Stone fruit season has finally begun, and we couldn’t be more excited to celebrate this season’s bounty! Let us start with the sweet golden apricot whose beauty and flavor has captivated merchants, royals and aristocrats and fruit enthusiasts for centuries.  

The beloved apricot can be traced back to China and Central Asia as early as 2,000 BCE. Spreading via the Great Silk Road into Europe and the Middle East, this amazing fruit simultaneously traveled to South Asia and Japan. Armenia, Turkey, and Iran adopted apricots with such enthusiasm they all boast to have originated the fruit. Spanish colonizers introduced the apricot to California, the leading producer in the USA. 

Fun Fact: In Turkish the literal saying, “the only thing better is an apricot in Damascus” means “it doesn’t get any better than this”. 

Apricots have an incredible distinctive flavor, more so than many fruits, blending delicate sweetness with a subtle tartness. They are known for their floral and honey-like notes, and juicy slightly firm texture. The flesh of apricots is typically smooth and tender, making them enjoyable to eat fresh or use in various sweet and savory dishes. In Persian and Arabian cuisine, tangy fruit, such as apricots and cherries, are often used to liven up meat dishes. Their strong aromatic flavor is amplified when dried; nutritious sun-dried apricots are cherished in many cultures around the world. 

The aprium, a close cousin, is a cross of apricots and plums and is a genetically different fruit; apriums tend to have a rich honeyed taste, and firmer flesh. Many larger supermarkets do not distinguish between apricot and aprium, as they are very similar in appearance.   Don’t be surprised if you see confusion in the marketplace, this fruit tastes great no matter what you call it! 

On the West Coast,  apricot season runs from late May to July. We’re just getting started with early varieties so be on the lookout for more this season! 

Merchandising Corner

Looking for retail merchandising inspiration? Here are some of our favorites to spark your creative juices! 

Color blocking at its finest! Displaying small stone fruit in paper baskets creates color intrigue and protects the delicate fruit from bruising and getting lost. (Canyon Market, San Francisco, California) 

This display has us pumped to fire up the grill! Color, variety, texture—it’s got it all!  (Sacramento Natural Foods Co-op, Sacramento, California) 

A tidy and well-stocked wet rack is a beautiful thing. We give this a 10/10.  (Food Conspiracy, Tucson, Arizona) 

Produce Resources

Asparagus Size Guide & Merchandising Tips 

Produce Department Manual 

Bay Area Herbs Compostable Clamshell Shelf Talker – Laminated signs available upon request 

Jayleaf Retail Greens Shelf Talkers 

Stone Fruit Variety Guide

Weather Watch

This season our apricot growers are experiencing unusual and troubling behavior: much of the fruit has been mysteriously dropping off the trees, right before harvest.  After seeking advice from agricultural experts, grower Blossom Hill says, “the trees are confused by the weather!” Some trees have lived through 7 years of drought, and this year’s super rainy Spring has the trees all out of whack. The complex root systems of apricot trees adapted to warmer, drier soil and the roots can’t pivot to handle cooler moister conditions. Even though pollination was good and overall there is a good crop, early maturing varieties are coming on all at once rather than spread out over the first few weeks of the season. We hope all later varieties are better able to hold on to mature fruit.   

The unusual weather this winter and  spring led to another challenge for cherry growers. Unusually cool temperatures, combined with wind and rain, prevented much of the bee pollination activity at critical times. This resulted in staggered blooms and buds, with fruit maturing unevenly; on each branch there may be three, or even four stages of development, instead of one or two. This means growers have to pick the same orchard three times, and labor is the single most expensive cost for farms, like many businesses. That is why the current price of cherries remains higher than anticipated.  

New & Exciting!

Basil: Beautiful bunched basil from Tomatero Farm is back in season and looking as lovely as ever!  

Forelle Pear: Small, bell-shaped pear with green skin and crimson blush. When ripe, the skin turns yellow; the pear is crisp with sweet and tangy flavors. 

Grape: Mexican-grown green and red seedless grape pouches are here! 

Mushroom: It’s wild mushroom season! Morels have a woodsy, nutty flavor and meaty texture highly coveted by chefs and mushroom enthusiasts alike. Porcinis offer umami-rich aroma and earthy flavor that lends itself to any number of savory dishes. Wild mushrooms are harvested by foragers (aka mushroom hunters.)

