Angelic Organics

Specific Varieties...

Apples

• Ambrosia Apples -- grown by Golden Harbor Orchard located in a prime apple growing region of eastern Washington's Columbia River valley. A medium size apple with red color with some striping on a creamy yellow background. The Ambrosia apple does not have a long storage life so it is only available of a few months of the year. The apple originated from British Columbia and is a good snacking apple with its crisp texture and juicy aromatic flesh.
  
• Braebun Apples -- grown by Jerzy Boyz Farm in WA. Braeburn, a New Zealand import, is a red and green-gold color that is sweet, aromatic, and juicy.
  
• Fuji Apples -- grown by Jerzy Boyz Farm in WA. Fuji 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.
  
• Gala Apple -- grown at the Briggs/Eggers Family Orchard in the Bonita Springs Valley of southern Arizona. Galas have a shape similar to Fuji apples, but have a more polished skin. Apples are picked at their peak ripeness so additional ripening really means acceleration in the decaying process, and they will become mealy and mushy. The Gala is a light textured apple with a sweet finish that is perfect for eating fresh.
• Ginger Gold Apples -- from Jerzy Boyz in WA. This is a crisp and juicy apple with excellent taste. The Ginger Gold apples are round with a smooth green-yellow skin that has a slight red blush.
  
• Honey Crisp Apples -- by Bob Brody at King Blossom Natural Farm (see page two for Grower Profile). Honey Crisp is the new sensation in the apple world, a large, sweet apple with crisp “to-die-for” texture.
  
• McIntosh Apple -- For many, the McIntosh apple is a harbinger of fall, and we couldn’t think of a better fruit to ease us into September. The McIntosh is oblate in shape, with tart fine t extured flesh. It has an enticing aroma and vivid red and green speckled skin. It is perfect for bag lunches, or making apple sauce - as it cooks up sweet and smooth.
  

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Apricots

• Patterson Apricots -- from Fantozzi Farm in CA. Pattersons are one of the heartier apricot varieties, and are often the first available in June. These petite fruits are considered free stone. Their flesh is firm but tangy and sweet with a hint of fresh orange flavor. They are usually golden in color with a slight pink blush and delicate fuzz.
• Blenheim Apricots -- The Blenheim is the gem of the Apricot family. It has been recognized in Slow Food’s Ark of Taste for its flavor, cultural significance, and rarity. Due to its thin skin, it is difficult to ship, and many farmers have replaced Blenheims with varieties that are less tasty but easier to transport and store. The flavor this rare fruit is prized for is honey sweet with a tinge of acid to balance the sugar. It is intensely aromatic when ripe, and has pleasantly firm flesh. Please see the ripening instructions below, and take extra care when handling your Blenheims, we want you to experience them in all their glory!
• Gold Stripe Apricots -- from Blossom Hills Farm in CA  are fully ripe when the color is a golden orange all over with no traces of green.
  

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Avacados

• Mexican Hass Avocados -- coming from a pool of 28 organic farmers that work together in  Mexico. Haas is a dark-skinned summer fruit that is ripe when the skin yields to gentle finger pressure. 

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Blueberries

• Blueberries -- These blueberries mark the beginning of the domestic season. The harvest starts in Florida, and will move north to Michigan, then the Northwest, and finish in Canada. These blues have a lovely tart-sweet flavor, and are a wonderful accompaniment to stone fruit in color and flavor.
• Bluecrop Blueberries -- from John Nelson, an Indiana grower.  Bluecrop is the leading mid-season variety. This firm light blue fruit that is excellent in pies and makes delicious jams and preservers.
  

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Cherries

• Bing Cherries -- from John Doebler's farm in WA. These big beautiful Washington Bings are about as summery as it gets. The Bing is a sweet cherry variety that is generally large and heart shaped with firm dark flesh. It was developed over 100 years ago and is a classic red cherry.
• Lapin Cherries -- grown by Dovex Orchards in CA .The Lapin Cherry, (la-PAHN), the french word for "rabbit," is a big, beautiful, dark red cherry. These are some of the largest, juiciest cherries that grow on trees.
  
