They may be mini, but these exotic treats are anything but miniature in taste. And one is grown right here in Oregon!

Grown only in Oregon and New Zealand, the Baby Kiwi is like a miniature kiwi (in fact they’re cousins!) without all the fuzz. In fact you can pop the whole thing in your mouth, just like a grape. The Baby Kiwi is roughly the size of a grape with a smooth green skin that often sports a reddish blush. Inside the flesh is almost identical to that of a standard kiwi—bright green with little, edible black seeds and is incredibly juicy. The flavor is a little more intense and sweet than a standard kiwi. Baby Kiwis are often considered a type of berry, and we even package them similarly, in a protective plastic clamshell container. And like a berry the Baby Kiwis have a short shelf life, remaining fresh for only about a week if kept refrigerated. In Oregon the Baby Kiwi is available from mid-September through October, and in New Zealand you can find them February through March. We recommend the best use for Baby Kiwi is to just pop them in your mouth and enjoy them fresh. However they make wonderful additions to salads, tarts, jams and other dishes where you might use a standard kiwi. They hold their flavor through cooking. The Baby Kiwis are rich in Vitamin C and potassium and are naturally fat free and low in sodium. They also offer a fair amount of fiber.

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Thriving in hot and humid climates, the Baby Pineapple is just like its larger counterpart except that, naturally it’s smaller and its core is tender and sweet, rather than tough and fibrous. The Baby Pineapples end up growing to a height of 5 to 7 inches, with a diameter around 4 inches. The diminutive size makes it a perfect small portion when a large pineapple is just too much. They are wonderful cut up and eaten fresh, but you can include them in any dish that you would with a regular pineapple such as in fresh fruit salads, beverages or baked goods. The skin is rough, golden, and when ripe is delightfully fragrant. The perfect pineapples are bright in color with green leaves; avoid pineapples with brown, soft spots or dry and brown leaves. They will be able to keep when refrigerated for up to ten days. To enjoy, cut off the crown of leaves and a small portion of the base and cut up the entirety of its flesh while removing the tough skin. Baby Pineapples are high in Vitamin A and C, as well as calcium, iron and potassium, making them an exceptional part of your daily nutrients.

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The 4000 year old “Persian Apple”

Little known to many, peaches originated in China approximately 2000 B.C. The scientific name for peaches, Prunus persica, originated from an early European belief that peaches came from Persia (nowIran). In fact they were brought over on the Silk Road from Asia to the Greater Mesopotamia andMediterranean regions before Christian times.

The ancient Romans called peaches “Persian Apples” for the country that introduced the fruit to the West. The peach was brought to Americaby Spanish explorers in the 16^th century, and then to England and France in the 17^th century. Numerous Native American tribes are credited with distributing the peach tree across theUnited States, taking seeds with them and planting as they traveled through the country.

According to Chinese legend, the peach was said to be consumed by immortals for its ability to prolong life for all who ate them. The peach often is an important part of Chinese tradition and is symbolic of long life.

As well, due to its sweetness and soft texture, the ancient Chinese used “peach” as a slang word for “young bride” and in many cultures has remained as a way to define pretty young women. The terms “peachy” and “peachy keen” in English are representative of this.

Peach trees are the second most commonly cultivated fruit trees in the world, after apple trees. TodayChina,Greece,Italy and America are major producers of peaches. California, South Carolina and Georgia are the largest peach producers within theUnited States. They thrive in climates with mild, cool winters and a lot of summer heat, which help lend to the fruit’s intense sweetness.

A medium sized peach has only 35 calories, making it a perfect snack or dessert. They are also excellent sources of fiber, Vitamins A, C and E, and phytochemicals, which act as antioxidants ridding the body of free radicals and are great for one’s skin.

To order fresh Oregon Peaches Click here!

Cherry harvest, one of our favorite times of the year, is fast approaching! According to orchardists around the area, the start of harvest is expected between July 2nd and July 8th. It’s a bit later than usual due to wet conditions and cold nights, but the product is still expected to be outstanding: orchardists are predicting a larger cherry of a higher quality.

Last year’s cherries were delicious. We devoured them in June and July, and dreamt about them during the winter months. It’s always that way with cherries: we love them while they’re here, and miss them when they’re gone.

But the Cherries are coming, and we here at The Fruit Company would hate for you to miss out. That’s why we’re now taking pre-orders on www.TheFruitCompany.com for our Dark Sweet and Rainier Cherries. The cherries start shipping out July 1st, and come in two sizes: 2lb, and 3lb. For those that can’t decide between Dark Sweet and Rainier, we offer a combo box, filled with the freshest of both varieties.

