2007 local fruit

[mrbigjas]

so far this year, based on general trends of what i'm finding at the farmer's markets and the terminal:

1. strawberries sucked. i'm sorry, but it's true. some smelled OK, but generally they were relatively flavorless and what flavor they did have was sour.

2. cherries: sour tasted good but weren't as picturesque as last year. last year they, like, glowed. i got them from kauffman's and livengoods this year. sweet cherries from kauffman's are good. i find bing cherries kinda boring but they seem to be OK too.

3. blueberries are good not great from almost everywhere. my question about them is: why do blueberry boxes always have english and french on them? other fruit doesn't, but blueberries ALWAYS do. and it's not just the ones from michigan or wisconsin or whatever, that are up there by canada. it's all of them. what's up with that?

4. early plums (like those yellow ones that north star is selling that turn glowing orangish red after about four or five days -- oh and also like the sugar plums that kauffmans is selling) are GREAT. my god.

5. early peaches are insane too. i've had early yellow varieties from north star and haltemann's in the terminal, and a couple other places have the white peaches. i recommend NOT eating a big ol yellow peach and then following it up with a white one, though. yellow peaches are so intensely peach-flavored, while the white peaches are so flowery and perfumey, that it's kind of nauseating. i had to wash it all down with whiskey.

6. i have high hopes for tomatoes. i had one of those dark purplish red ones from north star this week that was really pretty much everything a tomato wants to be, except for its color resembling a bruise more than anything. ate it as a tomato sandwich last night. my god.

7. apricots are dry; i've gotten them from kauffmans and from ... another fruit vendor at the sunday farmer's market that i can't remember. on the left, about 2/3 of the way down. but anyway, i always find them to be that way though. i'm wondering if i just don't like them fresh all that much.

why am i writing this? i don't know. gotta yap about something, and i haven't been out as much as allayous.

i love summer. what have you found that i should check out? and where?

[etalanian]

I had some amazing strawberries from Maple Acre Farms. I think they are in (or near) Plymouth Meeting. Intensely flavored and sweet, wonderfully fragrant. I had them like that twice, but then the rest were rather insipid.

I was really disappointed with the local raspberries and cherries.

[JasonZ]

Don't know the farm name (will edit and add next week), but they have a roadside stand on Bear Tavern Road (Rte 579) between Titusville and Harbourton, NJ, just east of Washington Crossing park. Drive past it every day to and from work ... great peaches; same experience as you guys with strawberries: a couple of fab experiences and then ordinary ...

Haven't gotten out to West Chester Growers' Market yet, my membership in the NorthStar Fruit Explorers' Club doesn't start until August, but given the report, I may head out this Saturday ...

JasonZ

[JanMcBaker]

I got some amazing peaches from a stand at Headhouse last Sunday. I forget the name of the stand, though! Coming in from the south end, they were on the right about half way up. They had some fruit to sample-- blueberries and peaches. I tried a peach and OMG!!!!! It was the most amazing peach I've had in AGES! Amazingly sweet, great peach flavor and squirting juice! I had to do that 'eating a messy cheeesesteak-style bend-from-the-waist' stance to keep from getting the peach juices on me. Got a half-peck of peaches and made some freezer jam which didn't set up for some reason-- but it will make great peach sauce over ice cream or in yogurt. There was still plenty left to eat fresh all this week too.

[alwang]

Not a fruit, but white corn here in central Jersey has thus far been pretty mediocre...

[CoolPapaBell]

Not a fruit, but white corn here in central Jersey has thus far been pretty mediocre...

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Just a couple of weeks ago, we picked some incredible sweet white corn at Johnson's Farm in Medford. We also got some good blueberries at Conte Farms in Tabernacle.

[mrbigjas]

has anyone had a decent canteloupe yet this year? i've had two or three from various places inluding livengoods and one of the vendors down at headhouse square, and they've all sucked. basically they smell ok, but they don't smell strongly, and then i convince myself they'll be OK. 'this one smells good, just not so much. it'll be fine.' and then it tastes like nothing. bleah.

anyway, a bad year for canteloupe?

