Food

Winter Citrus Guide

By Pia Hinckle on

Winter is the peak of the citrus season. Officially beginning on the winter solstice (December 21), the bright shades of orange, red, pink, yellow and green of citrus add brightness and light to the …

Fall Fruit Guide 2021

By The FruitGuys on

The Fall equinox on September 22 marks the transition to shorter days across our hemisphere. Autumn also brings an abundance of tasty fall fruit, especially the peak of apple, grape, and pear season. …

Fourth of July Fruit Dishes

By Rae Lindenberg on

The Fourth of July brings to mind so many different images simultaneously: afternoons by a pool, American flags fluttering on front porches, and delicious food hot off the grill. From the …

Classic Guacamole Recipe

By Julie Genther on

The Aztecs first made guacamole in the 16th century by mashing avocados. The name “guacamole” comes from the Nahuati word, āhuacamolli, which literally means “avocado sauce.” Avocados have high fat …

The Best Gravenstein Apple Pie Recipe

By Pia Hinckle on

Each August, Sebastopol holds its annual Gravenstein Apple Fair to celebrate the county's treasured heirloom apple. The 2020 fair has been cancelled due to the Corona-19 crisis, however we can still …

Summer Fruit Guide 2020

By Pia Hinckle on

Summer for many of us is tied to the memory of a perfect piece of fruit: the cherry eating contest with your sister you won that June; the first bite of the ripest peach you ever tasted in July; the …

Summer Peach Drink: Peaches and Wine

By Pia Hinckle on

Summer is the perfect time for peaches and wine! Peaches are harvested across the U.S. from late May to early September, with local varieties having their own special windows of availability. No …

Easy Blueberry Chia Seed Pudding

By Pia Hinckle on

Chia seed pudding topped with blueberries is a powerhouse breakfast packed with fiber, antioxidants, and healthy fats. And it couldn't be easier to make overnight so it's ready to enjoy in the …

Potato Frittata

By Pia Hinckle on

Frittata are a delicious and versatile Italian baked egg dish that can be eaten for breakfast, lunch or dinner. Perfect for when you don’t know what to cook but have some eggs on hand. You can add …

How to Make Soffritto

By Pia Hinckle on

Soffritto is the Italian version of the French Mirepoix and is the base for many soups, sauces, stews, and braises. Use this as a base for our Easy Lentil Soup  or any braised meats.  Soffritto …

Easy Lentil Soup

By Pia Hinckle on

“Comfort food” gets its name for a good reason and I'm a big fan of making easy, comforting soups like this Lentil Soup, that can feed a crowd.  Even if you are a crowd of one, it's handy to have the …

Spring Fruit Guide 2020

By Elisabeth Flynn on

It’s a spring like no other, with most of us hunkered down at home and waiting for the waiting to be over. While we wait, you can enjoy the bounty of spring fruit that The FruitGuys will be bringing …

The FruitGuys Response to COVID-19

By The FruitGuys on

March 2020 We will get to the other side of this---together. We wish you, your employees, your vendors, your customers, and their families the best, and especially good health. Please let us know of …

Your Winter Fruit Guide

By The FruitGuys on

Winter is upon us, so it's time for our winter fruit guide. In some regions that means the coming of blustery, frigid weather, and bundling up beneath layers of clothes. Others enjoy a more mild …

The Tale of the Bronx Grape

By The FruitGuys on

What's the best table grape you’ve ever eaten? We think it will be replaced by the organic Bronx seedless table grape from Lagier Ranches in Escalon, CA. These tiny globes of pleasure have been …

Why Seasonal Fruit is Good for You

By Jack Owens on

Eating seasonal fruit is one of life’s great joys, and it’s good for your body too. Seasonal fruit is also a great reward for employees because it boosts their health and morale all year long. …

Eat the Endangered Gravenstein Apple

By Pia Hinckle on

“Farming is a complex math problem,” sighs Dave Hale as he looks sadly at piles of wood chips that had been Gravenstein apple trees in the lot next to his thriving Sebastopol, CA, orchard. He tended …

How to Make Stone Fruit Jams & Butters

By Pia Hinckle on

If you love summer stone fruit—peaches, apricots, nectarines, and plums—then you’ll love preserving some of it as jams and butters to eat when summer is long gone. Early summer is a perfect time to …

Honeydew How-To!

By The FruitGuys on

There are actually many ways to cut and eat a honeydew melon. After rinsing well to remove dirt or other residue that may be on the rind, the melon can be cut widthwise or lengthwise and left in …

Summer Whites: Peaches and Nectarines

By Heidi Lewis on

A fashion edict of the 20th century was “only wear white between Easter and Labor Day.” Wearing white flapper dresses, knickerbockers, and shoes in summer has its practical purposes, and eating white …

The Wonderful World of Alliums

By The FruitGuys on

There is nary a cuisine that doesn’t include allium vegetables. Onions, garlic, leeks, shallots, and scallions are all members of the Allium genus and are fundamental to so many dishes that cooking …

The Love Apple

By Heidi Lewis on

The French called the tomato the pomme d’amour, or the Love Apple, for their belief that the exotic tomato had aphrodisiac powers. Tomatoes might not be responsible for romance in people, but eating …

Sweet as Ataulfo Honey

By Chris Mittelstaedt on

When I first heard someone say, “Ataulfo,” I nearly said, “Gesundheit!” The Ataulfo mango is sometimes referred to as the “champagne mango.” And it makes me think of that line from the Van Morrison …

All About Oranges

By Stephanie Rosenbaum Klassen on

Juicy, refreshing, and packed with vitamin C, orange citrus comes into season on the West Coast just in time to brighten winter tables—and help combat the season’s colds and flu. California’s …

Winter Stews for Lunch

By Pia Hinckle on

The short, cold days of winter often have us craving warm, nourishing meals—the kind we refer to as “comfort food” for good reason. I’m a big fan of large-batch winter cooking: making soups, stews, …

Seasons Change: Winter Fruit Guide

By Elisabeth Flynn on

When the weather outside is frightful, it can be tempting to curl up on the couch and indulge in so-called “comfort” foods—many of which are a far cry from a healthy choice. But during the winter …

Meal Prep for Lunch Success

By Miriam Wolf on

Taking your lunch to work every day can save you a lot of money—and calories. But getting in the habit can be a challenge. Scrounging in the fridge at 7 a.m. to try and throw something together for …

Applesauce and Latkes: Hanukkah’s Favorite Couple

By Stephanie Rosenbaum Klassen on

Anyone who celebrates Hanukkah, the Festival of Lights, knows that homemade applesauce is the perfect accompaniment for latkes or potato pancakes. Made from nothing but chopped apples simmered with …

Sliced Persimmon and Winter Squash Salad

By Rebecca Dienner on

Recipe by Rebecca Dienner for The FruitGuys Two of winter's tastiest treats—squash and persimmon—come together in this healthy, colorful salad recipe. INGREDIENTS Winter squash, 2 cups, …

Navels vs. Valencias

By Julie Collins on

Navel oranges (the “winter” orange) and Valencia oranges (the “summer” orange) are similar in flavor and appearance, but what distinguishes one from the other? Oranges are one of the most commonly …

Roll Your Own Sushi

By The FruitGuys on

Whether it's a birthday, a Japanese-themed New Year's Day party, a dinner gathering, or simply lunch at work, we like to celebrate with sushi. It’s fun to make hand rolls with friends and to …

