2nd Fruit Delivery: June 29th, 30th, and July 2nd, 2011

This week we have Oranges, Pears, Apples, Nectarines, Plums, Kiwi, Limes, Mangoes, Pineapple, and a Lemon.

Valencia Oranges this week are from Homegrown Organic Farms in CA. Valencias are the world’s most important commercial variety, and the success of this crop in Southern California led to the naming of Orange County, California. Valencias are excellent juicers. Store oranges in a cool place outside the refrigerator and try to eat them within a few days. If you need to keep them longer, refrigerate in a plastic bag or in the vegetable crisper section of the refrigerator.

Packham Pears are from Sol Bio in Argentina. Come fall, you’ll have tons of local apples and

Packham Pears

pears! Meanwhile, all US apples have been sitting in cold storage since last fall – and their flavor and texture is not very good this long after harvest. Packham Pears were first developed in Australia by Henry Packham around 1900. They are a bumpy green pear with a rounded bell shaped bottom and a narrow neck, and they don’t change color when ripe. To ripen, keep at room temperature for a few days, and then in the fridge.

Gala Apples this week, like the pears, are also from Sol Bio in Argentina, for the same seasonal reasons. Our suppliers try to provide new, fresh crops with a minimal footprint that are comparable to US-grown apples. The Gala is a superb dessert apple, excellent for fresh eating and baking. Most Galas are yellow-gold with pink to red stripes, while some Gala strains may be nearly solid red. Apples are picked at their peak ripeness, so additional ripening really means acceleration in the decaying process – so, to prevent apples from getting mushy and mealy, they should be refrigerated. They can last up to six weeks in the refrigerator.

White Nectarines are from Twin Girls Farm in CA, family started, owned and operated since 1993. Nectarines are fuzzless peaches, and those with white flesh typically are very sweet with little acidity (while yellow-fleshed ones typically have an acidic tang coupled with sweetness — though this also varies greatly). Once ripe, nectarines will keep in the coldest part of your  refrigerator for 5 days at most. Store in a plastic bag.

Red Beaut Plums are from Olson Family Farms in CA. Plumbelieveable, as one website proclaims. Red Beaut is a large, firm red-skinned yellow-flesh plum with a complex, sweet flavor. Allow plums to ripen at room temperature, and store in fridge once ripe. For maximum juiciness, eat plums at room temperature.

The Kiwi is from Zespri Organic. Kiwi is oval-shaped, with a fibrous, brown-green skin and bright green or golden flesh with rows of tiny, black, edible seeds. The kiwi is actually a large berry that grows from a vine! The fruit should be firm, but not rock hard. Though most people prefer to peel the hairy, rough skin (or scoop the flesh out with a spoon) the skin is edible. Store at room temperature till ripe, then refrigerate.

Limes and Lemons are from Patagonia Orchards in AZ and another farm in CA. Enjoy these luscious green and yellow citrus fruits—perhaps squeezed into ice water, with your favorite sweetner and fresh herbs – all muddled in the glass!

Kent Mangoes are also from Patagonia Orchards. Kents mangoes are oval-shaped, fuller, and not as flat as other varieties. It has a particularly smooth, non-fibrous flesh. If not fully ripe, allow mangoes to ripen at room temperature in a paper bag. Once ripe, mangoes can be stored in your refrigerator for up to two weeks.

Pineapples this week are fair trade organic from small and medium size farms in Costa Rica, through Interrupcion Fair Trade. Store pineapples at room temperature and they will continue to ripen. Once ripe, slice or cube and store in a covered container in the refrigerator.

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1st Fruit Delivery: June 15, 16, and 18, 2011

Welcome to your Angelic Organics Fruit Share! This week we have Avocadoes, Lemons, Limes, Grapefruit, Oranges, Apples, Apricots, Strawberries, Nectarines, and Raspberries.

Avocadoes this week are from Stehly Farms Organics, in southern CA. Avocadoes are a smooth, silky addition to a variety of foods. A little known fact is that avocadoes never ripen until after picked. Store at room temperature until ripe, and monitor daily to check for ripeness (gives slightly to a gentle press).

Fuji Apples

Lemons and Limes will stay fresh at room temperature for a week or so, but then need to stay in the fridge.

Fuji Apples are from South Organic Fruit, imported for the best quality due to time of season. TheFuji is the most extensively planted apple variety worldwide. Crossing the Red Delicious with the Ralls Janet resulted in the Fuji apple. It has a yellow green color with red highlights to mostly red, outstanding juiciness, a crisp texture, and a complex sweet but tart taste giving it a wonderful flavor. To store, keep apples as cold as possible in the refrigerator.

Grapefruit this week is from Kitahara Farms in CA. The grapefruit is a hybrid of pomelo and sweet orange. The segmented, acidic flesh varies in color from white, pink and red pulps of varying sweetness. Store grapefruit at room temperature, or for longer periods in the refrigerator’s crisper.

Valencia Orangesare from Corona-College Heights (CCH) Citrus in California, which has a very long (9-10 months) Valencia season. Valencias are the world’s most important commercial variety, and the success of this crop in Southern California led to the naming of Orange County, California. The name ‘Valencia Orange’ comes from the city of Valencia, Spain, known through history for its sweet orange trees. Valencias are excellent juicers. Store oranges in a cool place outside the refrigerator and try to eat them within a few days. If you need to keep them longer, refrigerate in a plastic bag or in the vegetable crisper section of the refrigerator.

Apricots are from Blossom Hill Packing in CA, a family run business specializing in apricots for 35 years. Apricots originally come from China, and made their way across Europe and finally into California, where they were grown in the Spanish missions. Ripe apricots should be refrigerated. To ripen firm fruit, hold at room temperature or place in a paper bag with an apple or banana.

Strawberries come from Drisoll’s in CA, a family owned and run business that began growing strawberries in 1904. Store unwashed strawberries in the refrigerator.

Yellow Nectarines typically have an acidic tang coupled with sweetness, though this varies greatly. Nectarines are fuzzless peaches. Nectarines will sometimes appear on peach trees, and peaches sometimes appear on nectarine trees! It is impossible to tell which seeds from nectarine trees will produce nectarine bearing trees, so commercial growers take branches which produce nectarines and graft them onto peach trees; the branches will continue to produce nectarines. Once ripe, nectarines will keep in the coldest part of your refrigerator for 5 days at most. Store in a plastic bag.

Raspberries are fragrantly sweet with a subtly tart overtone and almost-melt-in-your-mouth texture. They are extremely perishable, and will only keep, unwashed, in the refrigerator for a couple days. They also freeze very well.