“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,
Happy Child CSA News
Farm Tour– an opportunity via our friends at Bay Area Green Tours http://www.bayareagreentours.org/brentwood.html Visit the website or call 510 704-0379 for more details. Co-Sponsored by Brentwood Agricultural Land Trust.
Learn more at http://www.brentwoodaglandtrust.org/index.html Visit: Frog Hollow Farm, Smith Family Farms, Dewelly Farms
When: Saturday, August 6, 2011 9:00 am-6:00 pm
Where: San Francisco: 9:00 AM 2nd & Stevenson Street (near Montgomery BART, Returning between 5:00 and 6:00 , and Berkeley, 9:30 AM at the David Brower Center, 2150 Allston Way (near the downtown Berkeley BART), returning between 5:00-5:30.
Cost: $85 per person, includes transportation in a comfortable bio-diesel bus with Restrooms and A.C. Kids are half price, $42.50 ages 0-16.
Lunch- (Optional) $15. We will enjoy lunch in a shaded picnic area with benches and hay bales. Bring your own lunch or choose ours when signing up.
We depend on you to grow the Happy Child CSA! If you know anyone who might also enjoy the benefits of being a part of our fruit-loving community, please have them visit happychildcsa.com for a 4-week CSA trial
membership.
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