Stone Fruit 101

By T.J. Ford on

Biting into a warm, ripe peach and feeling the sweet juice dribble down your chin is one of the hallmarks of summer. Or perhaps you’re savoring a hot slice of nectarine and blueberry pie? Fresh from …

Avocado Addiction

By Miriam Wolf on

It’s certainly no secret that we’re eating more avocados. Guacamole, avocado egg boats, grain bowls topped with avocado. Avocado toast has become so ubiquitous in certain parts of the country that …

Staff Thanksgiving Recipes

By The FruitGuys on

Thanksgiving is a time for sharing. It’s in that spirit that we share some favorite recipes from FruitGuys staffers and alumni. Is it a coincidence that all of them star the season’s best fruits and …

The Power of Pomegranates

By Miriam Wolf on

Of all the autumn fruits, the pomegranate is the most elegant and exotic. Leathery skin protects a tightly packed network of brilliant red juice-filled arils (the official name of the jewel-like …

Fall for Salads

By Miriam Wolf on

The days growing shorter and the air is growing cooler—it’s fall. And that means it’s time to return to the warmth of the kitchen to cook up some of autumn’s fruits and vegetables. But even though …

Meal-Prep School

By Miriam Wolf on

If you ask a group of people what helps them lose or maintain weight, chances are a significant portion of them will point to meal prep as the secret ingredient to their success. Jake Hickok, a …

Slow and Easy

By Miriam Wolf on

Summer is a funny season, especially if you work in an office. It’s hot outside, and commuting through the heat drains you. But your office is so air-conditioned that you need to take a sweater, and …

Summer in a Jar

By Miriam Wolf on

For veggie lovers, late summer is the best season. Summer produce is at its peak right now,  and gardens are overflowing with sun-warmed veggies. But even if you don’t have a plot of land to till, you …

Summer Fruit Salads

By Miriam Wolf on

Now that hot weather is upon us, all signs point to fruit salad. Many fruits are at their peak in July and August, so eating as much of your favorites as possible should be high on your summer to-do …

Celebrate Spring with Strawberries

By Miriam Wolf on

The strawberry is a symbol of the promise of spring after a long winter. While midsummer’s lush, plump cherries whisper of sultry nights on the back porch spitting pits into the garden, strawberries …

Yoga for Digestion

By Rebecca Taggart on

Nothing is more traditional than eating large festive meals, starting at Thanksgiving and continuing right on through New Year’s Eve.  With the days getting colder and darker, we also tend to exercise …

Fall Salad with Persimmon and Pear

By Tanya Milosevich on

INGREDIENTS ½ pound mixed greens, washed and spun dry Two Fuyu persimmons, seeded and sliced (peel is edible but optional) 1–2 medium-size ripe pears, seeded and sliced Juice of 1 …

From D’Anjou to Seckel: The Pleasure of Pears

By Miriam Wolf on

Pears have been with us for centuries—dried slices of the fruit have been found in cave dwellings in Switzerland dating back to the Ice Age, and written documentation of the pear goes back 2,500 …

Objet d’Art: The Pomegranate

By Heidi Lewis on

At the Still Life Modeling Agency, the pomegranate gets callbacks all the time. You can see why—it’s such an intriguing fruit. Its beautiful maroon color, its little calyx crown, and it is burgundy …

Back-to-School Lunches

By Miriam Wolf on

A crispness is sneaking into the morning air and the leaves are ever-so-slightly turning yellow. Children across this great land of ours are sending up a wail and gnashing their teeth—summer is almost …

Tapas with Fruit for Labor Day

By Cathryn Domrose on

The best Labor Day celebrations involve getting outside, enjoying good company, and savoring not just the fruits of labor, but the fruits of this special season as summer fades and fall beckons. My …

Asian Pear

By The FruitGuys on

Sometimes called "apple pears" because of their apple-like shape and pear-like taste, Asian pears are probably one of the first domesticated fruits. With hundreds of cultivars, varieties include …

Vanilla-Roasted Stone Fruit

By Miriam Wolf on

In June, we must eat stone fruit. Stone fruits are those fruits that consist of flesh surrounding a single hard pit. They include peaches, nectarines, plums, apricots, cherries, and even mangoes. …

Ode to a Beloved Berry

By Miriam Wolf on

Is there a word that brings as much hope to the heart as “springtime”? Grass, leaves, and flowers burst forth after their winter slumber, and the world smells fresh and new. And there are …

Spring for Lunch

By Miriam Wolf on

The season of renewal is here and with it, the fruits and vegetables we’ve been craving all winter long. These three salads take advantage of the ingredients that just shout “spring!”—Asparagus, …

Avocados—Like Buttah, Only Better!

By Heidi Lewis on

The avocado originated in south-central Mexico about 10,000 years ago. It was several millennia before wild avocado trees were cultivated and many more before the Hass avocado—the most common variety …

Easy Heart-Healthy Lunches

By Miriam Wolf on

When it comes to what’s healthy to eat these days, there is undoubtedly conflicting information. Dietary factions bicker like a cranky old married couple. But whether you’re paleo or plant-based or …

The Care and Feeding of Kiwis

By Chris Mittelstaedt on

(Throat clearing) “Excuse me—we have a strict ‘no pets’ policy here.” “I don’t have any pets.” “What do you call that cute, fuzzy brown thing you’re petting?” “A kiwifruit.” (Pause) …

Asian and European Pears Share Ancestry

By FruitGuys Staff on

Separated at Birth What most of us recognize as a classic pear is the European pear (Pyrus communis), cultivated since the Bronze Age—the Botticelli form, Audrey Hepburn neck, and colors ranging from …

Go Nuts!

By Miriam Wolf on

Every so often I remember that as a kid, I didn’t like peanut butter and I’m shocked anew by how much I’ve changed. These days, I am a little bit obsessed with it. And by “a little bit,” I mean “a …

Outstanding Oatmeal

By Miriam Wolf on

Little orphan boys like Oliver aren’t the only ones craving extra bowls of porridge this time of year, especially when the porridge is a warming bowl of oatmeal. The humble bowl of oats earned a …

Going Bananas

By Chris Mittelstaedt on

Long before I started wearing a banana suit to encourage people to eat more of them, American consumers were instructed in how to peel and eat the famous Cavendish, or sweet, banana: “It is eaten raw, …

Food of the Gods

By Stephanie Rosenbaum Klassen on

Chocolate surrounds us. We treat ourselves with it. We use it to express our devotion to the ones we love. We crave it, we adore it—but how often do we think about where it comes from? Like many of …

Think Outside the Fruit Bowl

By Rebecca Taggart on

There is more to fruit than meets the taste buds. The vitamins, phytochemicals, and fruit acids that make fruit so healthy can also be effective ingredients in homemade beauty products, natural …

Clock In and Eat

By The Lunch Lady on

The Lunch Lady is not dogmatic about breakfast. The Lunch Lady believes that if you eat breakfast and it works for you – i.e., you are maintaining your weight and health – that’s awesome. And if …

Strawberry Alarm Clock

By Heidi Lewis on

Today’s strawberry, Fragaria ananassa, with its large, practically perfect berries is the culmination of selective breeding going back centuries to when strawberries were tiny, rare, and found only at …


Naked Lunch

By Miriam Wolf on

The mason jar—that humble, old-fashioned glass canning jar—has taken the place of the bento box as the latest lunchtime accessory.  And why not? Using a quart-size jar as a container for salad is a …