• Rainier Cherries -- These mouth watering golden cherries are one of the summer’s most prized fruit varieties. These Rainiers are artfully grown by Ray Fuller of Stormy Mountain Ranch in Chelan, WA. We think you’ll love their bright sunshine color and succulent sweet flesh.

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Cranberries

• Cranberries -- grown by Ruesch Century Farm in WI

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Dates

• Medjool Dates -- grown at Rucker Homestead in the Coachella Valley in CA. Medjool was originally imported from Morocco but is now grown in the United States. In fact, because of the batud disease in Morocco, U.S. growers have been sending Medjool trees to Morocco. The Medjool has become a more important variety in California in recent years and is the largest variety grown. It is very soft with a rich, sweet flavor. Dates at full maturity store remarkably well compared to other fruits, owing to their low water content

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Figs

• Black Mission Figs -- These Black Missions come from Bob and Karen at Maywood Farm. The figs get their name from the missionaries who planted them as they traveled along the C alifornia coast. The dark skin of Black Missions can split when the fig is ripe, but that doesn’t negatively affect the fruit.

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Grapes

• Crimson Seedless Grapes -- grown by Joe Sogomonian at his ranch near Fresno, CA. Crimson Seedless has rapidly become the preferred red seedless for supermarkets worldwide. Crimson has a sweet neutral juicy flavor and elongated berries that are light red in color.
• Red Flame Grapes -- The Red Flame variety is relatively new to the grape scene. They are known for having a pleasant pop when bitten, and sweet seedless flesh. They are high in antioxidants, and their refreshing flavor makes them the perfect healthy pick me up after a long day at work.
• Black Emerald Grapes -- Black Emerald is a seedless variety known for sweet translucent flesh, and thick black skin that has a waxy bloom. Your grapes are from Wolf Pack in California. This little farm has been certified for 19 years now, and the only things more exciting than its name, are its grapes!
• Black Grapes -- grown by John France near Porterville, CA.
  
• Thompson Grapes -- grown biodynamically at Marian Farm near Fresno, CA. Thompson grapes are thin-skinned, sweet and juicy, and can be eaten fresh or dried. Marian Farms’ grapes are also unique in that they are not treated with gibberellic acid or “gibbed,” as most grapes are in both the organic and conventional markets.Thompsons are one of the most popular grape varieties in America. They have sweeter, more tender flesh than most other green grapes, and an attractive oblong shape. It is recommended that you remove them from the refrigerator one hour prior to serving. Allowing them to warm up will heighten the flavor and sweetness.
• Adam Royal Black Grapes -- packed by DJ Forry out of CA. This black grape is large, pretty, with a mild flavor.
  
• Seedless Flame Grapes -- grown at the Rucker Homestead in Coachella, CA (in the Mojave desert). It is round and deep red, with a sweet-tart flavor and a crisp pop when eaten. 
  
• Chilean Red Grapes -- These lovely Chilean Reds don’t actually come from Chile, they come from France Ranch in Porterville, CA. Our old friend John doesn’t just grow stone fruit, he runs quite a diverse growing operation and we thought you might like to sample another one of his crops. We like his grapes because their flavor is quite complex, and very different than the Thompsons in your last box.
• Champagne Grapes -- from Joe Sogomonian's ranch near Fresno, CA. They are likely really a variety called Black Corinth which is often marketed as the Champagne. It is a small purple grape with a delicious wine-like sweetness and a little less crunch than other table grapes. It is usually available at gourmet markets when fresh, but is more common in dried form as the Zante currant.
  
• Perlette Grapes -- grown by Anthony Vineyards in the San Joaquin Valley in CA. Perlette means "little pearl" in French because the berries are round and light in color with an almost frosty green, translucent appearance. This grape was developed from a combination of many Eastern European grape  varieties.   Perlette are seedless, mild and sweet to slightly tart.
  

