Ripe Now! Pluots | Support Our Work

Ripe Now! Pluots

What a sweet time of year it is! Berries and stone fruit are in full swing, and while peaches often take the summer spotlight, you shouldn't miss out on the pluots! Pluots are a hybrid between Japanese plums and apricots developed in the 1980s. They have a similar look to plums with a smooth skin and fleshy inside, but with a much sweeter taste. You can choose a ripe pluot by picking one with a strong fragrance and semi-soft touch. The vibrancy of color can also be an indicator of the amount of its sweetness. Although they contain a high amount of sugar, they are a great source of fiber and Vitamin C, so they are great for our digestive and immune system.

Right now, you can find varieties of pluots like Flavor King, Flavorosa, Dapple Dandy, Emerald Gem, and Flavor Grenade at all three of our Berkeley Farmers' Markets at Kashiwase Farms , Blossom Bluff Orchards , and Frog Hollow Farms .

Easy Eating: Biting into a juicy, ripe pluot can be the best way to enjoy it. However, there are plenty of other ways to get their delicious flavor in dishes throughout the day. For breakfast, you can pair your morning coffee with this Spiced Crostata with Pluots recipe . Try this recipe from Frog Hollow Farm for a Grilled Green Tomato and Shishito Pepper Salad with Pluots . Another way to enjoy your farmers' markets pluots for months, is to preserve them in this jam recipe from Bon Appétit . For snack time, have this jam with some fresh cheese from Stepladder Creamery and naturally leavened bread from Basecamp Bakery or Morell's Bread . You can make a memorable Peruvian inspired Pluot Salsa to serve with your next dinner or BBQ . And finally, for dessert a pluot-twist on a classic Plum Clafouti !

Storage Tips: Keep firm pluots on the kitchen container. To speed up ripening, keep them in a brown paper bag. If you need to slow down ripening, place them carefully in the crisper in your fridge, but make sure to not keep them in the fridge for too long or they will become mealy.

Recipe: Stone Fruit Sorbet

From Bryce Loewen of Blossom Bluff Orchards

This recipe works best if you have some kind of ice cream maker. Alternatively, if you don't have one, you can freeze the puree in a shallow container and stir frequently or blend a second time once completely frozen.

Ingredients:

4 cups of your favorite stone fruit, pitted, but with skin attached

1 cup sugar

Directions:

Puree fruit in blender. Mix one cup of the pureed fruit with the sugar and warm it over medium heat. Stir and cook until it melts into a syrup. Add the syrup back into the rest of the pureed fruit. Chill, then process in the ice cream maker, following maker's instructions. That's it!

Current Vendors

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Kaki Farms Massa Organics Oya Organics Brokaw Ranch Co. Swanton Berry Farm Full Belly Farm Flying Disc Ranch Blossom Bluff Orchard Solano Mushroom Dirty Girl Produce Triple Delight Blueberries Kashiwase Farm Stepladder Creamery Riverdog Farm Smit Farms Avalos Farm Lou Vue Farm Blue Heron Farms Peach Jamboree Frog Hollow Farm Lucero Organics Good Faith Olives Little Fish Co Queen of Sheba Honey Phoenix Pastificio Three Stone Hearth Soul Flower Farm Base Camp Bakery Bolani Fruit Tree Smoothies Tamales La Oaxaquena Andy's Thai Donna's Tamales	Hudson Fish Sonoma Swamp Blueberries Lucero Organics Happy Boy Farms Green Thumb Organics Massa Organics Golden Rule Organics E&H Mushroom Farm Riverdog Farm Frog Hollow Farm Kashiwase Farm Phoenix Pastificio Big Little Bowl Donna's Tamales All Things Sharp Morell's Bread Upland Apiary Three Stone Hearth	Vang Family Farm Sonoma Swamp Blueberries Brokaw Ranch Swanton Berry Farm Avalos Farm Kaki Farm Good Faith Farm Golden Rule Organics Guru Ram Das Orchard Lifefood Gardens Gattonelli Achadinha Cheese Co. Hudson Fish Kashiwase Farm Happy Boy Farms Stepladder Creamery True Grass Ranch Solano Mushroom Riverdog Farm Smit Farms Bariani Olive Oil Four Sisters Farm Blue Heron Farm Peach Jamboree Frog Hollow Farm Off Beet Farm Pomo Tierra Orchard Higher Land Coffee Tony's Kettle Corn + Crepes Andy's Thai Tamales La Oaxaquena Cafe Zambala All Things Sharp Beber Almond Milk Big Little Bowl Soul Flower Farm Queen of Sheba Honey Your Way to Life Granola Laguna Gardens Bakery Cultured Pickle Shop Morell's Bread Obour Hummus Phoenix Pastificio Bolani Coracao Primavera Tamales The Abrothacary Bun Bao (New!)

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There is no greater evidence of the value of your local farmers' market than now, in the midst of the greatest health crisis of our lifetime, when we find more community members shopping at our open-air markets and buying more when they shop. The everyday benefits that the markets have always provided -- wholesome, immunity-boosting, in season fruits and vegetables; open-air shopping with room to spread out; and a wide variety of local farmers who are informed about their products and ready to share what they know -- are proving to be extra valuable at a time when we are all reassessing what truly supports our health and wellbeing.

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Plastic Free July is Here! Events & Actions for Body, Home, and Planet!

Plastic is piling up everywhere - in our landfills, in our waterways and oceans, even in our bodies. Of all the plastic that has ever existed, more than half was produced in the last 15 years, and 91% has never been recycled. Exposure to the harmful chemicals and pollutants generated and released throughout the plastics life cycle puts environmental and human health at risk, causing detrimental impacts on our entire ecosystem. As we emerge from the COVID-19 pandemic we must make a #PlasticFreeRecovery-- prioritizing the health of people and the planet by pushing for and investing in systems change for a sustainable and just plastic free future.

Join the Ecology Center for PLASTIC FREE JULY, a series of events for community members to learn, take action, get tips on reducing plastic waste, and connect with others who are concerned about the global problem of plastic pollution.

Farmers' Market Hours & Locations

EBT and WIC Fruit & Vegetable checks gladly accepted and Market Match incentives distributed at all markets.

South Berkeley

Tuesdays, 2 - 6:30 pm

Adeline St. at 63rd St.,

Berkeley

North Berkeley

Thursdays, 3 - 7 pm

Shattuck Ave. at Vine St., Berkeley

Downtown Berkeley

Saturdays, 10 am - 3 pm

Center St. at MLK Jr. Way, Berkeley

510.548.3333 | [email protected] | ecologycenter.org/fm

[Photo credit: Berkeley Farmers' Market Staff, Frog Hollow Farm ]