Seeing Red

By Miriam Wolf on

Valentine’s Day may have been co-opted by greeting card companies, chocolate makers, and the romantic love-crowd, but there are so many different kinds of love that I’d argue for a more inclusive …

Kiwi

By The FruitGuys on

What fruit has the vitamin C of an orange, the potassium of half a banana, and the fiber of a half-cup of bran flakes? Hint: It's furry. Answer: Kiwi. Enjoy kiwis by peeling and slicing, or cut …

Oro Blanco Grapefruit

By The FruitGuys on

A hybrid developed in 1958 at UC Riverside, yellow oro blanco gets its puffy coat from pomelo and sweet spritzy flavor from white grapefruit. Its thick skin and mild, seedless flesh create a nice …

Taylor’s Gold Pear

By The FruitGuys on

A happy accident! Discovered in a pear orchard in Nelson, New Zealand, in 1986, Taylor's Gold is thought to be a "sport" (a variety or strain resulting from another variety) of the Comice pear. Sweet …

Opal Apple

By The FruitGuys on

You wouldn't want to bite into the iridescent precious stone opal, but you would an Opal apple. Hailing from a cross of the Golden Delicious and Topaz apples,  the Opal's sweet-tangy and extra crunchy …

FruitGuys Favorites: Seeing Orange

By FruitGuys Staff on

We asked The FruitGuys staffers to pony up with their favorite Thanksgiving side dishes. And maybe we’re all watching a little too much Netflix, but all the recipes featured a main ingredient with a …

Persimmon

By FruitGuys Staff on

A herald of winter in many regions is the persimmon. Where the rain or even sleet has begun, the bare persimmon tree, with its orange ornaments, makes a striking silhouette against the grey horizon. …

Crunchy Gold Apple Pear

By The FruitGuys on

Love the satisfying crunch of an apple and the sweet juicy flesh of a pear? Then you’re going to fall head over heels for the unique Crunchy Gold apple-pear from California’s family-run Kingsburg …

Sour Cherries

By FruitGuys Staff on

Pucker up! Traditionally reserved for pie bakers and jam makers, Sour Cherries give their fresh tart-sweet burst of flavor a try before you cook "em up. Nutrient-rich sour cherries have even more …

Chandler Strawberry

By FruitGuys Staff on

Chandlers are big. Big in popularity, big in flavor and big in size. They're the ones that are big enough to slice for treats like strawberry shortcake. Or if you're short on cake-- they stand up …

Cranberries

By The FruitGuys on

British journalist Alistair Cooke called cranberry sauce an “unchallengeable American doctrine” of Thanksgiving dinner. The sauce can be prepared in many ways: with orange zest, ginger, cabernet, or …

Dapple Dandy Pluot

By The FruitGuys on

The Dapple Dandy Pluot is a sweet plum-apricot flavored pluot with beautifully dappled skin. These pluots contain fiber and complex sugars for sustained energy, and the taste is fantastic. …

Rosemary for Remembrance

By Heidi Lewis on

In Hamlet, Shakespeare’s Ophelia dispenses some crazy wisdom in the scene when she hands out flowers and herbs: “There’s rosemary, that’s for remembrance.” Miss O might’ve been referring to one of …

Summer’s Nectar: Stone Fruit

By Rebecca Taggart on

  The sweet smell of peaches at farmer’s markets heralds the official arrival of summer.   Stone fruit season is here! Nothing captures the golden light of summer like the varied hues of …

Feeling and Seeding Spring

By FruitGuys Staff on

Why is it that in spring we have that hankering to get our hands in the dirt? That urge to plan and to plant; to go to the nursery and load up our wagons with little pots of promise for a great summer …

Concord Grapes

By The FruitGuys on

Young Vitis labrusca aka the Fox Grape grew up on a farm in Concord MA in the 1850s. Hitching the rails to Hollywood and then shooting to stardom in TV-land under the moniker "Concord" this grape …

Concorde Pear

By The FruitGuys on

Pears with necks as lovely as Audrey Hepburn. Concordes combine the crispness of Conference pears and the juiciness of the Comice. A fairly new variety bred in England, these pears have a brilliant …

Comice Pear

By The FruitGuys on

The Doyenne Du Comice was developed in France in the mid-1800s and is widely grown on the west coast. It can be recognized by its bulbous shape and dimple underneath. It has a green color when firm …

Clementine

By FruitGuys Staff on

The Clementine is undoubtedly a darling. Developed by Father Clement Rodier from a sweet tangerine and the somewhat bitter Seville orange. A zipper peel with few seeds and tangy taste. The Clementine …

Chojuro Asian Pear

By The FruitGuys on

Ripe Chojuro Asian pears are known for their delicious, butterscotch flavor. Asian pears are sometimes mistaken for apples because of their crispness and round shape. …

Chinese Honey Mandarin

By FruitGuys Staff on

Also known as Ponkan. One of the oldest and most popular mandarin tangerines thought to have originated in India. Ponkan is distinctive for its oblate shape, often having a short "collar" or neck. …

Cherry Tomato

By FruitGuys Staff on

Nature's candy. Cherry tomatoes have 23 mg Vitamin C per cup, and about one calorie per tomato. The free radical fighting antioxidant lycopene is tomato's gift to you. Cooking concentrates the …

Benton Cherries

By FruitGuys Staff on

Benton is a registered trademark name for a dark red cherry that ripens the same time as the Bing - "rounda 'bouta bing" you might say. It is a large, sweet cherry.   …

The Spring Forager

By Elizabeth Weinstein on

Just off one of Washington, D.C.'s busiest interstates, a group of George Mason University students has gathered in a lush nature preserve, armed with collection bags, cameras, and some of the area’s …

Charentais Melon

By FruitGuys Staff on

A melon with many devotees like Fruit Detective David Karp who called it "the best melon in the world." Alexander Dumas was so passionate about the Charentais that he donated 300 of his books to the …

Cavendish Banana

By FruitGuys Staff on

If you prefer your bananas with pedigree, then the Cavendish is for you. It has peerage - so you may address your banana as Duke, Marquess, Earl, Viscount - or Baron Banana. But if our banana doesn't …

Champagne Grapes

By FruitGuys Staff on

Dah-ling, what better way to kick off the morning meeting than with itsy bitsy champagne grapes. Black Corinth grapes, sweetie. Corinth as in Greece, as in Onassis. These grapes are just the cutest …

Brooks Cherries

By FruitGuys Staff on

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. …

Canary Melon

By FruitGuys Staff on

Put some Harry Belafonte singing Yellow Bird on the hi-fi and cut open a sweet Canary Melon for a double tropical treat. Yellow rind and pale green flesh. …

Zucchini Ribbon Salad

By Rebecca Dienner on

INGREDIENTS 1 large or 2 small zucchini, cut into ribbons (about 3 cups) 2–3 medium beets, roasted and cut into bite-size wedges 2–3 shallots, minced 1 cup carrots, shredded 1 1/2 …

Canadice Grapes

By FruitGuys Staff on

Fruit mascots everywhere have their tailors look at the Canadice grape for inspiration. Luscious reddish-purple orbs cascade beautifully down the vine.   …

Black Mission Fig

By FruitGuys Staff on

The tear-dropped shape contains "A taste of honey. Tasting much sweeter than wine. I dream of your first kiss and then..." This fruit of desire goes way-way back to the Old Testament and the very …