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Limes

• Persian Limes -- grown by Hector Rendon in Mexico. They are the main variety found in the American markets. 

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Mangoes

• Tommy Atkins Mangoes -- The Tommy Atkins variety has been around for a little over 50 years now. Its flashy red blush makes it quite popular, as does its mild sweet flavor. It is related to the Haden Mango, but has smoother, less fibrous flesh.
• Manila Mangoes -- Not surprisingly, this mango originated in the Philippines. It is generally more elongated than other varieties, with yellow skin, and smooth sweet flesh. The skin of mangos contains a mild irritant. For most people it is sufficient to wash mangos before peeling, and scrub their hands with soap after handling the skin.
• Hayden Mangoes -- from Salvador Parra in Mexico. These mangoes are usually less than a pound and are rounder than most varieties.  This fruit is not water treated. Most mangoes are required by the USDA to be "heat treated" to destroy the larvae or eggs of a certain fly species. Salvador grows in a region free of this pest. Uncooked mangoes are a rare treat in the U.S.
  
• Kent Mangoes -- from Salvador Parra in Mexico. Kents mangoes are a oval-shaped and are fuller and not as flat as other varieties. It has a particularly smooth, non-fibrous flesh.
  

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Nectarines

• Arctic Star Nectarines -- These striking white flesh nectarines are some of the prettiest we’ve seen. The skin is a delicate buttery color. They have a very fresh aroma, with succulent rich flesh that will make your knees weak. But sure to let them ripen fully, or they may be slightly bitter.
• Honey Kist Nectarines -- Like peaches, nectarines have been traced back to ancient China. Surprisingly though, yellow flesh nectarines weren’t developed until the 1940’s. Before that time, all nectarines had white flesh. Though small this season, the Honey Kist Nectarine from France Ranch is deliciously sweet and flavorful. It has ruddy skin, and like the Klondike, may display bleeding. Unlike the Klondike, it is cling rather than free stone.
• Arctic Jay Nectarines -- These white flesh nectarines are from Mike Naylor. The Arctic Jay is a free stone, sub acid variety. It has firm sweet flesh, and is a wonderful nectarine for snacking.
• Arctic Mist White Nectarines -- from CA. This nectarine represents the last soft fruit we will receive this summer. The skin is two shades of red with a hint of creamy white, and he flesh is white with some red bleeding around the stone. Arctic Mists are juicy, firm, and very sweet.
• Spring Brite Nectarine -- This highly flavored Washington nectarine is a very popular variety for jam making but is wonderful for snacking too. It is a cling stone variety, with melting flesh and an orangey red exterior.
• August Red Nectarine -- The August Red is one of the last nectarine varieties of the summer in CA. It has a tangy flavor, and is wonderful for jazzing up anything from pie to a bowl of cereal.
• Grand Sweet Nectarines -- grown by Berryman farm in Zillah, WA.
  

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Oranges

• Valencia Oranges -- from MK Ranch north of San Diego.
  

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Peaches

• Crimson Lady Peaches -- Crimson Ladies are extremely attractive peaches. They are brilliantly colored and have thin, almost fuzz-free skin. They are cling stone, and sometimes described as ‘melting flesh peaches’ due to their tender and extremely juicy flesh. Their soft flesh makes them better for snacking than cooking.
• Sweet Crest Peaches -- The Sweet Crest is also a yellow flesh, cling stone peach, but unlike the Crimson Lady it is a sub-acid variety. This means that it has less acid than most peach varieties. Some people may love peaches with a tangy flavor, but for those looking for a sweeter, less intense bite, these are the fruit for you!
• June Pride Peaches -- This June Pride from France Ranch may be the best tasting peach available at this point in the season. It’s intense flavor is mirrored by it’s brilliantly colored skin. This peach is free stone, with pleasantly firm flesh.
• Klondike Peaches -- This France Ranch white fleshed Klondike, like June Pride is a free stone peach. The skin is generally crimson, verging on purple, and the flesh is creamy white with occasional bleeding around the stone. They are very low acid, making them a wonderful dessert peach.
• Elegant Lady Peaches -- grown by Mas Masumoto   in CA (see page two for a detailed grower profile). Almost too pretty to eat--Elegant Lady Peach skin is red-violet over a yellow-orange background with yellow leaf shadows. The Elegant Lady is a beautiful yellow flesh, free stone peach with a deep red flush on the skin. It is one of the old time varieties found in Mas Masumoto’s orchard. According to Mas, this variety is perfect for tree ripening because it holds well on the tree, this allows him to harvest these peaches when they are the most flavorful.
• Ivory Princess White Peaches -- grown by Twin Girls Farm in CA (see page two for a detailed grower profile). They have a delicate perfume, an exquisite juiciness, and are more fragile and expensive than other varieties.
  
