How to Select and Eat the Best Stone Fruit
I grow a lot of kinds of fruit, and I do have favorites. Peaches are right up there at the top of the list, especially the fragrant, fragile, white fleshed, cling stone varieties, ripened to perfection on the tree. And a good plum, maybe a Santa Rosa, Mariposa or Blue Damson, ahhhh, that’s summer for me.
Do you disagree? Have your stone fruit encounters been sad, green and sour? Sadly, most stone fruit sold in stores is just not good. Sometimes even farmer’s market fruit is a little under ripe, and rarely, even I pick something before it reaches peak perfection.
Stone fruit, by the way, is another term for pit fruit, fruits with stones in the center. This vernacular category includes peaches, plums, apricots, cherries and all their crossbred offspring such as apriums and pluots.
The challenge of stone fruit is how quickly it spoils. Unlike an apple or pear, stone fruit cannot be stored for more than a week or two, even in a refrigerator. So many growers pick their fruit far too early, when it is hard and little sugar or flavor has developed. This way it can be shipped, displayed in a market, and still go home to a customer free of blemishes.
But never fear, stone fruit like many fruit will often ripen if left at room temperature for 3-7 days. To encourage faster ripening, put stone fruit in a paper bag, and even better, with a banana. Bananas give off ethylene gas which triggers and promotes ripening in other fruit.
Or come visit our farm stand for the freshest fruit you can find, Sundays, 10 am - 2 pm. We currently have lots of peaches, plums, apricots and their hybrids for sale. 613 Lakeview Rd, Watsonville!
You Pick Shiro Plums
We have an overabundance of Shiro golden plums, yay! So I am offering them for you pick this Sunday, 10 - 2, and probably the next few Sundays as well. $2.50 a pint or pound
From Trees of Antiquity where I got my trees:
Shiro plum tree bears a medium round, yellow fruit with a pink blush. A Luther Burbank creation in late 1800's. The Shiro plum is juicy, translucent flesh with a mild, sweet flavor. Shiro plums are excellent for fresh eating, cooking, canning and dessert. Shiro plums are medium-sized clingstone fruits with bright yellow skin and crisp yellow flesh. They are sweet and firm.
You Pick Roses On Sale!
We also have too many roses, yep, it’s possible, so I put them on sale. Come make a reservation now for anytime in the next three months. You too can go home with a ridiculously overflowing bucket of roses.
More info and reservations here
Books in the Boughs
We still have spots available for this special event, July 28th, especially for book lovers. Come spend an afternoon reading your favorite book on the farm. Mark your calendars for Sunday, July 28th, from 2 - 5pm. We will provide each reservation with a box of fresh picked farm fruit (expect peaches, plums, apricots). You bring your favorite book, perhaps a friend, additional picnic foods, a blanket or portable chairs to lounge in.
Get your tickets today!
Coming in August - Fruit Tastings! More info to come ...