Bisbee Red Delicious Apple

By FruitGuys Staff on

Originally hailing from Iowa in the late 19th century, Red Delicious is the quintessential apple. The Bisbee is sweet, crisp & flavorful - perhaps the best Red Delicious. …

Blue Ray Blueberries

By FruitGuys Staff on

Blue Ray Blueberries are big, juicy early blueberries. Blueberries are power packed with nutrients. Add some sweet notes to your yogurt or granola by tossing in a few of these real-deal berries. …

Blackberry

By FruitGuys Staff on

Blackberry thumb is what some call the sickness of too much texting. [:-(] At the Emerging Technology Conference in San Diego, the theme was "The Attention Economy," Linda Stone spoke of a "continuous …

Blood Orange

By The FruitGuys on

Don't be alarmed by this fruit's blood-red interior. The taste is excellent - think orange with a tart hint of berry. Blood Oranges are native to the Mediterranean. …

Black Plum

By The FruitGuys on

Black and Blue. There's a battle in the fruit department; the fruits are fighting over who has more antioxidant carotenoids. But it is the USDA that says Black Plums are exceptionally high in an assay …

Bosc Pear

By The FruitGuys on

The elegant Bosc pear is distinguished by its dark gold skin and cinnamon russeting. These pear's ancestors hail from Belgium and so speak Walloon. To check for ripeness, first greet your pear "Dií¨ …

Blue Velvet Apricot

By The FruitGuys on

Roy Orbison's "In Dreams" haunts David Lynch's neo-noir movie more than the title song, Blue Velvet. The Blue Velvet is an aprium, which is a plum and apricot hybrid. One bite of this golden-fleshed …

Black Grapes

By FruitGuys Staff on

Grapes are a fat-free, low-calorie snack. A cup of grapes is only around 100 calories. Grapes of all varieties are high in vitamins C and K and contain potassium and fiber. …

Bing Cherries

By FruitGuys Staff on

Yeah! Cherries! A fruit so packed with taste and lore, in poems, paintings, and punk rock songs- how we worship this fine little fruit. For many the first cherries are a sign of spring and renewal, …

Bearss Lime

By FruitGuys Staff on

Tart and fragrant limes are the key acidity in many cuisines. Just scratch and sniff the peel for a ticket to paradise, or a squirt a wedge to transform plain water into a tropical refreshment. Also …

Bartlett Pear

By FruitGuys Staff on

The dear Bartlett pear was originated in Berkshire England by a schoolmaster named Stair. He sold his cuttings to a horticulturist called Williams, who gave this new pear his name. When the pear …

Banana

By FruitGuys Staff on

Here at the FruitGuys, we like to dress up like bananas, because we love bananas! A perfect food, only 110 calories, 4g fiber, 1g of protein and high in potassium and Vitamin C. We love the elegant …

Oro Blanco Pummelo

By The FruitGuys on

Ah, a romantic fruit. The oroblanco’s soft pillowy skin and flowery scent puff little heart clouds and “plinks” of harp strings into the air when you open one. Spanish for “white gold,” the oroblanco …

Ambersweet Orange

By FruitGuys Staff on

A hybrid of the Clementine and Orlando tangelo, the Ambersweet is practically seedless. A bit of an oddball, this citrus can be more pyramid than sphere, with pebbly, easy-to-peel skin. …

Autumn Royal Grapes

By FruitGuys Staff on

A true aristocrat - loyal subjects must wait in the hot summer sun for this fancy grape to show up. Elongated deep purple berry - this grape is a prince among table grapes. …

Autumn Glory Apple

By FruitGuys Staff on

Symonym, cinn-man-ym. Cin-a-mon. Whew! Autumn Glory is a new apple from Washington which is a cross between Fuji and Golden Delicious with a hint of cinnamon. They are not GMO. Now can you say …

Aurora Apple

By The FruitGuys on

Aurora is a golden apple. Not the one the Greek huntress Atlanta raced Hippomenes for, this golden apple is much easier to find. Just look in your FruitGuys box! …

Fire Sweet Yellow Nectarine

By The FruitGuys on

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. …

Jujube

By The FruitGuys on

Pronounced “joo-joo-bee,” the jujube is a small, red, round fruit that, when dried, has a consistency and sweetness similar to dried dates. Dried jujubes are high in vitamins and minerals (especially …

Albion Strawberry

By FruitGuys Staff on

Albion strawberries are the variety that put strawberries front and center in terms of market and availability. This vigorous and big berry has made it possible to have strawberries more often …

Angelcot

By The FruitGuys on

What do you get when you cross a cherubic Hummel figurine and an apricot? An Angelcot. Developed by Ross Sanborn, this unique short season apricot is notable for its very pale yellow—almost white …

Algerian Mandarin

By The FruitGuys on

Unlike thugs with hearts of stone and irreconcilable nicknames like Bugsy, Sonny, Fifi, or Baby Face, mandarins have truly sweet pseudonyms. The clementine is sometime called "The Algerian" because it …

Hamlin Orange

By FruitGuys Staff on

The first of the citrus season, Hamlin are an important juice orange, great cut into slices (or smiles). This improved variety from the Azores Islands was imported by Thomas Rivers in 1865. …

Daisy Tangerine

By The FruitGuys on

Daisy is an American tangerine. Named after a pretty girl, sweet as can be with orange skin and full of vitamin C to give you a boost for the cold season as well. …

Date

By FruitGuys Staff on

Fruit of the Date Palm - from the Greek word for finger dáktulos. The date is one of the most ancient of our cultivated foods. Gift to the gods, indulgence of rajas, and sustenance to nomads - the …

Medjool Dates

By FruitGuys Staff on

Medjool dates are natives of Morocco, the jewels of the date world, tasting of caramel and honey,   A dessert date, Medjools were saved for royalty and special guests. They are a soft date that comes …

Mangosteen

By FruitGuys Staff on

The Mangosteen is truly exotic, when opened it looks like a tropical orchid. In fruit hunting lore, Queen Victoria set a bounty of 100 pounds sterling for one fresh one. …

Nonni’s Biscotti

By Pia Hinckle on

Classic Italian Cookies for the New Year By Pia Hinckle Biscotti are twice-baked biscuits, cookies but not too sweet, that originated in Tuscany, in the town of Prato, to be exact. My Italian …

POW! Right in the Kisser

By Chris Mittelstaedt on

Grapefruit will not be ignored. If you dig into one, you are just as likely to get a clownish squirt in the eye as to have your other senses treated to a trumpeter’s storm of fragrance and color. The …

Cherries

By FruitGuys Staff on

Cherries are tasty and delicious but also a super food – researchers have found that cherries may help you sleep better, avoid jet lag, and possibly lessen the symptoms of arthritis and gout. The …

The Bright Sunshine of Citrus

By Heidi Lewis on

The Season of the Navel Orange, Grapefruit, and Mandarin By Heidi Lewis The bright sunshine of citrus has begun streaming in! Although ostensibly citrus is available year-round, a series of citrus …

20th Century Asian Pear

By The FruitGuys on

The 20th Century  (or Nijisseiki) is an Asian pear discovered in 1898, Matsudo City, Japan. This green-yellow pear has become one of the most widely grown Asian apple pears in the world and has …

Dragon Fruit

By FruitGuys Staff on

Dragon fruit—an exotic oblate orb with its lovely dragon scales—grows in tropical regions, such as Mexico, Thailand, Vietnam—even Florida. It is known by a variety of names—dragon scale, green dragon, …

