fruit notes
The first California Hass avocados of the season are here and they’re from Garcia Organic Farm! I’ve waited months for this moment. The Garcias have begun harvesting across their ten acres of avocados. The grove is mostly Hass but they have some other fun varieties in the mix too, which may make an appearance in weeks to come. An avocado doesn’t begin softening until it’s been picked, but growers (and the CA Avocado Commission) determine ripeness by measuring the oil content of the fruit. Think of oil content like the avocado’s potential for creaminess. The fruit may not be soft yet, but it's an indicator of just how luscious it will be when it's soft and ready to eat. Oil content varies by variety (Hass has one of highest) and generally increases the longer the fruit is on the tree. Though California avocados can be harvested now, the big commercial packers and growers are finishing up with fruit from Mexico’s winter season which is why you’d see both available at the grocery stores. It’s early season, but we can vouch that Garcia’s Hass avos are tasty and creamy right now. We ate a couple during our visit to Fallbrook this past week, with a little squeeze of mandarinquat juice on top for acidity, served by Juan Garcia himself. Store on the counter until it has a little give. Grown organically by Garcia Organic Farm in Fallbrook.
California-grown bananas! We’re so grateful for all the subtropical fruit we get from Condor Ridge Ranch, in the depths of the harsh Northern California winter, and it always wows us. Jay has only a few banana trees, planted as wind protection for the farm’s coffee plants. But I LOVE these Goldfinger bananas. So much so, I often start asking about them in August lol. The first hands (or bunches) of bananas were knocked off by a wind storm a few weeks ago. This round, the fingers have sized up and we have some prettier looking fruit that is sure to be tasty. They’ll need to ripen up on a warm-ish counter or in a paper bag. We like to wait until they get really brown and pretty ugly. Unlike the main commercial banana variety, the texture of the Goldfingers doesn’t get mushy when overripe. Grown organically by Condor Ridge Ranch in Goleta.
This is the last week of Washington Navel oranges from Rainwater Ranch and by this point in the season, these Navels are sweet sweet. Lauren and Lee set our expectations before the season started: it may be a short one. In previous years, they harvested oranges into March. Lee tells us, “the past couple of years have been more challenging because of the weather. Drought combined with some ill-timed storms have affected not only the fruit set, but the ability to harvest. Storms and big wind storms can knock a lot of fruit down during peak harvest.” We’re grateful to have enjoyed these for the past month, they’re definitely a fan fave. Store these on the counter. Grown organically by Rainwater Ranch in Winters.
While the Cara Cara orange season in Northern California is nearly wrapped up and the Central Valley is beginning to wind down, Garcia Organic Farm in Fallbrook is just starting up. The 30 acre farm is situated in Northern San Diego County, where their climate allows for them to grow delicious citrus, guavas, mangos, and avocados. We love the acid and flavor of Garcia’s Cara Cara oranges, you can tell the flavor has really had time to develop on the trees – and they’ll just keep getting better! Store these on the counter. Grown organically by Garcia Organic Farm in Fallbrook.
These Kishu mandarins are super duper sweet, juicy, easy-to-peel, with firm little segments, and they’re completely seedless! Kishus originated in the Jiangxi province in Southern China in the 8th century. This is still the area where they’re most widely grown today. Kishus were introduced to the US in the 1800s but they never really took off because those varieties were still seeded. In 1983, the seedless Kishu arrived at UC Riverside by way of Japan and has since become well-loved. Jim Churchill was the first to plant Kishus commercially around 20 years ago and he grows some of the tastiest ones! Store on your counter. Grown organically by Churchill Orchard in Ojai.
Hayward kiwis are the most common green kiwifruit in California but Ruthanne of Shared Abundance Organic Farm is one of the few farmers we know that pushes the envelope on ripeness. Ruthanne measures the sugars and waits to harvest until they are nearly double the standard of big, commercial growers. The big guys will start harvesting in October. Ruthanne just wrapped up her harvest in January – and you can really taste the difference. These Haywards need a few days on the counter to soften up or they can be eaten firm with some nice tartness. Store on your counter. Grown organically by Shared Abundance Farm in Auburn.
The Gold Nugget mandarins from Cathy and Michael ripened up earlier than usual this year, but they’ve been super happy with the mandarins and so have we! They have about 36 Gold Nugget trees on their 15 acre diversified farm. This year, the Gold Nuggets have been incredibly tasty and bountiful. Its characteristic bumpy and oil-infused peel requires a lot of care when harvesting since they can bruise easily. The flavor is unmatched for a sweet citrus lover – so sweet! Store in the fridge or on the counter. Grown organically by Spreadwing Farm in Rumsey.