• Giant Babcock Peach -- This beautiful white flesh peach is one of the older varieties on Mike Naylor’s Ranch. According to Mike, the best thing about this peach is that it tastes at regardless of whether you eat it soft or while it’s still firm. This peach is sub-acid, which explains it’s delicate sweet flavor.
• Zee Lady Peach -- Zee Lady is a yellow flesh peach, also from Naylor Ranch. While we talk a lot about the fine qualities of older varieties, Zee Lady is a reminder that new varieties can taste great too. The Zee Lady was developed in the San Joaquin Valley of CA by Floyd Zeiger. Apparently, it took Zeiger 20 years to perfect this peach, and when he was done he was so pleased he named it after himself!
• Saturn Donut Peach -- This lil’ white flesh peach comes to you from Washington State. We recommend waiting until the flesh has a little give to it for best results. Enjoy!
• Roza Peach -- This lovely Colorado peach from Kokopelli Produce was actually developed at Washington State University in 1949. It is a free stone peach, with firm yellow flesh. It is named for the rosy blush that covers much of its skin.
• September Snow Peach -- These lovely September Snow peaches come from Blossom Hill Farm in Patterson, CA. Blossom Hill is owned by David Santos who is famous for growing some of the best stone fruit in Northern California. The September Snow is a low acid, free stone peach with shimmering white flesh. There is generally significant bleeding around the stone, which gives the flesh a sunburst pattern when cut in half.
• O'Henry Peaches -- from Stemilt growers in WA. It is one of the most productive varieties,one of the leading varieties in the shipping industry, and a popular fresh market variety. This freestone fruit is large and round to irregular shape with skin color that is 75% to 100% red blush. The flesh is yellow, streaked with red, and has a superb flavor.
  
• Kokopelli Peaches -- The peaches Brant sent us this time around are a mixed batch of three different varieties: Blake, J.H. Hale and Cresthaven. The Blakes are prone to bleeding around the pit, and have a complex tart flavor. The J.H. Hale variety is generally the largest of the three and the only one that relies on bees for pollination (most peaches self pollinate). It is also the oldest of the three varieties, and is a favorite of the old timers in Colorado. The Cresthaven is one of Brant’s favorite peaches because it is the most consistent variety he grows. It’s got good flavor, good color, and gives him something he can rely on in the orchard. Consider this a challenge to your fruit tasting skills and try and figure out which varieties you might have.

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Pears

• Comice Pears -- grown by The Stewart Family Farm in Hood River, OR. Comice pears are a French variety discovered in about 1849. It has a stubby, almost round shape with green skin and often a significant red blush on one cheek. Considered the king of the pears because of its extreme juiciness and sweetness, the Comice is the variety most often found in holiday gift boxes.
  
• Concorde Pears -- grown by Hi Up Farm in Peshastin, WA. The Concorde has a large, elongated yellow-green fruit with very little russeting. As it ripens, the fruit softens, the flavor mellows and the skin becomes more golden in color.
  
