Cranberry Beans

Cranberry beans are creamy white with red streaks and have a creamy nutty flavor. They are shelling beans and only around for a short time. Look for full pods with bright colors.

Try snacking on crispy cranberry beans.

California Cherries

Sweet and delicious ruby red organic California Bing cherries will only be around at Earl’s for another week or two.  The cherry season is very short in California and typically lasts 4 to 6 weeks depending on the weather or variety.  Bing cherries are now moving from the Sacramento, Stockton and Lodi areas up to Oregon and Washington.

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Plums

Plums are another delicious stone fruit to enjoy this summer. Look for plums that are free of any bruising and that are firm but not too hard. That chalky white powder on plums is completely natural. It’s called the bloom, and its presence is a good sign that a plum hasn’t been handled too much from orchard to store.  Let plums ripen at room temperature for a few days. For the most antioxidants, consume plums when fully ripened.

Honeydew Melon

Honeydew melon is a variety of Muskmelon that originated in France and is considered the sweetest of all melons. The flesh is a pale green color and it should feel heavy for its size. When it is ripe the skin will feel slightly tacky and it will have a very fragrant smell.

Honeydew can be kept at room temperature for two to four days or until ripe.  Ripe Honeydews can be refrigerated for an additional 5 days. Once cut the melon should be placed in a covered container and refrigerated for no more than three days.

Sugar Snap Peas

A sugar snap pea has an edible shell that is less fibrous. A snap pea pod is not waxy like an English pea’s, however the membranous string running along the top of the pod should be removed before eating, in a process called “stringing.”

They are best when the pod begins to thicken a little, but before the peas grow large. When sugar snap peas are ready to be picked, the pods will snap much like a bean.

Sugar snap peas, however, are eaten whole, with the peas still inside the pod. They also can be blanched or eaten straight off the vine. They are often found in stir-fry recipes as well as salad and pasta dishes.

Try a simple stir fry with radishes and sugar snap peas

Sweet Burkart Nectarines

Sweet nectarines are the latest addition to the Burkart stone fruit arriving at Earls.  Last week the first of the yellow and white peaches arrived.  The biggest difference between nectarines and peaches is the lack of fuzz on the skin.  Nectarines are usually smaller, more aromatic and sweeter than peaches and the skin is a deeper red color.

Nectarines are more delicate than peaches and bruise easily. Look for fruit with smooth skin and avoid fruit with soft or wrinkled skin. Ripe fruit will give slightly to touch and they will ripen up at room temperature within 2-3 days.

Richard Burkart grows his high-quality organic peaches and nectarines on 65 acres near Dinuba along the northern border of Tulare County about 4 hours south of San Francisco.

Burkart Peaches-First of the season

Peach season is finally here! The first of the Burkart Farms peaches just arrived at Earl’s.  The peaches have good color and a sweet taste and we have been snacking on them in Earl’s kitchen.

Richard Burkart grows his high-quality organic peaches and nectarines on 65 acres near Dinuba along the northern border of Tulare County about 4 hours south of San Francisco.

Don’t miss out on the first delicious stone fruit of the season!

Apriums

Apriums just arrived at Earl’s!  Apriums are a cross of 70% apricot and 30% plum and are known for their sweetness and intense flavor.  The skin is covered with a little fuzz and tastes like a sweeter apricot with a hint of plum.  Let them ripen at room temperature. Season runs until September.

Blueberries on Special

Blueberry season has started and blueberries are on special this week at Earl’s.  One of the biggest factors in successfully growing blueberries is keeping the temperature above 70 degrees.  Lower temperatures and rain can cause mildew, scarring and mushy blueberries.  Make sure to check your blueberries for any softness and beware that lower prices may mean poor quality.

 

Strawberries

It’s finally happening! Strawberries are transitioning from Mexico to California.  The weather has been great and in the produce business we say the heat has done its job.  The south and central coast of California are ideal growing environments because the Pacific Ocean provides the region with a moderate year round temperature of warm days and cool foggy nights, maximizing the berry’s production of sugar and vitamin C.  Strawberries are now moving from Baja up to Orange County, Oxnard and Santa Barbara.  Watsonville and Salinas are just starting and their mild temperatures will supply most of the summertime strawberries.

Soon the supply of strawberries in your local market will be overflowing.  Don’t forget to always buy organic strawberries.  Strawberries are on the top of the dirty dozen list because they have been found to contain nearly 60 different pesticides.

Strawberries are perfect for a Mother’s Day brunch, coming up next Sunday May 13^th, or just eat them out of hand.  The recent warm weather has compelled me to make the perfect strawberry shake.  I slice up about 1 cup of strawberries, add a little sugar if the berries are still a bit tart and freeze for an hour.  The frozen strawberries act like ice without diluting your shake.  Add the strawberries, ½ pint of strawberry or vanilla ice cream, 1 teaspoon of vanilla and ½ cup of milk to a blender, sip and enjoy!

For more recipes check out http://www.californiastrawberries.com/

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