Two schools of thought have emerged regarding the origin of watermelon: Some historians posit India as the place of origin, and others believe this very popular melon is native to Africa. Yellow Seedless Watermelon have bright yellow flesh and a more delicate (some might say dull) flavor than the red-fleshed varieties. Like all seedless watermelon…
A native of the Japanese island Okinawa, the Okinawa Sweet Potato with its light brown skin and unusual purple flesh is richly nutritious and surprisingly sweet. Scientifically classified as a yam, this root vegetable is a staple among the people of Okinawa and Hawaii, and has surpassed the popularity of the ordinary yam due to…
Torpedo Onions received their name from their elongated bulb, resembling a torpedo. They are a sweet onion that comes from the Mediterranean and is very popular for Italian cuisine. The bulb is reddish-purple and has a mildly sweet flavor and tender texture. This variety is great eating raw and when cooked the Torpedo Onion is…
The Delicata Squash is referred to by chefs as the winter Squash lover’s dream because it is easy to clean, cut and cook in the kitchen and still maintains a rich flavor and creamy texture. This squash is similar to Butternut but it is smaller in size, offers a creamier texture and has much thinner…
We’ re all familiar with Keiffer Lime Leaves, but the fruit of the same tree, the Keiffer Lime, has a very brief season. The juice of the Keiffer Lime has the same fragrance as the famous leaves, but the rind has its own special fragrance. Zest the Keiffer Lime carefully to avoid the pith, and…
Please allow us to quote from Alan Susser’ s The Great Citrus Book: “ Meiwa is the best kumquat for fresh, out-of-hand eating, where the rind is consumed along with the flesh… The Meiwa is large, round, and plump with a lemon-hued, tart-tasting flesh. Its golden orange rind is smooth and tender and is rich…
Released in 1986, the Melogold Grapefruit is actually a cross between a true Pummelo and a Marsh Grapefruit. This could be why the fruit is especially juicy with flavor that is a balanced blend of tart and sweet without any bitterness. The pale-yellow to white flesh produces easily segmented large, sweet sections that are tender,…
Botanists believe the Meyer Lemon is a hybrid, a cross between a regular lemon and either an orange or a mandarin. They’ re sometimes smaller than a regular lemon, rounder in shape, with a thin, soft, and smooth rind which ranges from greenish when slightly immature to a rich yellow-orange when fully ripe. The rind…
The Blood Orange is a hybrid that first appeared in Europe around 1850. Common throughout Italy, Moro is the most commonly produced variety, and is easily distinguished by the rich burgundy color of its juice. A medium-sized fruit, the Moro has a relatively long, early harvest from December through April. The rind is orange, and…
Satsuma Mandarins were developed in Japan in the 16th century from seedlings that originated in China. The trees are highly cold tolerant, and production is viable in areas not usually friendly to citrus. The fruit is seedless, bright orange in color and less acid than other mandarins. Our grower harvests by color so every fruit…
Page Mandarin are a medium size citrus fruit, with medium-thin, leathery rind that is moderately adherent but easily peelable. Their skins’ surface is smooth to moderately pebbled, and their color is reddish-orange at maturity. The Page’ s flesh is deep orange, tender and juicy, and the flavor rich and sweet (this variety is considered one…
When life gives you Pink Lemons, make pink lemonade! Variegated Pink Lemons are a beautiful yellow and pink on the outside but slice through the skin and you’ll find a gorgeous pink flesh with a familiar, tart lemon taste and fresh scent (In a blind tasting, our staff could not tell the difference between the…
According to Allen Susser’ s ‘ The Great Citrus Book’ , " The Rangpur was imported from India (where it originiated) to Florida in 1887. Rangpur Lime is a highly acidic fruit that resembles the mandarin in appearance, and in fact, it is also known as mandarin lime. It is a tender and juicy oblate…
Very juicy, aromatic and sour, Seville Sour Oranges are used in the production of marmalades, liqueurs, orange flower water, perfumes and oils. The Blue Chair Jam Cookbook has a great recipe for Seville Orange Marmalade with Rum, Vanilla and Piloncillo. A classic Cuban mojo or marinade is made with equal parts of Seville Sour Orange…
Don’t judge this fruit by its cover! Nicknamed the ‘Ugli’ fruit because of its puffy, wrinkled outside, it is sweet and extremely juicy on the inside. Discovered in Jamaica, Uniq Fruit is a cross between a Grapefruit and tangerine. This sensation peels and separates easily into yellow-orange sections. Ripeness is marked by its heaviness and…
Yuzu is a citrus fruit common in Japanese kitchens. The surface of the fruit is uneven, and the peel’s fragrance is sweet and slightly bitter. The flavor of the juice is similar to Grapefruit but has definite overtones of Mandarin orange. Yuzu juice is very fresh and tangy-tasting, and is an important ingredient in ponzu….
They look like cranberries on steriods, but they’ re actually Baby Strawberry Guava. The growers at Betty B Farm call them Strawberry-quats, and proport that they make the best sorbet ever! Crush the Baby Strawberry Guavas and let them drain through cheesecloth to get all the intensely flavored juices. The rich red color and tropical…
Feijoa sellowiana, Feijoas, are the edible fruit of a small evergreen tree with gray-green leaves, native of South America where it is found at high altitudes in parts of Argentina, Uruguay, S. Brazil, and W. Paraguay. The fruits granular whitish flesh surrounding a pulp containing many tiny seeds has a flavor somewhere between pineapple and…
Similar in shape to pears or plums, guavas can be as small as 1 inch or as large as 4 inches in diameter. They have thin, pale green skins, which turn light yellow as they ripen the flesh varies from white to deep pink or salmon red. They contain a number of flattish, hard but…
Native to the coastal areas of Eastern Brazil, the Strawberry Guava is the fruit of a sub-tropical bushy plant. This crop is being harvested from a small planting near California’ s Central Coast. Sweet and aromatic, its flavor is a cross between a tropical guava and a strawberry. Strawberry Guava can be eaten fresh, made…