Valencia Orange

By FruitGuys Staff on

Citrus waves are rolling in like an endless summer, brah. The primo Valencia is old-school orange. A tangy treat to take down the hall to the dawn patrol.  The Valencia "re-greens" as it ripens on the …

Sweetie Apple

By The FruitGuys on

When Edina or Patsy, the characters from the BBC show AbFab, called anyone "sweetie," it just meant trouble. In contrast, the Sweetie apple, a Gala/Braeburn cross, is nothing but sweet, wholesome …

Papaya

By FruitGuys Staff on

Succulent exotic papaya. It has many healthful properties, being high in vitamins, fiber, and lycopene - but can cause issues for people with latex allergies. September is National Papaya month - so …

Autumn Crisp Apple

By The FruitGuys on

Developed at the famous Upstate New York Cornell Research Station, the Autumn Crisp lives up to its name—snap crackle pop—an extra crisp red apple. Also, slow to brown—so will hold up in salads. …

Pink Pearl Apple

By FruitGuys Staff on

Surprise! What is this? The pink swirl inside this heritage apple is no mistake. Jules Verne would plumb the world over for this pearl, but you need only look in your FruitGuys box for this gem. …

Sommerfeld Apple

By FruitGuys Staff on

Discovered in a Gala and Fuji orchard, assumed to be a cross of both of these celebrity apples. Sommerfeld apples are yellow with red striping. A California original. …

Rome Beauty Apple

By FruitGuys Staff on

Round and red. A fine cultivar originating from Rome Township, Ohio prior to 1848. …

York Apple

By FruitGuys Staff on

The York Apple is an heirloom apple from the Pennsylvania countryside where the turnpikes turn. Fruit Buyer Benn said, "Firm, crisp, and juicy. They look like a speckly Gala." …

Tsugaru Apple

By FruitGuys Staff on

Prominent in Japan, the Tsugaru apple is now popular here in America too. A beautiful red-shouldered over yellow. Similar to Golden Delicious, yet firmer.   …

Red Delicious Apple

By FruitGuys Staff on

Originally hailing from Iowa in the late 19th century, Red Delicious is the quintessential apple. Although its earliest incarnation included red and yellow stripes, the modern-day version is crimson, …

Rambo Apple

By FruitGuys Staff on

This crisp, juicy apple originated in France in the 1500s and arrived in America in the 1700s. The Rambo apple is great eaten fresh as well as used in recipes.   …

Pink Lady Apple

By The FruitGuys on

Pink Lady apples are refined and sweet. Their skin ranges from pinky-yellow to red with a green blush. Under it all, creamy flesh, sweet and tart with a honey taste. They all have the poise of a lady. …

Pinata Apple

By FruitGuys Staff on

This new apple variety is a party all on its own. Not only does it have a palatal nasal "n" in its name, but it also has taste. Bred from the fragrant Cox Orange Pippin, the sweet Golden Delicious, …

Paula Red Apple

By FruitGuys Staff on

It looks like a Mac, it smells like a Mac, it tastes like a Mac - but it's a Paula. Discovered in a group of McIntosh apples by Lewis Arends in 1960. He named the new apple after his wife. …

Mutsu Apple

By FruitGuys Staff on

The Mutsu hails from Northern Japan and is now grown in New York. Related to the Golden Delicious, this apple also goes by the name Crispin. …

Jazz Apple

By FruitGuys Staff on

B.B. King says, "Jazz is the big brother of the blues. If a guy’s playing blues like we play, he’s in high school. When he starts playing jazz it’s like going on to college, to a school of higher …

Ida Red Apple

By The FruitGuys on

Ida Red apples are the darlings of the apple world. The Ida comes from Idaho where they were conceived at the Idaho Agricultural Experimental Station. It's a cross between a Jonathan and a Wagener—and …

Honeycrisp Apple

By FruitGuys Staff on

Sweet and crunchy. For the foley, or sound effect artist, the crunch of these apples can simulate the sound of a crashing tree. …

Royal Gala Apple

By FruitGuys Staff on

Grown in the 1970s from a single Gala cultigen (from the Latin cultus = cultivated, and gens = kind), a branch cutting, this is a pink-red dessert apple. …

Ginger Gold Apple

By FruitGuys Staff on

This early-ripening variety is often the first fresh eating apple of the year. Ginger Gold apples originated from a chance seeding on a Virginia farm in the late 1960s. …

Esopus Spitzenberg Apple

By FruitGuys Staff on

This apple is thought to be one of Thomas Jefferson's favorites. The Esopus Spitzenberg apple set its root in Woodstock (Ulster County NY) long before Jimmy, Bobby, Bowie, or Thelonious. …

Empire Apple

By The FruitGuys on

New York is the Empire State and apples are the state fruit. These babies had Red Delicious and McIntosh apples for parents. …

Crispin Apple

By FruitGuys Staff on

The Crispin hails from Northern Japan and is now grown in New York. Related to the Golden Delicious, this apple also goes by the name Matsu. …

Crimson Gold Apple

By FruitGuys Staff on

University rivals Indiana and Purdue contend over the Crimson and Gold Cup every year, the school with most athletic points wins. Everyone who eats the mighty little crimson and gold apple wins! …

Cortland Apple

By FruitGuys Staff on

Another hit from the New York State Agricultural Experimental Station in Geneva, NY - the Cortland. It looks like a Mac, smells like a Mac, walks like a Mac – but is a bit sweeter. …

Buckeye Gala Apple

By The FruitGuys on

From a sport of the Imperial Gala found in Roger Ohio, the Buckeye is a tangy version of the traditional Gala. A "sport" is a naturally occurring anomaly on a fruit tree that differs from the …

Arkansas Black Apple

By The FruitGuys on

Arkansas Black apples are heirloom apples known for their exquisite flavor. They are thought to be a descendant of the Winesap apple. With striking ebony-red skin and dense ivory flesh, Arkansas …

Fuji Apple

By FruitGuys Staff on

Bred in Japan in the 1930s, the Fuji was grafted from Virginian apple royalty Rawls Jennet and Iowa’s Red Delicious.  Extremely popular in Japan and the USA. About the size of a baseball (yakyuu no …

Braeburn Apple

By FruitGuys Staff on

Braeburn apples are crispy! A sweet and tart apple with a yellow flesh and orange to red skin so thin it melts in your mouth.   …

Ambrosia Apple

By FruitGuys Staff on

Eris, the Goddess of Strife, chucked a golden apple at Athena, Aphrodite, and Hera with the message, "For the fairest." A fight breaks out like a foul ball in the stands at Shea Stadium. Zeus settles …

September Wonder Fuji Apple

By The FruitGuys on

Bred by the famous Stark Brothers, The September Wonder also goes by Jubilee. September Fuji is an early Fuji—which is great for those who anxious for the Fuji season to begin. …

McIntosh Apple

By FruitGuys Staff on

This is the apple that fell on Newton’s AND Steve Wozniak’s head! The very apple that started it all came from a tree that was scorched when Canadian Farmer John McIntosh’s farm burned in 1884. Every …

Hillwell Braeburn Apple

By FruitGuys Staff on

A sport from the Braeburn family - that's like being from a famous family like Rockefeller, Getty or Windsor. These rosy apples have a wonderful scent and taste, and they are all outstanding. …

Myra Fuji Apple

By FruitGuys Staff on

The Fuji is a wildly successful and well-loved apple. Many of its "sports" have received accolades and patents. The Myra is a pink offshoot discovered by Myles Van Leuven in an orchard near Prescott, …

CandyCot

By Julie Collins on

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 …

Plum Crazy for Plums!

