All the news that's fit to eat
Here’s a preview of what regional farms will be harvesting in May, from The FruitGuys produce buyers. To see what’s being delivered this week, visit fruitguys.com/mix and choose your region. West On the West Coast, spring is upon us! April winds and honeybees pollinated the Asian pear and apple blooms, so the fruit should be setting in May. Strawberries are [...]
In the American cherry world everything comes after the Bing. And the wingman to the Bing is the Brooks – a headliner in its own right, a sweet early cherry.
Candycots come from the Britton & Konynenburt Family Farms. “By breeding with seeds from the very best apricots in the world, we have created a new class of apricots. Called CandyCots, these apricots taste the way apricots are meant to taste. What unites these apricots under the name CandyCot is their superb taste, complex flavors, [...]
Burgundy plums are sweet, with dark red skin & red flesh and are of Japanese descent. This semi-freestone is red on red like wine.
The tasty & sweet Burbank plum was created by the master plant breeder Luther Burbank over 100 years ago. It is semi-freestone, with reddish purple skin & yellow flesh inside.
An improved apricot from the Zaiger fruit experts. Firm, yellow and freestone – which is a good trait to have when you want to eat them by the handful…
Velvet is a rhetorical descriptive for apricots. The Black Velvets are round and purple, a hybrid of plum and apricot. Inside is gold, a bit plummy and very yummy.
Black and Blue. There’s a skirmish in the fruit department, the fruits are fighting over who has more antioxicant carotenoids. But it is the USDA that says Black Plums are exceptionally high in an assay called ORAC (Oxygen Radical Absorbance Capacity) edging out blueberries by 15%.
Roy Orbison’s “In Dreams” haunts David Lynch’s neo-noir movie more than the title song Blue Velvet. The Blue Velvet is actually an Aprium, which is a Plum & Apricot hybrid. One bite of this golden fleshed apricot will remove memories of the creepy 1986 cult classic.
The Blenheim is a member of the Ark of Taste. This apricot has been prized since it was first grown in the Santa Clara Valley in 1900. Perfectly delicious, the perfect balance of sweetness and acidity.
Yeah! Cherries! A fruit so packed with taste and lore, in poems, paintings and punk rock songs- how we extol this fine little fruit. For many the first cherries are a sign of spring and renewal, even recalling childhood games. Pit spitting (hey – not in the office) and wearing the doubles as earrings. Robert [...]
There are as many as 200 cultivars of European and Asian plums. Betty Anns are a juicy and full bodied variety, with parentage back to the Santa Rosa plum. Plums are high in fiber and low in sugars, an ideal snack.
The Angel White Apricot has a very pale yellow skin color with a slightly speckled and nearly peach like blush at the top. The fruit inside is juicy and refreshing. It has the juiciness and smooth texture of a perfectly ripened peach with an indelible lightness of an apricot.
The Fire Sweet Yellow Nectarine is a sub-acid (low tartness) honey flavored clingstone, with an almost all red skin color. It comes from Summer Fire and August Red stock.
Arctic Star nectarines are white fleshed and low-acid. This semi-freestone catches the eye with beautiful dark red skin.
Arctic Queen nectarines are sweet with mottled red over white flesh. Rich with flavor, the freestone flesh of Arctic Queen is low in acid, yielding a delicious, sweet flavor.
Although Arctic Blaze sounds like a skating team – it is indeed another excellent invention from Zaigler’s Tree Nursery. Rich and firm, creamy white flesh – which means it’s sweet.
Peaches were probably first domesticated about 4000 years ago in China. By cultivating and passing the knowledge and seedlings down the Silk Road we now benefit from thousands of varieties of peaches. The Amber Crest is one of the first peaches of the season. This small, tart clingstone is great for baking, or snacking.
“See the vegetable man, In the vegetable van, wth a horn that’s honking, Like a mariachi band”- Beck. Every band that’s ever tried to make it in the music biz must have a song about L.A., from Cheech and Chong to The Red Hot Chili Peppers. But who are the real Angelinos? Real Angeleno plums [...]
The Angelcot is a light cream-colored apricot with a bit of blush and a heavenly flavor. The Angelcot is grown exclusively by Marty Maggiore and his family in Brentwood (Contra Costa County), CA.