Purple Brussels Sprouts (right): Similar to its green counterpart, but purple! The purple variety is slightly sweeter and milder in flavor. The darker pigmentation also indicates higher antioxidant levels. Once cooked the purple color can become bluish.  

Stone fruit:  

Apricot: Kylese and Kettleman are here now! Unusual weather has disrupted ripening patterns for some early season varieties but plenty more fruit to be had! 

Cherry: Royal Hazel (left) are very snappy and have been measuring high brix which indicates the sweetness level. Brooks, Champagne Corals and other varieties are being picked as they mature, See “Weather Watch” above for more details. Small fruit, such as 12 and 11 ½ row are starting to be aggressively priced. Check out ‘Spurs and Doubles’, graded for irregular sizing and shape, but taste just as good at a sharper price! Spurs have a little undeveloped ‘baby’ on stem end of one fruit, with only one pit, while doubles have two developed but conjoined cherries on one stem and two separate pits (usually). Great value!  

Yellow Nectarine: The first of the season and earlier than expected! The Honey May variety has great color and firm, juicy texture to complement its rich flavor. 

Yellow Peach: Ahead of schedule, the first Kristas are small in size but still juicy and sweet. 

Promotable

Artichoke: Supply is plentiful; prices have come down. Add to your grilling display for Memorial Day celebrations!

Berry: Volume on Strawberry (right) clamshells and Blueberry pints. Perfect for red-white-and blue fruit salads and desserts! 

Bunched Broccoli: Strong and steady supply on this healthy staple veggie.  

Cantaloupe: Prices are falling fast on Mexican-grown fruit. 

Hass Avocado: Plenty of fruit available including ready-to-eat avos at peak ripeness!  Prices are down on mid-sizes.   

Lettuce: Green and red leaf are readily available. Just in time to kick off salad season!

Sugar Snap Pea (left): Crunchy, snappy and sweet. What’s not to love about this springtime favorite?

Tommy Atkins Mango: Sharp pricing on 10 count, Mexican-grown fruit. These are in season and tasting great! 

Limited 

Bell Pepper: Red and Yellow bells are extremely limited; Orange has more availability but still limited. 

Celery: California new crop is not scheduled to come on until mid-June 

Raspberry: Continues to be limited. 

Savoy Cabbage 

Watermelon: Extremely limited on all sizes. 

Done for the Season 

Cara Cara Navel Orange 

Mexican-Grown Valencia Orange 

Food Movers & Shakers

Farmer Veteran Coalition 

Fellowship Fund recipient Maricar Souza of Hoʻōla Farms. Courtesy: hoolafarms.org 

In honor of Memorial Day, we’d like to give a shout out to our longtime friends and allies at the Farmer Veteran Coalition (FVC). The Farmer Veteran Coalition assists veterans and current members of the armed forces to embark on careers in agriculture. With a nationwide network of more than 30,000 veterans,. FVC offers support services including education, employment, and mentorship opportunities.  

One of the FVC’s core programs is the Farmer Veteran Fellowship Fund, which provides financial assistance to veterans for their own farm businesses.  Grants of up to $5,000 cover expenses such as equipment, marketing, and training; the Fellowship Fund has awarded over $2.5 million in grants across the USA.  Recipients include cattle ranchers, fruit and vegetable producers, dairy farmers and even beekeepers!  

The FVC provides educational resources and training to help veterans succeed, such as online courses, in-person workshops, and hands-on apprenticeships;  everything from business planning and marketing to soil management and animal husbandry is offered. In addition, the FVC connects veterans with experienced farmers who serve as mentors, providing guidance to support navigating the challenges of starting and running a farm.   

Fun Facts: The original name of this non-profit was ‘Farms not Arms” and was started in 2007 by two organic farmers, both veterans themselves, Jim Cochran of Swanton Berry Farm, and Michael O’Gorman formally with Jacobs Farm/Del Cabo.  

Jim and Michael believe the healing power of the Earth abides. We salute those who chose to serve their country twice – once by defending it and once by feeding it. 

Learn more about farmer veteran members’ stories here.