[ellencho]

Do any of you guys pick your own fruit at any of the local orchards? This year we picked 15 lbs of strawberries from Linvilla Orchards in Media. They were fragrant and sweet, easily the best strawberries I have ever eaten.

I believe their peaches are in season right now, and if I had a spare morning I'd definitely be there. to pick them myself.

[Diann]

has anyone had a decent canteloupe yet this year?  i've had two or three from various places inluding livengoods and one of the vendors down at headhouse square, and they've all sucked.  basically they smell ok, but they don't smell strongly, and then i convince myself they'll be OK.  'this one smells good, just not so much.  it'll be fine.'  and then it tastes like nothing.  bleah. 

anyway, a bad year for canteloupe?

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I've had the same experience with melons from RTM and Headhouse Square, but I'm going to reserve judgment on the cantaloupe season until I get a chance to go to Maple Acres -- I bought some of the best cantaloupes of my life there in 2005 and 2006, so hopefully this year won't be any different.

[Jeff L]

has anyone had a decent canteloupe yet this year?  i've had two or three from various places inluding livengoods and one of the vendors down at headhouse square, and they've all sucked.  basically they smell ok, but they don't smell strongly, and then i convince myself they'll be OK.  'this one smells good, just not so much.  it'll be fine.'  and then it tastes like nothing.  bleah. 

anyway, a bad year for canteloupe?

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Excellent canteloupes and even better Jersey white corn are to be had at the venerable Trenton Farmers Market. Canteloupe might be the best in recent memory and that corn, nothing beats white jersey corn just hours after being picked. I know this is the PA forum but it's closer to us than Philly so we go weekly.

Tomatoes are good but not as good as past summers. Picked up some really nice local eggplant, zuchini, and limas this past week. Man I love summer time around here!

[mrbigjas]

Excellent canteloupes and even better Jersey white corn are to be had at the venerable Trenton Farmers Market. Canteloupe might be the best in recent memory and that corn, nothing beats white jersey corn just hours after being picked. I know this is the PA forum but it's closer to us than Philly so we go weekly.

best in recent memory? high praise indeed.

really i should just keep in mind that if i can't smell a pile of canteloupes from about 10 feet away, they're not going to be good.

[Jeff L]

best in recent memory?  high praise indeed. 

really i should just keep in mind that if i can't smell a pile of canteloupes from about 10 feet away, they're not going to be good.

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James, it's worth a trip for sure. I thought you said that you grew up in the area, have you ever been there? You may want to go via Newtown and get depressed when you drive by what used to be Goodnoe's.

[mrbigjas]

i have not been there, no, but i'll check it out one of these weekends -- i have a trip upstate planned soon, so maybe i'll head by there on my way out of town. it's out of the way but not too far.

sigh... goodnoe's...

[Rich Pawlak]

best in recent memory?  high praise indeed. 

really i should just keep in mind that if i can't smell a pile of canteloupes from about 10 feet away, they're not going to be good.

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James, it's worth a trip for sure. I thought you said that you grew up in the area, have you ever been there? You may want to go via Newtown and get depressed when you drive by what used to be Goodnoe's.

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The Trenton Farmers Market is a true jewel in my neighborhood. It's a privilege to live just a mile away from this lively, year-round treasure. Great Polish deli, awesome fried chicken vendor, the outstanding Cartlidge's butcher shop, Terhune Orchard's spectacular pies and apple cider, and a branch of the Italian People's Bakery. And I recmmend Lillian Van Andel's Cedarbrook Farm for the market's finest corn.

[Jeff L]

The Trenton Farmers Market is a true jewel in my neighborhood.  It's a privilege to live just a mile away from this lively, year-round treasure.  Great Plish deli, awesome fried chicken vendor, the outstanding Cartlidge's butcher shop, Terhune Orchard's spectacular pies and apple cider, and a branch of the Italian People's Bakery. And I recmmend Lillian Van Andel's Cedarbrook Farm for the market's finest corn.

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Rich, don't forget Porfirio's small outpost. I just picked up some really nice fresh mozzarella (almost as good as Claudio's) along with some nice aged sharp provolone.