While we love cherries, we also enjoy sharing them with loved ones. With all our fruit, we’d like to think that what we’re delivering goes beyond quality gourmet gifts. We’re delivering a bit of the northwest. It’s all the rain, and soil and hard work that the Northwest is famous for, and there’s no better example than our Cherries in July!

Both of these tempting beauties have super sweet white flesh that makes for a lovely summer snack. Prized for their appearance and original flavor, they’re often more expensive than their traditional counterparts.

Find the Exotica Harvest Club here!

Saucer Peaches

Also referred to as a donut peach or a Saturn peach, Saucer Peaches are squat, freestone peaches with an indentation in the middle that suggests the shape of a donut. The flesh is white and generally higher in sugar content than that of a yellow peach, so you get that much more sweetness per bite. The skin is a creamy yellow with red or magenta blush and is generally less fuzzy than a traditional peach.

The Saucers originated in China and were first grown in the United States sometime in the mid-1800s. They didn’t become truly popular until more recently, with adults and particularly children drawn to their small and unique appearance.

While they are smaller than a traditional peach, they can be used for fresh eating or baking just as any other peach. When ripe the peach will give just slightly to the touch, and should not have any uneven soft spots or bruising. Leave your Saucer Peaches out on the counter to ripen, and once ripe they can be kept in the refrigerator up to three days.

White Nectarines
Like the Saucer Peaches, the White Nectarines have juicy white flesh that is considerably sweeter than their standard yellow counterparts as a result of having a much lower acid content. As well, traditional yellow nectarines get sweeter as they ripen but White Nectarines as just as sweet when harvested as they are when ripened. People love the White Nectarine for its unique sweetness and of course for the lack of fuzz found on a peach. While its flesh is white or even pinkish, the center around the pit radiates a bright magenta—truly stunning when served in slices. The skin also often features bright splashes of magenta over fair-colored skin.

Despite having been in commercial production for over 30 years now, White Nectarines only recently have become a fruit that people ask for by name and their popularity grows with every season. Most of the White Nectarines grown inAmericago to overseas markets that favor sweeter stone fruit.

Ripening your White Nectarines is identical to how you’d ripen a Saucer Peach or any other peach or nectarine. They’re ripe when they give to slight pressure and there is no green color evident on the skin. If you want to speed the ripening process, place the nectarine in a paper bag and you’ll have a succulent, ripe fruit with in 1-2 days.

Find the Exotica Harvest Club here!

This just in! Summer is a great time to enjoy tasty fresh fruit! That’s right, you can celebrate fresh fruit and vegetables by adding a tasty fruit to each meal.  Whether it’s as a main course, side dish or a tasty dessert, fruit is a great part of your diet. Below are five ideas on adding tasty fruit into your day.  Enjoy!

Apple Slice Snack: A great idea for any time of year! Start the day by coring and slicing two apples. Take two Ziploc bags and put an apple into each bag.  Put them in the fridge and use as a nice cold snack during the day or grab one for your drive in the afternoon!

Cubed Tomatoes:  Yes tomatoes are fruit and the great thing about this fruit is that it goes great with most dinner dishes.  Whether you are eating Enchiladas, Spaghetti, or a tasty garden, salad cube a tomato up and serve it as a topping to any of these dishes.  The flavor and acidity of the tomato adds a great taste combination for any palate.

Fruit Salad: A great treat for breakfast or dessert is a delicious fruit salad that is simple and easy to make.  Find a small watermelon, a cantaloupe, a honeydew melon, and a carton of strawberries.  Cube the melons and slice the strawberries.  Mix them together gently in a bowl.  Quickly put them in the fridge to chill. That’s it.  Now you have a perfect summer breakfast side dish or dessert for a nice summer evening.

Frozen Blueberries: Summer is generally warm.  A great way to enjoy a nice cool treat is to freeze blueberries! Either pick or purchase enough blueberries to fill a one pound Ziploc freezer bag.  Rinse the blueberries and let them dry for about fifteen minutes. Place the blueberries in the Ziploc freezer bag and place them in your freezer.  After one day any time you want a sweet icy cool treat, grab a handful or fill a bowl and enjoy the tasty flavor.  Perfect for a summer afternoon and for kids!

Fruit Recipes: One of our favorite things to cook here at The Fruit Company is main courses that involve a strong fruit flavor.  A recent recipe that we made here and featured on our blog was a tasty Pan-Seared Pork (or Chicken) with a Pineapple-Kiwi Salsa.  This mixture of fruit and protein was a delightful main course that had a great balance between the ingredients! Try it out and see for yourself!

Recipe

This refreshing and zesty salsa couldn’t be easier to make and is perfect for welcoming the warm days of summer ahead.