It goes with out saying the the Alderman plum is cold hearty, it was developed in Minnesota. After a hard winter, there’s hardly a sweeter treat that this Japanese style plum with red skin over golden flesh.
August Red is a freestone yellow nectarine from the classic Red Diamond and the elusive Autumn Free.
Adapted from joythebaker.com INGREDIENTS 2–3 ripe plums or pluots, cut in half and pitted 1/2 teaspoon fresh thyme, savory, or rosemary leaves, finely chopped 1 tablespoon granulated sugar Olive oil to drizzle Salt Greek yogurt, granola (optional) PREPARATION Place a rack in the upper third of the oven and preheat to 400°F. In a small [...]
Ingredients for this recipe were included in The FruitGuys TakeHome box. Order yours today! www.fruitguys.com
Adapted from a recipe by Tanya Milosevich INGREDIENTS 3–5 plums, peaches, and/or nectarines, cut in quarters, stones removed Juice of one orange 2–3 tablespoons regular or lavender sugar 1 medium baguette, diagonally sliced, lightly toasted 8–15 oz. fresh ricotta or goat cheese to spread PREPARATION Put juice and sugar in a pan and heat on [...]
Ingredients for this recipe were included in The FruitGuys TakeHome box. Order yours today! www.fruitguys.com
Recipe courtesy of Delilah’s Farm INGREDIENTS 2 peaches or nectarines, or 4 plums cut into 1/2-inch slices 1 teaspoon vegetable oil 4 slices of bread, preferably whole grain 4 slices of white cheddar or brie, or 6 oz. of chèvre 1/2 teaspoon salt 1/4 teaspoon pepper Mustard of your choice (optional) Butter (soft) or vegetable [...]
Ingredients for this recipe were included in The FruitGuys TakeHome box. Order yours today! www.fruitguys.com
Celery leaves (or “tops”) can stand on their own in a salad or be added in with other greens. Here is a recipe adapted from myrecipes.com that uses a combination of greens, but it works great with just the celery tops as well! Also see our Summer Salads round-up for some other dressing options. Enjoy! [...]
Ingredients for this recipe were included in The FruitGuys TakeHome box. Order yours today! www.fruitguys.com
By Gretchen Bay Described as “knock-your-socks-off-good!” by FruitGuys buyer Misi Katoa, CandyCots are a uniquely sweet group of apricot varieties grown exclusively by a family-owned, fourth-generation farming collective based in Modesto, CA. The company is helmed by Chris Britton and Paul Konynenburg—the two still work alongside their fathers, who have been partners since the 1960s! [...]
By Gretchen Bay It’s officially summer. And summer means (among other delicious things)—plums! Unlike their stone-fruit cousins peaches and nectarines (which come with white or yellow flesh and skin typically in the yellow-red spectrum), plums come in a wide variety of colors, mainly red, purple, yellow, black, and green. Their flavors range from candy-sweet to [...]
By Heidi Lewis You know what sweet summer cherries like? They like winter. That’s when they catch up on a little shut-eye and wake up refreshed. Many stone fruits and pomes need the chill hours to produce a good season of leaf, buds, and fruit. But man, when they’re ready—bada boom! Cherry season is here. [...]
By Gretchen Bay “The Prunus family is so wantonly profligate, dallying with any sibling, cousin, and even offspring that chances by, it is surprising they aren’t illegal in some states.” —Jack Straub, 75 Remarkable Fruits For Your Garden Yes, the Prunus, or stone fruit family, which includes cherries, plums, peaches, apricots, and nectarines, has quite [...]
Recipe courtesy of Delilah’s Farm INGREDIENTS 2 apricots or donut peaches, or 1 large nectarine or peach (or a combo) Olive oil or vegetable oil for brushing 4 cups lettuce, washed, dried, and in bite-sized pieces (any type or mix will do) 2 tablespoons citrus juice—lemon, orange, tangerine or a mixture 2 tablespoons olive oil [...]
Ingredients for this recipe were included in The FruitGuys TakeHome box. Order yours today! www.fruitguys.com
By Heidi Lewis Here they come, rolling into town— They get the hungriest looks from, everyone around— [drum fill…] Hey, hey, they’re the summer fruits! And they’re super duper cute! It may not quite be summer—but that point is moot! When summer fruits start to arrive in May, there’s a bit of a giddy vibe [...]
