Piel De Sapo
Piel De Sapo melons are a special treat. They are only around for a short time and not widely commercially grown. They come from a group of Spanish melons and have pale green to white inner flesh with a sweet flavor similar to honeydew. Piel De Sapo’s are also sometimes called the Christmas melon because they store well.
Figs are back!
Brown Turkey, Black Mission and Kadota figs
The 2nd crop of figs has arrived. The level of sweetness will improve as the weeks go on. Look for peak flavor from mid August to mid September.
Plums and Pluots
Hiromi Red Plum, Crimson Glo Plum and Dapple Fire Pluot. Did you know a Pluot is a cross between a plum and an apricot with most of the fruit being a plum? More on stonefruit and plumcots in a future blog.
Galia Melon
Galia melons are a hybrid melon developed in Israel with a yellow-green flesh. They are a cross between a cantaloupe and a honeydew. You can tell when it’s ripe by the Galia’s intense fragrance. Choose melons with a golden-green color. They are rich in potassium which is essential for proper hydration. Perfect for summertime!
Perlette Grapes
Perlette seedless grapes are a beautiful early maturing grape with a white or amber hue, which means they are sweeter. Buy them firm and stay away from soft or wrinkled grapes which means they are old.
Studies on grapes have shown they are full of antioxidants and have anti-inflammatory properties. What better reason do you need to snack on some grapes today?
California Cherries
California’s cherry season is very short and only lasts for about 4-6 weeks depending on the weather. Next week will be some of the last cherry picks of the season and you should be able to find Bing cherries until mid-June. Don’t miss out on the last of the California crop! Click here for the full blog.
Blueberries
If you have ever tried Forbidden Fruit Orchards blueberries from Earl’s you know they are packed with flavor. The good news is that today we received our first shipment of the year of plump, sweet Forbidden blueberries! Over the years Earl’s has had Forbidden blueberries as early as March but the reality is that blueberries are completely dependent on the weather. According to Sandi Davis, the grower, “it was a very cold winter and the blueberries were very late in ripening. The blueberries didn’t get enough heat to ripen up and we barely had enough fruit in March and April to bring to the local farmers market.”
Sugar Snap Peas
Plump, curved sugar snap peas are entirely edible. Break off the stem end and gently pull off the string along the inner side before eating. Sugar snap peas are delicious eaten raw or cooked. The trick is not to overcook them. An easy way to cook them is to blanch them for 30 seconds and then stir fry just long enough to heat them up. This helps to retain the crispness and the sweet flavor. Look for fat and full pods with a uniform green color. Store then in a perforated plastic bag in the refrigerator and cook as soon as possible.
California Asparagus Is Here!
California asparagus is here at Earl’s! We have been eagerly awaiting the beautiful bunches of green stalks with purple tinged tips. Whether you grill, steam, stir fry or gently peel for a spring salad, asparagus is delicious.
Our California asparagus comes from Coastal View Produce a 3rd generation Violini family farm located in Gonzales, CA in the heart of the Salinas Valley, who has been growing high-quality organic asparagus for over 30 years. Brian Violini’s Grandfather was a Swiss immigrant who started a new life in the fertile Salinas Valley. “I can remember being 10 years old and pulling weeds and moving sprinklers for my grandfather,” says Brian Violini, who now runs Coastal View Produce with his brother. “We’ve had this farm for three generations. My grandfather started with a dairy and then moved into farming. My dad and my uncle ran the farm after him, and now it’s me and my brother. Farming, it’s all we know.”
Meiwa Kumquats
The round shaped Meiwa has a spicy sweet rind and flesh. You may find a few seeds inside but they are edible. They have been described as “flavor bombs” and you will understand what I mean when you taste one. The Meiwa is my personal favorite and if I have a handful in front of me I will eat them one by one until suddenly they are gone.
« Next — Previous »