Ingredients

2 cups pitted, peeled, and chopped mango
3/4 cup chopped red bell pepper
2/3 cup chopped green onions
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
4 teaspoons extra virgin olive oil

Directions

Mix all ingredients in small bowl. Season with sea salt and freshly ground pepper. (Can be made up to 6 hours ahead. Cover and chill.) Garnish with sprigs of cilantro. Makes approximately 3 cups of salsa.

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One of the world’s most popular tropical fruits, the Mango comes in many sizes, shapes and colors and can be prepared in ways you’ve never considered.

50% of the world’s tropical fruit are mangoes, so goes without saying that there are innumerable means in which people of many countries have come up with to consume the sweet, juicy fruits.

The mango is native to southern Asia and is now grown throughout the world’s equatorial regions, including Central and South America, Africa, and the Arabian Peninsula. While there is limited production of mangoes in theUnited States, the vast majority of the mangoes consumed in North America come fromMexico and Puerto Rico.

Mangoes range in color from green to scarlet to vivid yellow, depending on the variety. The flesh consistency and flavor also varies with the mango type, but the most commonly consumed mangoes in the US have a very sweet, creamy and juicy flesh. Occasionally the flesh can be more fibrous than others, but the best mangoes, such as the Champagne Mangoes we send with the Exotica HarvestClub, are renowned for their consistency and lack of stringiness.

Besides eating fresh, one of the most common uses for mangoes is in chutney, which inIndiais much tarter than what we’re accustomed to here. They use sour, unripe mangoes, hot chilies and limes. In fact the super sour, unripe mangoes are very popular around the world, especially when accompanied with salt and/or chili powder. Street vendors inMexicooften sell the fruit on a stick dipped in a mixture of chili and salt. Mangoes are a key ingredient in muesli and oat granola. In Southeast Asiathe fruit is pickled with fish sauce and rice vinegar. There the mango is also served on top of sweet rice as a dessert.

You can also use mangoes to make juice, as filler for pies, blended with milk and ice for milkshakes, or mashed into ice cream.

Besides being incredibly delicious, mangoes are wonderful for you. One mango has nearly half your recommended daily intake of Vitamin C, as well as being rich in antioxidants, dietary fiber, carbohydrates, and essential vitamins and minerals. One mango has only 70 calories and, due to its high water content, is rather refreshing. So go ahead and indulge!

The Golden Supreme Apple is one of the most popular and enduring apple varieties worldwide, and for just cause. Tasting mellow and sweet with a gentle tang, its slightly crisp texture and striking pale yellow color have garnered many lifelong fans. It can be difficult to find a perfect Golden as they are thin skinned and bruise very easily. Your best bet is enjoying one soon after harvest, when they are bursting with a warm and agreeable flavor and crispness.

West Virginia’s Clay County is reportedly the first place where these Golden
s were grown, as they were discovered there as a chance seedling in 1890. They were originally known as Mullin’s Yellow Seedling, but were renamed in 1916 and the rest is delicious history.

While eating a Golden fresh is always the best way to enjoy the full extent of its flavor, the delicate apples also do remarkably well in fresh cut salads as they resist browning. They also make great baking apples, especially as they’re so sweet that you don’t need as much sugar when using them in pies and desserts.

This apple is a favorite here at The Fruit Company® and featured in our Harvest Club Americana® for the month of April!  For more information visit our Harvest Club Americana® page here.

In honor of the Sweet Sixteen fever this weekend we decided to post our own Sweet Sixteen competition!  Go to facebook and vote between the eight matchups listed below featuring the best fruit direct from The Fruit Company® Happy voting!

CLICK HERE TO VOTE

Matchup #1

Strawberries:

This powerhouse fruit, in production since the 18^th century, ripped through the competition in the early rounds knocking out top seeded favorites Honeycrisp Apples and Comice Pears. With overall four million tons produced last year, this berry clearly has support, but does it have what it takes to make it all the way to the finals?

Asian Pears:

A relative newcomer, Asian Pears have taken the United States by storm in the last few years, as evidenced by their quick victories over Passion Fruit and Baby Bananas. But many people still don’t know quite what to make of Asian Pears. Are they an apple or a pear? Do you cook with them or eat them fresh? This lack of familiarity may hurt them later in the tournament.

Matchup #2

Comice Pears:

Knocked out in the first round by Strawberries, the Comice Pears were brought back by The Fruit Company CEO after the White Nectarines were found cheating; something about “juicing”. Once called the “Cadillac” of pears, do these soft and sweet pears still have the power to make it to the finals?

Nectarines:

An underappreciated sibling of the Peach, Nectarines have made great strides in developing their own strength in recent years. Many commentators prefer the smoother skin over the fuzz of peaches and apricots. But can this trait take it to the finals, and what happens if Nectarines are forced to face off against Peaches?