Everything you always wanted to know about stone fruit (but were afraid to ask) Stone fruit season is coming. Here’s a primer on some of our favorites. Stone fruit that is woven into the pit is called “cling.” Fruit that has less fiber woven into the pit is called “semi-cling.” And fruit that is free [...]
Beauty, but friends call it “Beaut” for short is an early smooth red plum with yellow flesh. Good plum to know on a first name basis.
The origin of the buttery Alexander Lucas pear and who Alexander was are uncertain, but it is a European variety. Alexander Lucas pears are usually the biggest ones on the block. Green and juicy, they are very much like a D’Anjou in sweetness and texture. Thanks Mr. Lucas — wherever you are!
Plumcot is a hybrid of a plum and apricot invented by Luther Burbank. Similar to pluot, except that the Plumcot is a half and half combination.
Plumcot is a hybrid of a plum and apricot invented by Luther Burbank. Flavorella is golden with a slight blush.
“Baseball is really two sports – the Summer Game and the Autumn Game. One is a leisurely pastime of our national mythology. The other is not so gentle.” Thomas Boswell from How Life Imitates the World Series. Casselman plum, a red freckled plum, last of the season.
Rainier White, White Caps, Dove, Linen, Bone, Blanco, Acoustic White, Eggshell, Sierra, Frost, Mist. It’s no longer simple to pick up a bucket of white paint. Arctic Mist nectarines are white fleshed and low-acid. This freestone is variegated red and green.
By Chris Mittelstaedt There’s a fast-paced smart device game called “Fingerzilla” that lets you rain Godzilla-like destruction down upon virtual cityscapes and towns using only your finger. While being at the helm of such fiery chaos may make users feel invincible, the truth is that we are all at the mercy of the elements in [...]
Recipe by Tanya Milosevich INGREDIENTS 3–5 plums, peaches, and/or nectarines, cut in quarters, stones removed Juice of one Valencia orange 3 tablespoons sugar Slices of baguette, toasted 1 1/2 cups fresh ricotta cheese PREPARATION Put orange juice and sugar in a pan and heat until sugar is dissolved. Put stone fruit in the pan and [...]
Ingredients for this recipe were included in The FruitGuys TakeHome box. Order yours today! www.fruitguys.com
By Chris Mittelstaedt When O’Henry peaches start to appear, I think of O. Henry—the turn-of-the-century American short story writer who wrote The Gift of the Magi, a story about a young married man who sells his watch to buy his newlywed wife a beautiful set of combs for her long hair. Of course at the same time, without [...]
By Chris Mittelstaedt Maybe you think I write too much about my kids. I kind of agree, but man, do they give me good material. Last week, for example, when I told them we would be getting pluots for this week’s cases, they ran with it. “Plupups?” my daughter said. “No,” I said, “pluots.” “Dad’s getting plu-pots [...]
Adapted from epicurious.com INGREDIENTS 3–4 ripe peaches, nectarines, and/or apricots, pitted and chopped 3/4 to 1 cup Greek-style yogurt (1/4 cup for each piece of fruit) 1/2 cup granulated sugar 1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice 1/3 cup water Pinch of salt 2 tablespoons Amaretto (optional) PREPARATION Equipment needed includes 8 (1/3-cup) ice pop molds and [...]
Ingredients for this recipe were included in The FruitGuys TakeHome box. Order yours today! www.fruitguys.com
Courtesy of Delilah’s Farm INGREDIENTS 1 cup very coarsely chopped plums 1 cup very coarsely chopped nectarines 1 cup grapes, cut in half 1/2 cup orange juice 1/4 cup agave nectar 8 slices white or egg bread, crusts removed Whipped cream or ice cream (optional) PREPARATION Heat fruit, orange juice, and agave nectar in a [...]
Ingredients for this recipe were included in The FruitGuys TakeHome box. Order yours today! www.fruitguys.com
By Chris Mittelstaedt It’s summer and I’m 12. We’ve been riding around the block for the last month on our banana-seat bikes. We are a motorcycle gang, with playing cards duct-taped to the back struts of our bike frames, clicking against the spokes menacingly, like souped-up game show prize-wheels letting anyone watering their yard know [...]
By Chris Mittelstaedt We’re so organized it’s almost bewildering. All week long we’ve been going down the checklist helping the kids get ready for camp. “Sleeping bags?” “Got it, Dad!” “Flashlight?” “Daaadd! I’ve got it!” All three of my kids are heading into the Sierras for two weeks. There will be songs, canoeing, archery—it brings back memories [...]
