the sides of the pot without burning yourself (hot but not boiling).
turn off the fire. let the milk stand and cool down.
use a tight sieve, line it with a clean fabric diaper (can be thin linen). slowly pour the milk through the sieve. the cheese will stay in the linen and the water will be separated.
this water is very healthy, apparently. it is called whey and it is very high in protein and calcium while low in fat. i give it to my dogs but it can be drank by people and has many household uses: you can substitute it for milk in protein smoothies and baking. Whey - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
one more trick: after the milk goes "off" you will see it has a thick layer of greasy mass on the top. this is cream. you can scoop it off and have full fat, totally organic cream. separating cream from the rest of the milk will result in drier, less fatty cheese.
the cream can be easily made into butter, the simplest home method for butter making there is: pour your home made cream into a jar (half-filled). shake the jar and keep on shaking (built-in exercise). you will see small lumps start to form as the butter separates from buttermilk. you are done when the lumps start to come together and are large. open the jar, put the butter lump into cold water. squeeze to get the rest of the buttermilk out. change the water, repeat. shape the lump and put in the fridge - your home made, 100% organic butter.
i sound like yanandu, no?Organic Produce
Take a drive on the Panoramic Route between Puerto Plata and Santiago, any fruits or meats you buy on the roadside stands be road markers D and J will be natural or organic and the meats grain fed. The prices aren't raised; it's just the way they do things in this region
Also look for excellent local cheese (queso crema, queso de hoja) in Yasica. See Ruta Panor?mica Puerto Plata - Santiago
Take a drive on the Panoramic Route between Puerto Plata and Santiago, any fruits or meats you buy on the roadside stands be road markers D and J will be natural or organic and the meats grain fed. The prices aren't raised; it's just the way they do things in this region
Also look for excellent local cheese (queso crema, queso de hoja) in Yasica. See Ruta Panor?mica Puerto Plata - Santiago