• Bosc Pears -- also grown by the Stewart Family Farm. Bosc pears have their origin in Belgium and were introduced to the United States in 1832. It is a rather large variety with a long, tapering neck and long stem. Color ranges from deep yellow to dark tan, and the skin often has a russet look. The Bosc has a sweet taste, but is not particularly juicy. Its dense flesh makes it ideal for cooking, especially baking or poaching.
• D'Anjou Pears -- grown by Stemilt growers. The D’Anjou is a large pear with white flesh,  abundant juice, and a sweet brisk flavor. It is a naturally sweet pear, light green in color with a yellow tinge when ripe.
• Packham Pears -- Packhams are one of the stockier pear varieties, with a bumpy green exterior, and delicious cream colored flesh. The Packham originated in Australia, where it was bred by Charles Henry Packham in the late 1800’s. We recommend eating these pears out of hand, as their flesh is fine textured and can fall apart when cooked.
• Red Clapp Pear -- We think you'll love this beautiful red pear from Jerzy Boyz Farm in Chelan Washington. The Red Clapp is an heirloom pear which originated in Dorchester Massachusetts around 1860. Wynne at Jerzy Boyz informed us that it is a cross between a Bartlett and a Flemish Beauty, with juicy melting flesh.
• Seckel Pears -- grown by Diane Parker in WA.  An 18th-century Pennsylvania farmer (for whom it was named) is credited with introducing the Seckel pear. It’s a small, russet-colored fruit with a sweet, spicy flavor.
  
• Starkrimson Pear -- These bright red pears come from Ken Newman at Newman Family Farms. We were told that, before Ken took over the farm, the orchards had been bare. He’s been at the wheel for one short year, and we are thrilled by his success with these Starkrimsons. The pear itself is crisp with fairly smooth flesh. It has a tart refreshing flavor that goes well with mild blue cheese.
• Bartlett Pears -- Columbia Gorge in OR. It is usually a medium to large fruit with a classic pear shape. Bartletts ripen to bright yellow and give off a lovely aroma. Sweet and juicy, the Bartlett is perfect for eating out of hand but is also an excellent canning pear.
  
• Red Bartlett Pears -- Jerzy Boyz in WA. The flesh is medium-grained, sweet, and soft, and the peel adds a sharp tang of citrus.
  
• Asian Pears -- grown by Busy Bee Orchards in WA. These pears are sometimes called apple-pears or pear-apples because they have the juiciness of pears and the roundness and crispness of apples, however, they are not a hybrid of the two, but a true pear.
  

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Persimmons

• Hachiya Persimmon -- from DJ Forry in CA. Hachiya is a beautiful fruit about the size of a medium peach, acorn-shaped with a shiny, bright orange skin and pale green papery calyx, or leafy cap. If you bite into an unripe Hachiya persimmon, it is as if you just drank six cups of extra strength tea. This astringent flavor is due to the high level of tannin in the fruit, and there is a good chance that you would never try a persimmon again because it tastes so bitter. This would be a shame because ripe persimmons have an exceptional flavor and provide us with important nutrients such as beta-carotene, Vitamin C and potassium. As the fruit ripens, the skin dulls and takes on the texture of a water balloon. The astringent tannin evaporates and the fruit becomes sweeter with an apricot-like flavor, although some liken the flavor to plums, even pumpkins.  

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Pineapples

• Hawaiian Gold Pineapple -- This aromatic Hawaiian Pineapple from Maui is perfectly ripe, and a fantastic addition to any late summer grill. Pineapple is at its peak during the summer months when high temperatures boost its sweetness.

