My first memories of tasting fresh apricots was when I was in college at UC Davis. My mom asked me to go visit one of her suppliers, Tufts Ranch, which was located about 20 miles down the road in Winters, California.
Turns out that the owner’s son, Stan Tufts, was a fellow UC Davis “Aggie” (instant connection!). The Tufts family loaded up my car with a few boxes of their special Apricots, and I became instantly popular when I returned to school that afternoon. These Apricots were so tasty – just picked and perfectly ripe.
It seems I’ve never tasted apricots as good as those from Tufts Ranch back in 1976, until I tried an Angelcot®.
I have been counting down the days until these fabulous tasting white apricots will arrive. Usually the Angelcot® season starts June 15, but due to the unusually cool weather this year, the crop was delayed.
Angelcots® are a proprietary (unique and special) variety of apricots that our grower, Marty and his family, have been growing for almost a decade. They grow these beauties in northern California in the same area where cherries and fresh corn grow. They are truly a labor of love.
Their season is short. Angelcots® will only be available for the next two to three weeks. (The season was cut short due to an unexpected rain this past week.) We pack them in 1-pound clamshells, as they are pretty delicate and the clamshell tray protects them.
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| Angelcots® in the clamshell package. (Comes filled with fruit, but I already ate a few!) |
I’ll never forget one of the first times I tasted an Angelcot®. My coworker, Dorian, urged me to sprinkle a bit of Cholula hot sauce on one. I thought that sounded so odd, but when I tasted it — oh my goodness. One of the most memorable fruit moments of my life. Sweet, hot, juicy, savory….all at once.
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| Try some hot sauce on your fruit! |
Because they are grown on a small scale, we only have enough Angelcots® to distribute to a few supermarkets around the country. If you want to know if your store will have them, email us here.
Meanwhile, over the next two months you will find the widest variety of fresh fruit in your local markets, farmers markets, club stores and roadside stands. No matter where you shop, it’s a great time to increase your consumption of fresh fruits and vegetables. Remember to make half your plate fresh fruits and vegetables
Enjoy!
Karen