Author: Kelly Palermo

  Cara Cara Oranges Grower: Ken’s Top Notch Produce Description: The Cara Cara orange is similar in appearance to the conventional orange, which has a smooth outer skin and bright orange color. It was first discovered in 1976 and developed from a mutation in the Washington navel orange. The inner flesh of the Cara Cara …

Fuyu Persimmon Grower: Beck Grove Description: Though Fuyu persimmons command an edible advantage over other persimmon counterparts, they do share common characteristics with other persimmon varieties. They have a rounded ovate beefsteak tomato shape with an indented leaf on their stem end, pumpkin colored tones in both skin and flesh and when ripe, possess layers …

  Black Arkansas Apple Grower: Penryn Orchards Description: The skin of the Black Arkansas apple is waxy and vivid red to dark purple in color. Its flesh is golden hued and juicy with a fine-grained and crisp texture. Its highly aromatic and sweet-tart flavor mellows and becomes more palatable with storage. The flesh as well …

Tsuro Noko Persimmons Grower: Penryn Orchards Description: Perfectly ripe Tsuru Noko persimmons are petite, semi-tender, elongated, conical-shaped with a warm orange colored thin skin. The fruit’s flesh is the color of brown sugar and cocoa and studded with thin flat seeds. Their flavor reflective of their flesh’s color, filled with warm notes of chocolate, sweet …

Tsu-Li Pears Grower: Penryn Orchards Description: Tsu-Li Asian pears are large, with an irregular pear shape. They have a greenish coarse skin that is freckled with some russeting. Tsu-Li Asian pears have a pineapple aroma and a firm, cream colored flesh with a delicious floral taste.          THE FARMS:   Suzie’s Farm Hot …

Butternut Squash Grower: Weiser Family Farms Description: The classic Butternut squash is one of the most popular varieties. It has a rich, golden-yellow flesh with an excellent texture. Butternut squash has a smooth, long-necked, bell-shape with an orange-yellowish hard rind. Having a relatively small seed cavity in its bulbous end, its tender flesh offers a superb …

Warren Pears Grower: Frog Hollow Orchards Description: The Warren pear is the perfectly crafted composition of its parentage. Its appearance, though less than perfect (its skin slightly scarred by nature) is quintessential: bulbous, yet bell-shaped, sun-kissed with tones of earth, sun and clay and dotted with bronze freckles hinting at the fruit’s ripeness. Each visual element …

Keitt Mango Grower: Wong Farms Description: Keitt mangoes are oblong in shape with a pale to dark green skin, though they occasionally have a yellow blush. The color can be misleading, and the only real way to determine whether these large mangoes are ripe is by touch. The skin should give slightly to the touch, and …

Sunflowers Grower: McGrath Family Farms Description: The Sunflower is given the botanical name Helianthus annuus, from the Greek word, “helios” (sun) and “anthos” (flower). Easily recognized for its large flower head, the Sunflower has numerous yellow petals surrounding the dark brown center. The center of the Sunflower is composed of tiny florets, which later become edible …

Peacotums Grower: Fitzgerald Farms Description: The small, plum-sized Peacotums have a peachy orange skin covered with dark reddish blush. The skin of a Peacotum has the fuzzy texture like its peach and apricot parents, with a hint of coloring from a plum. Its flesh is the color of a yellow peach with the consistency of its …