Archive for 2015

Side Hill Satsuma Season Is Here

November 9, 2015 | Susan

Every year Earl’s employees and customers eagerly await the arrival of Side Hill Citrus Satsuma Mandarins. The sweet flavor with the perfect balance of acidity is unrivaled.

Earl Herrick heralds in the start of the Side Hill Satsuma season

Fourth generation farmer Rich Ferreira is growing over 2,000 organic Satsuma Mandarin trees in Lincoln, CA, about 35 minutes Northeast of Sacramento. The combination of a higher elevation of 600 feet, nutrient filled organic clay soil, warm summer days and cool nights bring out the delicious flavor in Rich’s Satsumas. Easy to peel with no sticky mess and virtually no seeds, add one to your children’s lunchbox and don’t forget to give yourself a few to snack on during the day. Citrus is a good source of vitamin C but did you know that eating four or five Satsumas a day delivers six to seven times as much synephrine, a natural decongestant, as other citrus? The short season has been known to last until the beginning of January but as with all produce, it is weather dependent.

Side Hill Citrus Lincoln, California

On November 20-22, the Satsuma Mandarin growers in the Sacramento Foothills celebrate this delicious fruit with the ever popular Mountain Mandarin Festival in Auburn, CA. Enjoy cooking demonstrations, food and local entertainment at this fun event for the whole family.

I’ll leave you with a few of our favorite Satsuma beverages. Feeling under the weather? Try a Satsuma Ginger Tea, a favorite of Earl’s sales associate, Brian Gordon. If you are looking for a few fun cocktails for your holiday party look no further. Click here for a few of our employee favorites.

Hurricane Patricia Update on Bananas and Avocados

October 28, 2015 | Susan

Earl’s Organic has an exclusive relationship with Mexican banana grower, Coliman organic from Colima, one of the areas hit by Hurricane Patricia last week. Winds up to 200 mph knocked down some of their banana trees but the overall damage is less than originally estimated. The largest challenge is getting their infrastructure back up and running. All of Coliman’s labor is being focused on the clean-up process and they are planning on picking and packing again today. We can expect the overall banana market to be tight through next week but we do not anticipate having a gap on our banana program.

In avocado news, Michocan, the main growing region for avocados in Mexico, was not hit as hard by Patricia as anticipated. The area did experience some rain and as a result we have seen some small brown spots on the outside of the fruit that is barely noticeable as the fruit ripens. This does not affect the quality or flavor of the fruit.

Satsuma Mandarins from Side Hill Citrus

| Susan

Satsuma Mandarins herald the start of the varietal citrus season in California and we feel that Side Hill Citrus Satsumas from Lincoln in the Sacramento foothills, have the perfect balance of tart and sweet flavors. Our first land arrives this afternoon at Earls! They peel easily and are fantastic for eating out of hand and for juicing. The season lasts about 6 to 8 weeks depending on the weather.

Strongest Hurricane on Record Hits Mexico

October 27, 2015 | Susan

As the strongest hurricane on record swept through parts of Mexico, we followed the news and worried about the damage Patricia would cause. Although winds were up to 200 mph it was contained to a very small area and was over just as suddenly as it began. We are unsure at this time of any possible effect on our supply and or quality of product. We have emails out to a few of our key growers and will update you as we know more.

Stone Fruit Cobbler

October 24, 2015 | Susan

Easy, Foolproof Cobbler for Any Fruit
makes enough for a 9×9 baking dish

www.thekitchn.com

Stone Fruit Cobbler www.thekitchn.com

1 1/2 cups flour
1 1/2 cups sugar, plus a bit more for sprinkling
1 1/2 sticks unsalted butter, melted
fresh berries or fruit (peeled and cut into chunks)

Combine the flour and sugar. Add the butter, mixing as you go, until the mixture forms a soft dough. It can be slightly crumbly, but you want it to hold together when you squeeze it.

Spray a baking dish with non-stick cooking spray. Put the fruit in the dish — you will probably need about 4 cups of berries or chopped fruit. You want to create a thick layer that comes about two inches up the sides.
If the fruit is particularly tart, sprinkle with a light layer of sugar. If the fruit is soft and sweet, you don’t need it.

Take the dough by the handful and pat it into disks that are about 1/4-inch to 1/2-inch thick. Lay them on top of the fruit, continuing with the patties, until it is covered. Bake the cobbler at 350 degrees for about 45-50 minutes, until the crust is light golden brown. Let cool slightly, then serve with ice cream or drizzle with organic cold cream.