Matchup #3

Anjou Pears:

Commanding an amazing 34% of all pear production in the Unites States, Anjou (or D’Anjou) Pears are the true workhorse of the tournament. No flash, no storied history, the Anjou Pear simply gets the job done and is enjoyed by many. Will the classic hardworking Anjou Pear beat out the flashier and more perishable competitors?

Ugli Fruit:

The underdog of the tournament, Ugli Fruit has the worst appearance and even poorer recognition. The Ugli Fruit did however manage to best popular Bosc Pears and Jonagold Apples and outlasted all other citrus except Tangelos to make it to the Sweet Sixteen. Once people experience the Ugli Fruit for themselves, they are hooked, blown away by its flavor and humble mystique.

Matchup #4

Pomegranate:

With a history as old as time itself, the Pomegranate is poised to power its way to the finals. A bonafide superfood, the Pomagranate regularly makes headlines in the health and wellness world. With its anti-oxidizing ferocity and widespread popularity, will the Pomegranate be unstoppable?

Bing Cherries:

Dark, mysterious and full of flavor, Bing Cherries are a dominant stone fruit player in the competition. But will the fact that they are only available a couple months out of the year heightened their buzz or cause them to burn out early?

Matchup #5

Forelle Pears:

Named for the German word for “trout”, Forelle Pears are beautiful and elegant, and gracefully swept past rival Granny Smith Apples and Quince. What they lack in size and physicality, the more than make up for in appearance and style, and any fruit would be foolish to dismiss them as a challenger.

Pink Lady Apples:

The Pink Lady Apples hade a couple of close calls against the exotic Starfruit and sugary sweet Seckel Pears, but managed to make it to the Sweet Sixteen. Look for them to foster their avant garde texture and bright colors in their battle to the finals. The Pink Lady Apples may not have the recognition that the other apples in the tournament have, but don’t count them out yet.

Matchup #6

Tangelos:

Also known as Honeybells, Tangelos are a hybrid fruit combining the power and flavor of grapefruit and tangerines. Recognized by their odd shape and vibrant color, Tangelos are the favored citrus fruit in the competition. They have a tough fight ahead, but are supported by two of the largest states, Florida and California.

Rainier Cherries:

The prima donna of the tournament, Rainier Cherries are fragile, temperamental, and absolutely amazing! While they had an easy couple of rounds against the unknown Custard Apples and erratic Apricots, Rainier Cherries are an extremely popular fruit and favored by many against the other stone fruits in the competition.

Matchup #7

Fuji Apples:

While Fuji Apples don’t have the history of heirloom varieties or the recent popularity of apples like the Honeycrisp or Pink Ladies, they prove year after year that they have the flavor and crunch to be a formidable opponent and fan favorite. Will their reliability and sweetness be able to carry them to the finals?

Kiwi:

You can definitely say that Kiwi are unique in the competition. There is nobody else that looks, tastes, or performs like they do, making the Kiwi a force to be reckoned with since its introduction to the United States in the 1950s. Love them or hate them, the Kiwi are in it to win it.

Matchup #8

Peaches:

One of the most popular fruits in the world, Peaches are sure to put on an impressive show in their march to the finals. But having faced two citrus fruits early with Navel Oranges and Kumquats, are Peaches set to fall in a competition dominated by stone fruit?

Watermelon:

There are very few fruits more recognizable and enjoyed in the tournament than Watermelon. A picnic favorite, Watermelons are practically synonymous with summer time fun. Their size and thick rind could pose a problem however against smaller more versatile fruits.

To go along with the celebration of American Heart Month, we decided to create a healthy, yet tasty dish. Our main dish was roasted salmon with a shallot grapefruit sauce, and we decided to kick it up a notch and include a side order of watercress salad with grapefruit, olives, and fried sage.

According to the American Heart Association, fish should be eaten twice a week as part of a healthy diet. Loaded with Omega-3 fatty acids, vitamins, minerals, and protein, salmon has been shown to benefit everything from cholesterol to brain function. Combine this with the healthy citrus power of grapefruit, throw in a little ginger and honey, and you have a delicious and healthy meal everyone will enjoy.

For those that find the flavor of grapefruit a little overpowering, I would recommend cutting the segments into smaller pieces, maybe one inch or smaller. The sauce is delectable but deceivingly rich, a little goes a long way. And while the directions don’t state this, wrapping the salmon in foil to bake will help it from drying out and give you a few extra minutes to finish cooking your sauce.

If you have trouble finding watercress you can substitute with arugula. For those of you on the east coast or in the south you can find watercress at most grocery stores and markets. We are not as lucky in the Northwest. This salad is a wonderful blend of ingredients and a nice twist on a tradition dinner or garden salad. One word of warning however is that fresh sage (especially fried) is very strong; set it to the side and let your diners add to taste.

Recipes courtesy of foodnetwork.com and marthastewart.com