Archive for 2014

Pomegranates

October 1, 2014 | Susan

Look for pomegranates with a full bright red to dark red color. You also want fruit that feels heavy for their size, which means they are super juicy. The outside of a pomegranate is very hard and only the inside arils which cover the seeds in a red translucent material are edible. It may seem like a lot of work to get to the arils, but it is well worth it. Cut off the top and bottom of the fruit, score the fruit and then open it into two halves. Place the halves in a bowl of water and use your fingers to gently separate the seeds from the white, spongy membrane. The inedible white membranes will float to the top of the water and leave you all the delicious arils at the bottom. Be careful not to get the juice on your hands and clothes because it will stain.

Wonderful Pomegranante Grower Paul Pafford. Fresno County, California

Hurricane Odile Hits Baja California Sur

September 26, 2014 | Susan

Hurricane Odile, a category 3 storm, landed Sunday night September 14 near Cabo San Lucas, Mexico. Odile is the strongest hurricane to land in Baja California Sur since Hurricane Olivia in 1967 with winds over 125 mph. The southern area of Baja California was hit the hardest with strong winds and heavy rains. It is estimated that 92% of the population was left without power or water.

Odile caused mass flooding and damaged major infrastructure impacting many growers and causing numerous production and logistical issues. Many main roads were submerged under flash flooding and greenhouses and other farm structures were damaged. Although is still too early to know exactly how this will affect supply over the next few months, we have seen a delay in the start of organic asparagus out of Baja California Sur. Our first asparagus shipment is now scheduled to arrive next week and we can expect supply to be very limited and expensive right off the bat.

Growers are asking for your understanding as they work through this difficult time. As of yesterday Baja California Sur had 95% of their power and most of their water restored. The rest of the Los Cabos area is expected to be operating normally by next week. We will continue to update you as we know more.

Rider And Sons Jonagold Apple Is Simply The Best

September 15, 2014 | Susan

If you want the best tasting Jonagold apple, look no further than Rider and Sons 5^th generation apple orchardists. Rider is located in the small town of Freedom, along the Central Coast of California near Watsonville. Jim Rider is in charge of the fields and his brother Dick Rider oversees the packing shed. Their grandfather Homer was one of the pioneer fruit growers in the Watsonville area along the Central Coast in California.

Rider and Sons is the only California grower we know that picks the Jonagold apple at its optimum maturity and flavor. The best tasting Jonagold will have developed a beautiful golden background before it is picked. This means it has been on the tree longer and has more flavor. Jim Rider says the apples are ready to be harvested when “they have a hint of yellow in the background color.” Most growers pick it too early when the background is green and the flavor has not developed. This has been our experience of the Pacific Northwest Jonagold.

The Watsonville area has a unique microclimate with cooler summer weather similar to San Francisco. This allows them to grow better quality apples and harvest closer to peak maturity more than warmer climates. Jonagolds require special care and attention and are selectively picked riper than most areas could. The fruit ripens slower in the cooler climate and develops the complex flavor components that can be lost with higher temperatures. Rider’s philosophy is to get them off the tree, picked and packed within a day or two and shipped immediately to be sold quickly at optimum maturity. Rider’s workers are trained to pick slowly with an eye for detail and will pick the orchard several times in order to deliver a riper, sweet and better tasting fruit. Their goal is not to store it for months and months.

Jim Rider calls Watsonville the Napa valley of apple growing areas. The apples have a more intense flavor and better quality because of the cooler temperatures. Click here for an interview with Jim Rider in the Jonagold orchards. In our own history as the apple season goes up to the Pacific North West, the flavor and quality of the Jonagold is not duplicated. Enjoy California apples during the short but sweet season.

Kiwi Berries Are The Perfect Snack

September 5, 2014 | Susan

If you like Kiwi’s then you will fall in love with the Kiwi Berry. Kiwi Berries taste exactly like a Kiwi but they are the size of a grape, fuzzless and completely edible. Cut one in half and the inside flesh looks just like a Kiwi. This no mess snack is fun to eat and perfect for the whole family.

How to eat – Just pop them in your mouth!

Kiwi Berries are also known as the hardy kiwi, arctic kiwi or baby kiwi. Kiwi berries are a member of the Actinidia genus family, the same as a regular kiwi and have been described as a cousin of the kiwi we all know. Kiwi berries are native to China, Korea, and Russian Siberia, much like the kiwifruit. It is a fast-growing, hardy, perennial vine, in need of a frost-free season of 150 days. Each vine can grow up to 20 feet in a single season! Because of their seasonal requirements, they are well suited for areas of the North East and North West, and in fact, have become somewhat of an invasive weed in certain areas because of their rapid growth. One plant can produce up to 100 pounds of fruit a year! The fruits are picked hard, and ripen off the vine. Earl’s kiwi berries are grown in Wilsonville, Oregon about 30 minutes south of Portland.

Storage tips:

Store them in the fridge if you are not planning to eat them right away and take out small bunches at a time to ripen on your counter. Similar to a kiwi they will be slightly acidic until ripe when they will be very sweet. Eat them when they are soft and the flesh yields a bit. In this case a small amount of wrinkling is good! Don’t be fooled into thinking your Kiwi Berries are old, when in fact they will have developed the perfect amount of sweetness.

Kiwi Berries are packed full of nutrition, containing over 20 nutrients. They are incredibly rich in Vitamin C, Vitamin E, potassium, fiber and folic acid and have 5 times the Vitamin C of an orange and more potassium than bananas. Kiwi Berries can be used in a variety of ways, from being preserved as jam to being used as a marinade (they are an excellent meat tenderizer). Try them in a salad, on a tart, or out of hand. Any way you look at it they are delicious.

The season lasts only about a month, from the beginning of September to the beginning of October so don’t miss out.

PINK PEARL HEIRLOOM APPLE

August 28, 2014 | Susan

California apple season has officially started and one of the first varieties harvested is the incredible stunning Pink Pearl heirloom apple. The speckled pearly green skin is tinged with a pink blush and the deep pink flesh has a crisp and tart-sweet flavor. They are perfect for baking because they hold their shape and retain their beautiful pink color even when cooked.

Pink Pearls were developed in Northern California in 1944 by a man named Albert Etter, using another red-fleshed apple called Surprise as a seedling. Earl’s heirloom Pink Pearl apples are coming from Rider and Sons out of Watsonville, California. Jim and Dick Rider are fifth generation orchardists and their grandfather, Homer, was one of the pioneer fruit growers in the Watsonville, California area. Heirloom apples can be odd shaped and have russeting around the stem bowl. Russeting occurs when the wind blows and causes the apples to shake and brush against the stem and leaves. This only enhances how unique heirloom apples are and in no way affects the flavor.

They are only around for another week, so don’t miss this opportunity to try them! They make a beautiful pink apple sauce or try an apple tart for the Labor Day holiday to really show off the beautiful pink color.