By Julie Collins on

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 a white or yellow flesh and …

Berries of Summer

By Heidi Lewis on

Babies on Board By Heidi Lewis Oh de bitty babies, so cherubic in their little baskets. Heavenly creatures, berries were flowers before they incarnated into sweet gems that dance on our tongues. …

Bada Bing, Bada Boom

By Heidi Lewis on

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 …

Manila Mango

By FruitGuys Staff on

The sun princess Surya Bai transformed into the mango. And that is why a bite of mango can melt a foggy Monday morning. Or put a salsa beat into your typing. There are numerous ways to cut a mango. …

Hybrids vs. GMOs

By Chris Mittelstaedt on

Dear FruitFriends, In the following article, Heidi Lewis writes about genetically modified organisms (GMOs), and more specifically what they are (and are not) relative to food. The FruitGuys has …

Spring Swooning for Summer Fruit

By Heidi Lewis on

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 …

Monster Cot

By The FruitGuys on

Monster Cot is a trademarked name for one of the earliest and largest and the reddest apricots in all the land. When the monsters hear that Monster Cots will be in their boxes they gnash their …

Guide to Stone Fruit

By The FruitGuys on

Everything you always wanted to know about stone fruit (but were afraid to ask) Here's a primer on some of our favorite stone fruit, from peaches to nectarines to apricots, and plums, from peach-like …

Your Sun at Work

By Heidi Lewis on

Dried Fruit Stores Sweetness By Heidi Lewis Fruit dried on the vine or in the sun is the most ancient of food preservation methods known to humanity—and it’s still practiced today. Using the sun …

Lunch is the Gateway

By Rebecca Taggart on

9 Lunch Ideas to Improve your Diet By Rebecca Taggart Breakfast is touted as being the most important meal of the day, but lunch—be it a homemade sandwich or a restaurant meal—gives us the energy …

Red Beaut Plum

By The FruitGuys on

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. …

My Garden 2.0: Time is Right for Spring Cleaning and Planting

By Rebecca North on

By Rebecca North   It finally rained in the Bay Area and I’m ready to attack the garden with full force. This little plot of the backyard was a dustbowl when I moved into the house last June.  Over …

Blue, Red, or Orange

By Heidi Lewis on

By Heidi Lewis There’s a scene missing from the outtakes reel of The Matrix where Morpheus offers Neo some vitamins: “You take the blue pill, the story ends—you wake up in your bed and believe …

Alexander Lucas Pear

By The FruitGuys on

The origin of the buttery Alexander Lucas pear and who Alexander was are uncertain, but it is a European variety. Known is that this lovely russeted pear was cultivated in cloistered monasteries, …

Zebra Tomatoes

By FruitGuys Staff on

Light yellow stripes give these heirloom tomatoes the look of a prized Aggie marble shooter  – but they're much better tasting. …

Zestar Apple

By FruitGuys Staff on

Zestar is a relatively new apple bred in Minnesota to withstand their weather. Minnesota, where all the women are strong, and the children above average, and the apples crisp. …

Plumcot

By FruitGuys Staff on

Plumcot is a hybrid of a plum and apricot invented by Luther Burbank. It is similar to pluot, except that the Plumcot is a half and half combination. …

Tomcot

By FruitGuys Staff on

Tomcots are just a good old fashioned variety of apricots. Large, soft with an orange color and sweet taste. They’re not crossed with any other Toms. No Tom Thumb, Tom Cruise, or Tom’s of Maine. …

Flavorella Plumcot

By FruitGuys Staff on

Plumcot is a hybrid of a plum and apricot invented by Luther Burbank. Flavorella is golden with a slight blush. …

Crimson Gala Apple

By FruitGuys Staff on

Crimson – the color of kings and apples in fairy tales. The Crimson Gala is large and crisp with a few spots of green. Only take this apple from your reputable FruitGuy and not witches in disguise. …

Arctic Mist White Nectarine

By FruitGuys Staff on

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 …

Radish Candy

By Heidi Lewis on

By Heidi Lewis Here’s a great idea for a new product—radish-flavored chewing gum! Some reasons why radish-flavored gum would be great: Radishes have a great refreshing taste. They have a …

Winter’s Plenty

By Heidi Lewis on

By Heidi Lewis The bounty of winter squash includes a fabulous array of colors, textures, and shapes. Just like the American population, they have an international palette of names, such as …

Gold Nugget Tangerine

By FruitGuys Staff on

Gold Nuggets are sweet and seedless little mandarin oranges, cousin to the Satsuma, recently bred at the University of California Riverside in the foothills of the Box Springs Mountains. This Citrus …

Packham’s Triumph Pear

By The FruitGuys on

Rumbly, bumpy, bulbous, gibbosic.  Packham Triumphs are sweet pears, with character. Each a little askew like that friendly, odd fellow at the bus stop. This pear's parentage is Bartlett and Yvedale …

About Mandarinquats

By The FruitGuys on

The mandarinquat is a hybrid of the mandarin and the kumquat. Like kumquats, they can be eaten whole, peel and all, although they’re larger with crunchier skin, and tend to have many small seeds. Raw, …

How to Eat a Fuyu Persimmon!

By Chris Mittelstaedt on

A delicious seasonal treat, Fuyu persimmons can be enjoyed in various stages of ripeness: from firm to slightly soft. Don't confuse them with their cousins, Hachiya persimmons, which are astringent …

In Between Spring and Winter

By Heidi Lewis on

By Heidi Lewis A bounty of winter squash are starting to roll in—a fabulous array of colors, textures, and shapes.  Just like the American population, they have an international palette of names, …

A White Radish with Spirit

By FruitGuys Staff on

Author Michael Pollan says, “Eat food. Mostly plants. Not too much.” It sounds like a Zen koan, doesn’t it? By “food,” Mr. Pollan means eating non-processed, natural fare. He says, “If your …

Where’s Billy? Raising Squash for Pets or Meat

By Heidi Lewis on

By Heidi Lewis You see, Billy is our prize squash. He's a Marina de Chiogga that we grew in our garden this summer. He should've been an eating squash, not a display gourd, but he got tucked …

Thanksgiving Craft You can Eat: Apple Turkeys

By Pia Hinckle on

Thanksgiving Crafts you Can Eat By Pia Hinckle Thanksgiving, when I was a kid, was always a massive affair. My mother would roast a monstrous turkey that barely fit in the oven; friends and family …

How to roast a Sugar Pie Pumpkin

By Heidi Lewis on

Mr. Jack O' Lantern’s sudden demise after Halloween may have inspired investigation by the budding entomologists in your family, but there is plenty more to be done with pumpkins than just turn them …

When Larry Met Sherri and Mary

By Chris Mittelstaedt on

By Chris Mittelstaedt and Gretchen Bay Larry saw Mary eating a kiwi berry. “Sherri!” cried Larry, “I think that’s scary! Isn’t a kiwi supposed to be hairy?” “Oh, Larry,” laughed Sherri, “on the …

Sonoma County Grape Harvest is Family Tradition

By Pia Hinckle on

The Crush By Pia Hinckle COTATI, CA -- My mother’s family has been making wine since before she was born. My great-grandfather Giocondo Benedetti, who we called “nonno,” brought winemaking from …

Cooking is Child’s Play

By Roxanne Crittenden on

By Roxanne Crittenden, courtesy of Capay Valley Farm Shop About twice a year my 8-year old cousin Arlo comes for a “stay-over” at my house. In lots of ways, Arlo is a typical young boy—he has been …

Simple Steamed Broccoli

By Pia Hinckle on

Mother always said to eat your broccoli, one of the most nutrient-packed veggies in the list of Food That is Good For You. But I have heard many sad stories about broccoli from both kids and grown-ups …

Q & A with Far West Fungi

By FruitGuys Staff on

The Garrone family has been growing specialty mushrooms for more than 25 years. They chose the cool, fog-dampened central California coast to locate the massive mushroom lab for their company Far West …

Shroom Boom!

