Rare Fruit Finds

By Jill Klein Matthiasson: Napa Farmers Market Board Member

It’s starting to be that time of year again when, first apricots and apriums (a cross between apricots and plums) and then peaches, nectarines, plums, pluots (another plum/apricot cross) and other stone fruit appear at the Farmers Market. Stone fruit is a truly seasonal treat, and the most flavorful, ripest, juiciest fruit appears at the market for a small window from Mid-June to Mid-September. Like tomatoes, there is really no substitute for freshly picked stone fruit, so now is the time to hit the Farmers Market in full force!

Blenheim Apricots

You can start your visit at the Bera Farms stand for their coveted Blenheim Apricots. In the early 1900’s, the Blenheim Apricot was the most commonly planted apricot variety in California. However it is a slightly homely fruit, with a green shoulder (the area next to where the fruit attaches to the tree) and a tendency for the fruit to get a lot of scars, and since the fruit is very soft it doesn’t ship well. So although there were 32,000 tons produced in 1988, that number had dropped to only 4,000 tons by 2008 and the number has gone down every year since.

Because of it’s amazing flavor, with the perfect balance of acid and sugar, a number of chefs and foodies are rallying to bring the Blenheim apricot back into popularity. As one Blenheim farmer has said, “It has a complex flavor and only reaches its perfection in certain climates. It has a perfect balance of sweetness and acidity, aromatics and true apricot flavor. When they both reach perfection, everybody celebrates.” Because of the limited production of this delicious fruit, they are rarely available at the grocery store, but you can find them at the Napa Farmers Market.

Santa Rosa Plums

Another delicious variety of stone fruit that will make an appearance at the market very soon is the Santa Rosa plum. The Santa Rosa plum was bred by a brilliant horticulturalist name Luther Burbank.

Born in 1849, Luther Burbank, famous for breeding the Russet Burbank potato, the Freestone peach (any peach which comes away easily from the pit or stone), and the Shasta daisy, introduced more than 800 new varieties of plants. Though he is most famous for the potato that bears his name, fruit lovers might argue that his crowning achievement was the Santa Rosa plum. Introduced in 1906, the Santa Rosa is still the gold standard for plum flavor, and though it has fallen out of favor commercially, you can find these plums at the Napa Farmers’ Market in late June and early July. And after you bite into a rich, tangy Santa Rosa, almost anything else tastes insipid.

Apricot Jam

Blenheim Apricot Jam

2 ½ lbs Blenheim apricots, pitted and cut into quarters
3 cups sugar
Noyaux (apricot kernels *see below)- 10 or fewer
juice of 1 lemon

Stir the diced apricots and sugar together in a large heavy-bottomed nonreactive pot.  Let the mixture stand at least 30 minutes, to overnight...this will let the apricots release their juices and the sugar dissolve.  Chop up your noyaux and add to the fruit and sugar (they are strong, so don't use more than 10 for a batch this size).  Put a small plate in freezer to use later for checking the consistency of the jam.

Prepare four 8-oz. canning jars and self-sealing lids, per manufacturer's directions.

Bring the pot of fruit to a boil over high heat, stirring occasionally to make sure it isn't sticking to the bottom.  The mixture will bubbleup dramatically, rising high up the sides of the pot.  Skim off any light-colored foam that rises and collects on the sides.  Soon the jam will boil down, forming smaller, thicker bubbles.  At this point, start testing for consistency by putting a small spoonful of jam on the plate.  This will cool off the jam sample quickly so you can tell what finished texture will be like.  When the jam has cooked to the thickness you want, stir in the lemon juice.  Turn off heat and carefully ladle the jam into the prepared canning jars, allowing at least 1/4" of headroom.  Seal, per manufacturer's instructions.  The jam will keep for about a year.  Alternately, make a smaller batch and keep it in the fridge or use it right away.

* the Noyaux is the kernel inside the apricot pit. It has a very good, bitter almond flavor. To prepare the Noyaux, place 10 apricot pits on a sheet/pan and roast them in a 350 degree F oven for ~15 minutes.  Then crack open the pits to extract the kernel (noyaux).  The kernel is very hard, so use a hammer or the butt end of the knife...or a nutcracker.  Put the kernels back in the oven and roast them for another 10 minutes. Chop them up and they're ready to use.

The Napa Farmers’ Market is held Tuesdays and Saturdays from 7:30a.m.-noon, May through October in the Oxbow Public Market parking lot.  It accepts WIC and Cal Fresh benefits.  For more information on upcoming events visit us online at www.napafarmersmarket.com and on Facebook.