fruit notes
Graciela and Enrique Bautista raised their family across the street from a date ranch on the Northern shore of the Salton Sea in the small desert town of Mecca, not far from our friends at Wong Farms. They both worked at the date ranch and when the original owners retired, they purchased the farm. They grow seven varieties of organic dates (their instagram handle is @7_hotdates 🙂) and their children now manage most of the operation now. Growing anything in the desert is challenging but if you’ve driven through the Coachella Valley, date palms are no joke. The palms are extremely tall so they require ladders to pick and prune, the palm fronds are extremely spiny and brittle, and some of the spines have compounds that are irritants to skin. On top of that, date palms require proper pollination during bloom to get the big, juicy, (hot) dates we have come to expect. If they aren’t properly pollinated, they are tiny little things. These Medjool dates are sticky, gooey, and taste of rich caramel. These beauties are the queen of dates, as far as we’re concerned! Store in the fridge in an air-tight container. Grown organically by Bautista Family Organic Date Ranch in Mecca.
Stan Devoto has been talking about Gold Rush apples for years. Three years ago, he expressed the same enthusiasm for this variety as he does today – except now he actually has some to share! The trees are still young so they haven’t fully come into production yet, but we’re lucky to get a share of the small harvest. They ARE really tasty! Snappy skin, crisp, juicy, flavorful, no wonder it’s Stan’s new favorite apple. Store in the fridge to maintain crispness. Grown organically by Devoto Orchards in Sebastopol.
Similar to Warrens, Taylor’s Gold pears are tender, creamy, and juicy with honey notes. They’re short-lived on the counter so check the neck of the pear near the stem for wrinkles or a little give with gentle pressure. Some argue that this variety was discovered as a natural mutation of the Comice pear, which makes sense given its similar characteristics. Whatever its genetic history, we love this sweet and aromatic pear. They’re ready to eat now if you like your pears firm or can sit on the counter for 2-3 days. Grown organically by Bella Ridge Farm in Occidental.
There’s been a small amount of Prime Ark blackberries still hanging on at Javier’s farm and we’ve been loving them. They’re sweet, tender, juicy, and welcomed in the height of fall. Javier has some berries under hoop-houses – tunnel-shaped temporary greenhouses that help protect the plants and bump up the temperature. This extends the season a bit but even still, as the weather cools, the plants’ production slows. Once the first frost hits, it’s the end of season for these local blackberries. Store in the fridge. Grown organically by JSM Organics in Royal Oaks.
Red kiwifruit is new in California, having just been introduced in the last couple of years. We don’t know any small farms growing red kiwis (holler if you do!) These are from Wild River, a third generation grower and packer in Yuba County that’s introducing this variety to the commercial market here. I first had a sample of red kiwifruit shipped from Italy a few years ago and was amazed – it was sweet, subacid, and had flashy red flesh. Wild River’s red kiwis are a different variety yet. They resemble a gold kiwi in flavor and texture, with some red streaks in the inner pericarp, the fleshy area near the seeds. The red kiwi was a natural mutation of gold kiwis, discovered in China in the 1980s, so this flavor profile makes sense! The flavor is sweet, the texture is firmer, and there are slight raspberry notes. Store them on the counter if you like them softer. Grown organically by Wild River Fruit in Marysville.
Jay’s subtropical fruit forest sits high in the foothills of Goleta overlooking the Pacific. On a visit, it’s hard not to be drawn straight to the bursts of magenta dragon fruit cacti draped over avocado branches, with passion fruit vines weaving through the canopy. Peel back the neon-pink skin to reveal polka-dotted white flesh, juicy and dense with a gentle sweetness. This variety of dragon fruit has a touch more acidity, which we love! If you’ve never had dragon fruit before, it has the texture of a kiwi with tasting notes of pear and pineapple. Store on the counter. Grown organically by Condor Ridge Ranch in Goleta.
Sandra Newman and the crew at Forbidden Fruit Orchards grow amazing blueberries during California’s “off season.” Their farm is perfectly situated on a southern slope 12 miles from the ocean, in an area protected from frost. At the western edge of the Santa Ynez wine-growing region, the mountain range funnels in cool, temperate weather, allowing for a longer hang time and slower ripening. This longer ripening period and ideal climate yield wonderful flavor and a firm texture! Right now, they’re harvesting their Sapphire blueberries and they are sweet! Store in the fridge. Grown organically by Forbidden Fruit Orchards in Lompoc.