By Heidi Lewis on

By Heidi Lewis People are rarely ambivalent about mushrooms. Whether a treasured morsel or not, many of us find it hard to distinguish between varieties we adore. Enter “The  Kingdom”—The Fifth …

Sapodilla fruit

By The FruitGuys on

Around the world, Sapodilla is also known as zopota, chikoo, sawo, sofeda... an exotic here, but a beloved domestic fruit around the world. Their taste is best described as caramel, and they can be …

Dinner by Candlelight

By Heidi Lewis on

We were in the mood for mellow. There is nothing like a home-cooked meal on a table set with care and illuminated by candles. So at the latest little social gathering, I broke out the beeswax. Not for …

Paella, or Spanish BBQ: A Classic Spanish Family Holiday Dish

By Rebecca Taggart on

Paella originates from my mother’s hometown of Valencia, Spain, and harkens back to the 13th century when the Moors brought rice to the Iberian Peninsula. Cooked in a shallow round metal pan first …

The Champion Champignon

By Heidi Lewis on

By Heidi Lewis A mushroom walks into a bar. The bartender says, “Oh, we don’t serve your kind in here.” The mushroom replies, “What’s the matter? I’m a fun-gi!” Portobello mushrooms are among the …

Kumquat

By FruitGuys Staff on

Kumquats are the original sweet-tarts! The "sweet" is in the skin, and the "tart" is in the juice. To experience the full spectrum of flavor, eat them whole, like grapes—peel and all. Try rubbing them …

Satsuma

By The FruitGuys on

Satsumas - the little darlings of the citrus season are here. When you squeeze their pudgy little baby cheeks and exclaim, "Oy!' This little guy is an old soul!" No, no, no - Satsumas often have a …

Dill vs. Fennel

By FruitGuys Staff on

“Wave your fronds in the air, wave ’em like you just don’t care!” DJ Dillyweed and Sista Fenny Fennel face off in Battle of the Weeds. Yes, both of these flava-flavorful aromatics are vying for a spot …

Flattering Parsnips

By Heidi Lewis on

The hearth-warming parsnips in our Central TakeHome cases this week are a quintessential flavor in classic holiday fare, perhaps attributed to their name, which sounds perfectly Victorian when you say …

A Most Excellent Rice

By FruitGuys Staff on

Japanese chef and author Shizuo Tsuji wrote, “Rice is a beautiful food. It is beautiful when it grows, precision rows of sparkling green stalks shooting up to reach the hot summer sun. It is beautiful …

Bintje Potato—Top of Her Class

By FruitGuys Staff on

The lovely petite potato is the Bintje (pronounced “ben-jee”). Although almost all potatoes stem from South America, the potato’s introduction to Europe produced many wonderful heirloom off-shoots. …

Why Turkey is Good For You

By Rebecca Taggart on

Holidays and food often evoke memories of overeating and sleepiness, perhaps brought on by Uncle Ed or Aunt Bertha’s long-winded story at the other end of the table. Holiday menus provide comfort, but …

The Season of Soup: French Country Soup is Family Favorite

By Pia Hinckle on

I love soup. Fall and winter is the perfect time of year to enjoy healthy soups that can be made for one meal and then eaten again for lunch or frozen for later use. One of my favorites is what we …

Great Caesar’s Ghost!

By Heidi Lewis on

By Heidi Lewis Romaine lettuce is stand-up lettuce. It is characterized by its narrow, crisp leaves of course texture and distinctive thick ribs. Romaine is sometimes referred to as “Cos Salad” by …

The Effete Chou-Fleur

By Heidi Lewis on

Cauliflower (Brassica oleracea) is just one member of the great Cruciferae family. All of the Cruciferae cousins, Brussels sprouts, kale, cabbage, and broccoli, to name but a few, have their …

The Pronouncements of Passion

By Chris Mittelstaedt on

A cool fall breeze rustled the leaves outside of Peter's toy-store window. "Pauline," he piped." Pat pitched Paul a prototype policy that primes Pat for promotion." Pauline pulled the penguin puppet …

Plum-tastic!

By Heidi Lewis on

Look closely at your plum. Real close. See that? That's Luther Burbank's thumbprint. Luther was a botanist wizard at the turn of the century, a Midas of sorts whose more than 800 varieties of …

Punch Buggy Blueberry

By Chris Mittelstaedt on

Our all-seeing school bus driver with the flip-up, two-tone shades, and an extra-wide mirror above her head had a ranking system that was distinguishable by the depth and tone of her voice. Sit in …

Bebop-a-Rhubarb

By FruitGuys Staff on

Bebop-a-rhuba, spring rhubarb is here! Diner waitresses are hip-checking pie cabinets, kids stop hopscotching, and the milkman is grinning from ear to ear. What’s the deal with rhubarb? Why does it …

Strawberry

By FruitGuys Staff on

Strawberries are a member of the rose family and, like their floral cousins, evoke sentiment. They are, after all, heart-shaped. Very delicate, strawberries must be hand-picked and rushed to a cooler. …

Red D’Anjou Pear

By FruitGuys Staff on

These beautiful and tasty maroon D'Anjou pears are an old European-style pear. They were discovered in Oregon on a sport of the green D'Anjou variety. …

Best Ever Pear

By The FruitGuys on

A pear that lives up to its name. The best ever pear ripens and eats similarly to a Bartlett but can have increased sugar content. Outwardly, it may exhibit signs of “russetting,” or spots on the skin …

The Budding System

By Heidi Lewis on

The first time I went to a Scion Exchange I didn't know what to expect—was it a science-fiction convention? As I drew nearer I saw people entering the building with little sticks under their arms—was …

Temple Orange

By The FruitGuys on

The Temple orange is a tangerine and orange cross; also known as the Royal Mandarin. Loose skin for easy peeling and sweet pulp with a hint of spice. Oranges are often seen on altars and shrines with …

Pomegranate

By The FruitGuys on

The iconographic pomegranate not only adorns kitchen counters, but its seeds add sparkle to salads and liven up couscous or quinoa. Be sure to try it with the other supermodels of the fruit world …

Pluot

By The FruitGuys on

Pluot (PLOO-awt). Fun to say, and great to eat. If you cross-pollinate a plum and apricot, you get a plumcot; crossing a plumcot with yet another plum results in the pluot (so, more plum than …

October Sun Plum

By The FruitGuys on

Last but not least. This plum brings up the end of the plum parade. Yellow-green hued, stone-free, and good to the last bite. …

Laroda Plum

By The FruitGuys on

"Low ri-der, drives a little slower." [Queue horn section]. The Laroda plum was developed in Winters, CA in the 1950s, and is cherished for its rich wine taste and beautiful color. It has been …

