Follow
THIS WEEK’S FRUIT:
Albion Strawberries
Coke Farm, San Juan Bautista, CA
The Albion is a newer variety strawberry developed at UC Davis. The sweet flavor and firm flesh makes the Albion an excellent dessert or preserving berry.
Fuji Apples
Cuyama, New Cuyama, CA
Fujis are a cross between Red Delicious and Ralls Janet, an heirloom apple dating back to Thomas Jefferson. They are one of the sweetest variety apples around making them a household favorite.
Hass Avocados
Bravacado, San Diego, CA
Creamy in texture, nutty in flavor, with a small to medium seed. The Hass skin is easy to peel and darkens from green to purplish-black as it ripens.
Tango Mandarins
Home Grown Organic, Porterville, CA
The Tango is a newer variety tangerine created from budwood of Murcott mandarins which are prized for sweet and tangy flavor, deep orange color and easy to peel rind. The Tango holds all of the delightful characteristics of the Murcott but is virtually seedless.
Pixie Tangerines
Churchill Orchards, Ojai, CA
The tough skin of this late season tangerine gives way to a delightfully robust flavor.
…all varieties are subject to change…
A NOTE FROM KRISTIN:
I was lucky to take a drive around the orchard with Farmer Al this morning. I was even luckier to find myself tasting the first cherries of the season! The first shiny, red fruit I saw made my mouth water. I learned from Farmer Al that he has discovered a new cherry variety- The Royal Tioga. We purchase them as year old trees, from our favorite trees growers at Dave Wilson nursery.
The Royal Tioga cherries are good for the farm for several reasons: the fruit ripens earlier, the fruit is flavorful and juicy, the trees are vigorous and bare a heavy crop. Even more, these cherry trees require less winter chill days so they produce regardless of our warming Brentwood winters.
All of the cherry trees that have died or removed due to sickness, Farmer Al has been replacing with Royal Tioga trees. As we look down a row of cherry trees, many don’t have fruit, or are bearing just a few, still green cherries. In juxtaposition, the Royal Tioga trees that have been planted sporadically down the rows, are loaded with bright red fruit. Even the trees that are just a few years old, are already bearing cherries. The trees aren’t mature enough to bear enough for our CSA boxes yet but Farmer Al says that all of the cherry trees planted going forward, will be this stellar new variety. A huge part of Frog Hollow’s success, is our constant search for the best and tastiest varieties.
Organically yours,
Kristin
