In This Week’s Box
[box_list]- Zee Lady Peaches, Frog Hollow Farm
- Santa Rosa Plums, Frog Hollow Farm
- Fantasia Nectarines, Frog Hollow Farm [/box_list] [print_this]
From Farmer Al
“Aged Fruit” Dear CSA Members, I was talking with a mail order customer recently about our fruit. He was marveling at how the eating qualities of the fruit improved with age! “I keep the fruit out on the kitchen counter, until it’s on the verge of ‘spoiling’ before I eat it,” he exclaimed! I’ve been recommending this ‘handling’ procedure for decades, but it’s always great to hear it from a customer! The popular myth, of course, is that the best peach (maybe a childhood memory or popular image) is the one you pick yourself and eat right under the tree. Not so! “AGE” it for 5-6 days, and it will definitely get much better…….juicer, softer, sweeter, less acidic. A good indicator is when the skin begins to shrivel ever so slightly. This works best in a cool, darker room where the blinds are drawn, and, try to check each piece of fruit daily to make sure no brown spots appearing (the “feared” brown rot fungus– the very same “bad boys” fungus that wiped out our Apricot crop in early March by consuming the blossoms) develop. If you see those type of spots, refrigerate, eat sooner, or process for freezing. So, age your fruit and increase your joy! Deliciously,