Elephant Heart Plum

By FruitGuys Staff on

The Elephant Heart Plum is yet another Luther Burbank invention. Burbank had a Midas touch in plant breeding. He began with a dozen plum seeds from Japan - a distant exotic land in 1880. And now …

Hachiya Persimmon

By FruitGuys Staff on

Pocahontas says “It was Commodore Perry who brought seeds of the Japanese persimmon varieties to the U.S.” She also cautions us that Hachiya persimmons are not meant to be eaten firm. This delicious …

Fuyu Persimmon

By FruitGuys Staff on

Fabulous Fuyus are the non-astringent persimmons that can be eaten like apples, peel and all. They are high in vitamins C and A and are a great source of dietary fiber and manganese. Fuyu (short for …

Peckham Pear (Packham Pear)

By The FruitGuys on

Rumpled. A good poetic word. Rumpole of the Bailey. Rumbly, bumpy, bulbous, gibbosic. Peckhams' are sweet pears, with character. Each a little askew like that friendly odd fellow at the bus stop. This …

Abate Fetel Pear

By The FruitGuys on

The Abate Fetel was developed in Italy by a monk who must’ve been promoted to abbot – Abate. And yes this pear looks like an abbot’s hat. Yes, that’s it – a hat. These pears are very popular in Italy. …

Passion Fruit

By FruitGuys Staff on

Our passion fruit comes from John Koman at White Dove Farms in Santa Paula, CA. John is passionate about his fruit and personally hand-snips it for us from vines he cultivated in his old lemon …

Kiwi Berry

By FruitGuys Staff on

These mini kiwis are fuzzless - little nudies - the berry can be eaten whole. Ripe when dark green and just slightly wrinkled. These fun fruits are power pellets of vitamins and antioxidants too! …

Minneola Tangelo

By FruitGuys Staff on

What do you get when you cross a Duncan Grapefruit and Dancy Tangerine? The Minneola Tangelo. This dark orange piece of California-grown fruit is easily recognized by the nib protruding from its end. …

Grapefruit

By FruitGuys Staff on

The first grapefruit was described in Barbados in 1750. It is relatively new to the citrus group. Originally, grapefruit was most likely a naturally occurring hybrid between the pomelo and the sweet …

Blueberries

By FruitGuys Staff on

Fats Domino found his thrill on Blueberry Hill, and The FruitGuys is thrilled to offer these. Blueberries are power-packed with nutrients. Add some sweet notes to your yogurt or granola by tossing in …

Aprium

By FruitGuys Staff on

Apriums are 2/3 apricot and 1/3 plum. You should eat them when soft to the touch but don't let them get too soft or mushy as they will quickly move past their prime. As our resident poet, Jeff says: …

Apricot

By The FruitGuys on

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 …

Winesap Apple

By FruitGuys Staff on

The Winesap is a light red apple with a slight cinnamon taste on the sides of the tongue, like spicy apple cider. …

Stayman Apple

By FruitGuys Staff on

In the 1929 talkie,  The Virginian,  Gary Cooper commands “When ya call me that, smile!” Our little Virginian, the Stayman apple will make you smile with its crisp snap and robust taste. …

Smokehouse Apple

By FruitGuys Staff on

Smokehouse apples got their name because these flavorful beauties grew near Willam Gibbons smokehouse in Lancaster, PA. The taste is reminiscent of cider. And the name alone seems to evoke autumn …

Sierra Beauty Apple

By The FruitGuys on

Many claim to be Californians, but few are native. Joan Didion, Jerry Brown, and Dweezil Zappa notwithstanding. Sierra Beauty apples are indigenous to the golden state. The first saplings appeared in …

Pippin Apple

By FruitGuys Staff on

Pippin is just about the cutest name you can give a sweet little apple. Or it conjures a 1970's flashback of actors in harlequin tights dancing Fosse-Fosse-Fosse, belting out Broadway tunes. "Leave …

Pacific Rose Apple

By FruitGuys Staff on

Sometimes called the New Zealand Rose Apple, it is similar to the Fuji but hails from a Gala-Splendor blend. Limited acreage makes these apples a special treat. Red and crisp, the flesh browns a …

Newtown Pippin Apple

By FruitGuys Staff on

Pippin is about as cute a name for a sweet little apple as you can get. Or it conjures a 70”²s flashback of actors in harlequin tights dancing Fosse, Fosse, Fosse, belting out Broadway gold. “Leave …

Macoun Apple

By FruitGuys Staff on

Born at the Geneva New York Ag Station, this apple has gone on to greatness. Just like its namesake John Macoun, a botanist who was the Lewis & Clark of Canada mapping the westward expansion into …

Liberty Apple

By FruitGuys Staff on

Life, liberty, and the pursuit of crunchiness. The Liberty apple is a cross between a Macoun and a Purdue apple. It has a natural waxy surface bloom to protect its skin. …

Jonathan Apple

By FruitGuys Staff on

Medium-sized, sweet, and a bit acidic, this New Yorker apple from Woodstock is also called the Esopus Spitzburg. …

Jonagold Apple

By FruitGuys Staff on

Introduced in 1968 by the New York State Agricultural Experiment Station in Geneva, NY, the Jonagold has become a rising star in apple-dom. Crossed from the JONAthan and the GOLDen Delicious, this …

Gravenstein Apple

By The FruitGuys on

The Gravenstein apple is the vanguard of California's apple season and the hallmark crop of Sebastopol in Sonoma County, CA. Every year, Sebastopol throws this tart-sweet, old-fashioned apple two …

Granny Smith Apple

By FruitGuys Staff on

A firm and crisp green apple. When you think of the traditional tart apple, Granny Smith is it. Refreshing and a wonderful compliment to cheese. …

Goldrush Apple

By The FruitGuys on

Who's yer ma? Hoosier pa? People from Indiana call themselves Hoosiers. Goldrush apples are Hoosiers. They've got a pedigree as long as yer arm from Purdue University going way back to Rome, the Rome …

Golden Delicious Apple

By FruitGuys Staff on

West Virginia's state fruit is a soft apple with yellow-gold skin and a mild and sweet taste. …

Gala Apple

By FruitGuys Staff on

Sweet and mild, somewhat thin-skinned, and striped. The Gala apple originated in New  Zealand from momma Golden Delicious and poppa Orange Delicious. …

Cameo Apple

By FruitGuys Staff on

Cameo apples made their first appearance as a little stray seedling in an orchard in the upper left corner of Washington state. Cameos are tart and aromatic with stripey skin. Alfred Hitchcock was the …

Rockin’ ”˜Rugula

By FruitGuys Staff on

The tender leaves of arugula  (Eruca sativa) are alive with the energy of spring. Arugula, or roquette, is a distinctive,  somewhat peppery green. It’s very versatile and can be used fresh in salads, …

There’s Gold in Them Hills

By FruitGuys Staff on

For those getting on of our fruit mixes, you will notice these little easy-peel mandarins nestled amongst a variety of fruit. At The FruitGuys we treasure all the various fruits over the seasons …

Freewheelin’ Veggies

By FruitGuys Staff on

The velo-rution will not be televised, it will bring you vegetables! Some of this week’s beautiful veggies in your TakeHome box come from Freewheelin’ Farm near Santa Cruz (Santa Cruz …

Yosemite Gold Rush

By Jeff Koelemay on

Prospecting for gold always makes me hungry. Panning for flakes gets me thinking about crispy corn cereal and managing a sluice box always leaves me craving a juice box. It’s been a long time since …

Ataulfo Mango

By The FruitGuys on

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 …

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