By Chris Mittelstaedt I was recently given a copy of Robert Palter’s The Duchess of Malfi’s Apricots, and Other Literary Fruits. It’s a great reference book if you like those moments of clarity when writers unravel the human condition in simple observations of nature, like the blush of an apricot or the fragrant night-flowering of [...]
By Chris Mittelstaedt My daughters are in a rock band. One plays bass and the other drums. My 10-year old drummer has a problem with The Go-Go’s song “We Got The Beat.” “I keep losing my beat,” she says. “Have you looked in the root vegetables bin?” I chuckle. “Dad, not that kind of beet,” [...]
For many a peach eater, the stone fruit season is a quest in capturing a taste experience, be it from childhood or last year. “Smell is a potent wizard that transports us across thousands of miles and all the years we have lived. The odors of fruits waft me to my southern home, to my [...]
Ingredients for this recipe were included in The FruitGuys TakeHome box. Order yours today! www.fruitguys.com
Fruito the Ripenificent was a world famous fruit magician. For years he had competed for top billing against Vern the Vegetastic until Vern suffered a fatal injury while trying to extricate himself from a giant zucchini flower into which he had been stuffed head first (top hat, tails, and all) before it was filled with [...]
In the pantheon of great lyrical misunderstandings I remember this: summer sunlight circa mid-1970s and me dancing around our living room while singing at the top of my lungs to the “The Age of Aquarius” by The Fifth Dimension on my parents’ cabinet stereo system. Me (falsetto): “This is the dawning of the Age of [...]
Nessie, the six-month-old chocolate lab, tears through the house wanting nothing more than to lick the cat until it becomes her friend. A puffed up and spitting blur of fur trailed by a bottle brush tail screams past my feet wishing it were just a floating Cheshire smile as the dog slides around the corner to beat a path [...]
In the fruit world, spring is the hardest time of year. Summer brings its abundance of stone fruits, Fall its apples, pears, persimmons, and pomegranates, and Winter all varieties of citrus that grow under the sun, but springtime . . . well that’s another story. In California, we really only see two fresh crops in [...]
The apricot is a species of the genus Prunus, along with its stone fruit sisters, plum, peach, and cherry, and its cousin almond. Apricots found their way through history and geography, emigrating from Asia Minor. The word “apricot” is thought to derive from the Arabic “al-birquq.” They are a tantalizing fruit, admired for their beauty [...]
Stone fruit season is here, the peaches, plums, apricots, and cherries will be rolling into fruit cases for the next few months. First to the table are the fruits from orchards in California’s San Joaquin Valley. Then each region, in a procession from Central Valley toward the Pacific Coast, will begin popping out fruit. Here [...]
How many people say “worth two in the bush!” when they enter the town limits of Bird-in-Hand in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania? We don’t know. Benn, The FruitGuys’ East Coast buyer, is headed into Bird-in-Hand to talk with Kauffman’s Fruit Farm, a 5th generation orchard and market, about their sweet yellow peaches. They have hundreds of [...]
Calling all FruitFriends! Watch The FruitGuys’ CEO Chris Mittelstaedt describe how to pick and eat the juiciest stone fruits. Learn about the different varieties and which fruits are sweetest. Also get tips to store and enjoy your peaches, nectarines, plums, apricots and cherries during these hot summer months. Watch the video here.
This week, we spent a day driving through the Brentwood agriculture corridor hunting of the perfect nectarine. Brentwood is only a 90 minutes drive from San Francisco and is a perfect oasis near the California Delta. For decades, Brentwood has been known for its bountiful cropland and u-pick opportunities; and our fruit buyer, Dan Lemley, [...]
Shaped like a golden bean, these sweet yellow mangos are sometimes also referred to as Champagne or Manilla mangos. This special-season mango evokes a tropical celebration that will send your taste buds so far East your hat will float. Mango trees (mangifera indica) are a distant relative of the pistachio and cashew trees. Mango skin [...]
There are as many as 200 cultivars of European and Asian plums. Plums are high in fiber and low in sugars, an ideal snack. Autumn Beaut is a round, medium sized purplish-red plum with smooth skin & sweet juicy flesh.
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