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Pluots

• Flavorosa Pluots -- Pluots are a plum-apricot cross that leans towards it’s plum parent. Flavorosas have a deep purple skin with deep red flesh. They have a pleasantly sweet, mild flavor, and are one of the earliest pluot varieties to ripen in the late spring. Interestingly, pluots have higher sugar content than either of their parents.
• Flavor Queen Pluot -- These lovely yellow-green pluots are a bit more unusual than their red or purple relatives. When ripe, it should be very juicy, with golden flesh. Part of the reason this variety is hard to find is that it has delicate skin. Don’t be deceived by this cosmetic damage, fruit with a few brown scuffs will taste great!
• Flavor King Pluot -- The Flavor King gets its delicate heart shape from its plum parent - the Santa Rosa Plum. It is one of the highest flavor pluots available, with a unique spicy aroma. Both these Pluots come from Ignacio Sanchez at Twin Girls Farms in Dinuba.
• Dapple Dandy Pluot -- from Ferrari Farm in CA. The pluot harvest just keeps getting better! This Dapple Dandy is quite unique looking, with yellow/pink skin and darker red flecks. It is one of the more delicately flavored pluots, with bi-colored flesh. You can really taste the blend of plum and apricot in this one!
• Flavor Jewel Pluots -- from Blossom Hills Farm in CA . Pluots are a hybrid of a plum and an apricot and mainly retain the characteristics of a plum. Rick says that these pluots are pretty. Their skin is red with a yellow background.
  
• Flavor Rich Pluot -- The season is going well at Twin Girls Farm, and we got such rave reviews of Ignacio's pluots we thought we’d try one of his later maturing varieties. The contrast between the black skin and amber flesh makes the Flavor Rich a real eye catcher, and when you take a bite you’ll see that the flavor is divine!

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Plums

• Adam Giant Plums -- grown at Ferrari Farm in CA. Living up to their title, they are a very large, dark reddish plum, that is sweet and not tart like some of the other varieties we have had this season.
  
• Angelino Plums -- grown by Twin Girls farm in Dinuba, CA. A huge purple plum with a yellow, very sweet, and meaty flesh. The Angelino can also hang on the tree for a very long time. California growers typically pick it a full month after the commercial market. When fully tree ripened it develops a full, robust flavor.
  
• Black Amber Plums -- This Black Amber Plum from Kaweah Farms in California is firm and sweet with a pleasant floral aroma when ripe. Its deep purple skin and amber flesh make it quite striking when sliced.
• Friar Plums -- grown by DJ Foray in CA. Friars have either a deep blue or purplish-black skin color with amber flesh. The flavor is sweet when ripe.
  
• Grand Rosa Plums -- grown by Little Oscar in CA. The coloration of this plum is lighter than the purplish crimson skin of the Santa Rosa plums we received in week two.Their flavor is not as intense as some  of the earlier season plums.
  
• Red RavenPlums -- Red Raven Farms', in CA, in house version of Black Splendor plums. This plum is only at its peak flavor when tree ripened. This means it needs to have both full black color and "spring" (when you squeeze the fruit will give), the interior should be beet red in color. Red Raven Farm says, "We pick these as close to full black as we can. However, you will notice red around the shoulders. This will turn black at room temperature, and that is when it will be ready to eat!"
  
• Santa Rosa Plums -- grown by Oscar Carrillo in CA. These plums have a purplish-crimson skin with the light freckling that is characteristic of all Rosa type plums. The flesh is tart and red at the pit, radiating into sweet yellow flesh near the skin. 
  
• Black Beaut Plums -- also grown by  Oscar Carrillo in CA. These plums have a deep purple skin with a red succulent flesh and slight tartness. 
  

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Pomegranates

• Wonderful Pomegranates -- grown by Twin Girls farm in CA. Wonderful pomegranates, which include the Red Wonderful and the Early Wonderful are the most commonly grown varieties, and are about the size of an apple with a red, leathery skin.
• Early Foothill Pomegranates -- from Sunview Organics in CA. The pomegranate has a thick, leathery, purplish red skin that protects the pinkish pulp and edible seeds. The seeds provide a tart but sweet flavor. Many people eat just the seeds while others enjoy both the seeds and the pulp that surrounds the seeds.
  

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Strawberries

• Strawberries -- grown at Martinez Farm in Freedom, CA.

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Tangerines

• Fairchild Tangerines -- from Corona College Heights in CA. Fairchild tangerines are a cross between a Clementine tangerine and an Orlando tangelo. The skin is a deep orange, somewhat pebbly, and peels easily. It is juicy with a rich and sweet flavor.

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