Archive for January 2020
Summer Stone Fruit
April – October from California Do you want a ripe piece of fruit ready to eat now? Find fruit that has a good give to it. Place the fruit in the palm of your hand and give it a gentle squeeze. Don’t rolf it! That will just get your produce person a little ticked off…
Read MoreSugar Plums (French Prunes)
August – early September from California The French Prune also known as Sugar Plum is the perfect example of “All prunes are plums, but not all plums are prunes.” Plums have a clingstone in the center and prune plums are freestone. The French Prune and its cousin the Italian Prune is popular throughout Europe and…
Read MoreStrawberries
Year-round from California Size doesn’t matter with strawberries; growing conditions and stage of ripeness determine flavor. So, pick berries that are deep red and fairly firm with a smooth sheen. Stay away from “bleeding” baskets or dull & shriveled berries with darkened or loosened caps. This is a sign of their age and all the…
Read MoreSpring Onions and Garlic
March – June from California When selecting Spring Garlic and Spring Onions, look for a smooth, firm, but still tender bulb or clove heads. The greens should be green all the way up. However, keep in mind as the short spring onion and garlic season progresses the greens will become more mature and yellow. This…
Read MoreNew Zealand “Off Season” Apples
March – September There are really three distinct apple seasons. It kinda goes like this. Northern hemisphere apples from parts like California and The Big Apple, Washington, come to us in late summer and into the fall. That’s season #1. Then apples from that same crop are released from controlled atmosphere storage a few months…
Read MoreRhubarb
March – August from Oregon. Year-round from California Hot Houses. When selecting rhubarb in the store, look for deep red & firm ribs. Stay away from flabby ribs that are limp and bendable. This is a sign of dehydration and age. Another indication of old rhubarb is well trimmed ribs and sunken browning spots on…
Read MoreBlackberries and Raspberries
July – November from California, Imported from Mexico and Central America the rest of the year When Selecting Raspberries & Blackberries look for a nice vibrant appearance. Blackberries will have a shiny surface and Raspberries will have a plump full appearance. With both berries a sign of juiciness means age. Raspberries, Blackberries Boysenberries, Olallieberries and…
Read MoreQuince
August – November from California Fresh Quince should be firm and yellow and aromatic. Any soft spots or brown spots are a sign of age. Fresh Quince is a member of the apple family but cannot be eaten raw. Once cooked this pomme is tasty and is perfect for many recipes including Quince Jam, muffins,…
Read MorePummelo
November – April from California Pummelo is the ancestor of the common grapefruit with its origin in Malaysia. It is cultivated in China, Japan, India, Fiji, Thailand and most recently Israel. Today California is the largest commercial producer of Pummelo worldwide. The fruit comes to the market as early as September but is most popular…
Read MorePomegranates
September – December from California An 11th century Persian poet wrote “pomegranates splitting open under the autumn sun to reveal their precious cargo of jewel-like seeds, like innocents expose the secrets of their hearts to the whole universe.” Choose a pomegranate that is firm and heavy for its size. A perfect looking premium pomegranate will…
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