What’s crunchy, floral, and dripping with juice at every bite? The unmistakable Asian pear—a late-summer fruit that bridges the best of apples and pears into one irresistible package. Sometimes called “apple pears” for their round shape and crisp bite, Asian pears bring a refreshing sweetness with delicate floral notes that make them as elegant as they are snackable. 

Asian pears have deep roots in East Asia, where they’ve been cultivated for thousands of years and celebrated for both their flavor and symbolic value in art and tradition. Today, California orchards carry that legacy forward, growing varieties that range from pale golden to russet-skinned, all with the hallmark crunch and juicy snap that sets them apart from European pears. Unlike their softer cousins, Asian pears are harvested ripe, meaning they’re ready to eat as soon as you can get ahold of them. 

Beyond snacking, Asian pears shine in the kitchen. Their crisp texture holds beautifully in salads, and in Korean cooking they’re often grated into marinades where their natural enzymes tenderize meats and add a subtle sweetness to barbecue. They also pair effortlessly with cheese, desserts, and sparkling drinks. 

This season is kicking off with three standout varieties (we’ll see more as the season progresses!): Chojuro, with its bronze skin and rich butterscotch flavor; Hosui, a golden-russeted fruit that balances sweetness and acidity; and Shinseiki, a smooth-skinned, pale yellow variety with clean, delicate flavor. Early-season fruit is arriving now from Earthseed Farm and Bucktown Roots, with larger sizes expected in the weeks ahead. 

New & Exciting!

Grapes: Still lots of activity in the grape category! We’re very excited about the Black Hamburg Muscat from Marian Farms—it brings a perfumed, old-world flavor. We’re also loving the flavor of the Bronx Seedless grapes, a cult-favorite variety with a sweet, musky punch, and breathtaking pink and amber colored berries. 

Pear: Asian Pears have landed! Crisp, juicy, and floral—these crunchy favorites are just starting from Earthseed Farm and Bucktown Roots. California Bartlett and Bosc are here now, with Red Starkrimson not to be missed—beautiful color and sweet, aromatic flesh. 

Mango: First of the California mangos are here! The vibrant Esquire mango is an important pollinator for Keitt variety groves and a treat in its own right. With tangy-sweet flavor, citrusy notes, and silky texture, Esquire is packed with vitamins A and C—perfect for salads, salsas, desserts, drinks, and more. Ripeness is easy to gauge: the fruit should yield slightly to gentle pressure.

Specialty Fruit: Yellow-skinned dragonfruit is back! Bright, tropical, and eye-catching, it’s always a conversation starter. Red-skinned dragonfruit continues steady. Passionfruit is trickling in, with steady supply expected in the coming months (volume varies week to week). The first Jujubes are in from Murray Family Farms! Often called “Chinese dates,” jujubes start off crisp like apples and ripen into chewy, date-like treats—nutritious, snackable, and long celebrated in traditional medicine.

Promotable

Apple: Things are ramping up in the apple category. Crisp, blushed Fuji from Organik Time are showing excellent quality. Fresh Gala from Cuyama Orchards have arrived—sweet, juicy, and ready to eat!  Granny Smith from Viva Tierra have that classic sweet-tart crunch you can count on. Supersweet US1 Honeycrisp from First Fruits are a must-grab. And… drumroll… the first Macintosh of the season arrive the first week of September!

Avocado: Small fruit is tight, but we’ve got promotable volumes of 46s and 60s with excellent pricing. 

Berries: Back after a long gap—we’re thrilled to see Mimi’s Organics blackberries again! They’re starting slow but volume will build. Strong quality and flavor, so load up now. Strawberries are going strong from multiple growers, though pricing is on the rise. Homegrown Organic Farms blueberries remain excellent quality, with rising prices as well.

Cauliflower: Heads are looking strong, and pricing remains steady.

Cucumber: Veliz Organic Family Farm still going strong on slicers. English and Persians are steady.

Eggplant: It’s grilling season, and eggplant is priced to move! We’ve got Globe from Rundle Family Farm and JAS Family Farms. Don’t forget the specialties: Japanese from Rundle, Striped eggplant from Sunrise Organics, and Orient Express from Oya Organics. 

Fig: Figs are abundant (and awesome!) and priced to move. We’ve got Black Mission, Brown Turkey, Excel, and Kadota from Maywood Farms. Adriatic are very limited, but we have  stunning Candy Stripes from Capay Organic. Let’s go!

Grapes: It’s peak season! We’ve got steady Black, Greens and Reds (don’t forget those delicious Flame grapes from Capay Canyon!).  Marian Farms heirloom Thompson seedless have just started, we will be featuring in coming weeks. In specialty grapes, Rugby grapes from Murray Family Farms are a standout—super sweet, crunchy, and with an amazing muscat flavor.  Thomcord remain steady, and the heirloom red Globe is a fan favorite!  Hamburg Muscat is an incredible treat, soft black berries with an unforgettable perfume. Last but not least don’t snooze on the Concords.  They are sooo delicious and priced to move- get them now before their short season ends!  

Melon: Rundle Family Farm is wrapping up on cantaloupes, but we’ll still see mini seedless and seeded watermelon for a couple weeks. Sunrise Organics and others continue strong on Ambrosia, Athena, and Hami. Mini red seedless from Creekside Organics and Del Mar Farms are crisp, juicy, and refreshing. 

Onion: Lots of onions! We’ve got yellow, red, and white.  And Shallots in multiple packs- 5, 10, and 20 pounds.  

Hard Squash: We’re not saying it’s almost fall (are we in denial?!) but hard squash is picking up!  We’ve got local Acorn, Butternut, Delicata, Kabocha, and Spaghetti in house.

Specialty: Purple Tomatillos are gorgeous and flavorful—slightly sweeter than green tomatillos, with a hint of berry-like tang. Great for salsa or roasting.  

Stone Fruit: We’ve still got another couple weeks of Yellow Nectarines and Yellow Peaches. They’re flavorful and firm and perfectly blushed so be sure to stock up.

Tomato: Summer’s brightest stars keep dazzling, and it’s the perfect moment to support our local growers. Romas are coming in strong from multiple farms, and Beefsteaks are abundant and beautiful. For snacking and salads, mixed Cherries from Durst Organic Growers, Sunrise Organics, and Veliz Organic Family Farm are shining. Specialty varieties are stealing the show too—Chocolate Pearls from Oya Organics and Bronze Torches from  Durst Organic Growers bring unique color and rich flavor. And don’t miss the Dry-Farmed Tomatoes, packed with concentrated sweetness and firm bite—so good this season that our staff swear they taste like candy.

Limited or Gapping

• Cabbage: Savoy cabbage is slowing, we’ll see prices rising.  
• Dwelley Family Farms’ corn is winding down with one more harvest this season, but we’ll be starting up with other growers soon. 
• Hass avocado 70ct 2lyrs are in a strange gap. More are expected, but will remain in tight supply.  
• Herbs: Limited supply on Chervil, Makrut Lime Leaves, and Lemongrass. 
• Limes are limited.  Lemons are starting back up. 
• Nopales are gapping.  
• Stone fruit: White peaches are winding down, we expect to carry them for another two weeks.  
• Seedless watermelon bins are limited. 

Done for the Season

• Cripps and Pink Lady apples are ending, we’ll be transitioning into Cripps Pink.  
• Rundle Family Farm has finished with cantaloupe and green honeydew melons.   
• Champagne and Mayabelle grapes have wrapped up for the season. 
• Rhubarb is done.  
• White nectarines have finished.