July 2026 Fruit
Regardless of where you are in the United States, Happy 250th! Enjoy Mother Nature’s produce gifts of the summer. Consuming fresh fruits and vegetables aids hydration, regularity, and overall good health. Many of these highlighted fruits are sources of natural fiber and natural sugar. Some are sources of Vitamin C to help reduce inflammation as well as the effects of the summer sun.
NEW SEASON! CALIFORNIA FIGS
HIP, HIP, HOORAY!!! It’s fig season in California! Figs are having a resurgence because of their nutritional content of fiber, calcium, potassium, and other minerals. Though high in sugar, it is natural, not added, sugar. One of the oldest fruits known to man and a member of the latex family (as are walnuts and jackfruit), figs have been mentioned in the Bible and found dried in tomb offerings. They are considered an aphrodisiac. But the best part is that this unctuous, rich fruit is just darn tasty, and each variety will offer you a different flavor experience until autumn, so enjoy each variety before the season passes, and you have to wait until next year! The first two varieties are now in season. Stay tuned in August for the other luscious varieties!
BLACK MISSION FIG - This variety is the benchmark for figs in flavor and is historically named for the missions along California’s coastline where the first crops in the U.S. were grown, as well as for its dark, almost black skin when ripe. Tasty and rich whether fresh or dried, Black Mission figs may be eaten out of hand as a sweet treat, wrapped or served with salty foods, or roasted and puréed for Mexican mole, jams, and balsamic dressing. Available through October. California grown.
HEIRLOOM - Also known as Brown Turkey Fig, this is a large fig with light purple-to-brown skin and meaty flesh. Milder in flavor and sweetness compared to the Black Mission variety, this is a good snacking or baking fig that doesn’t overpower other ingredients in clafouti custards, fruit salads, or sharp cheeses. Available through October. California-grown.
PEPPERS!!!!
It’s getting hot out there, so eat some fresh peppers to cool you down! Yes, it may seem counterintuitive, but the regions closest to the equator are also known for spicy cuisines because perspiration cools the body. Early summer is the beginning of fresh pepper season. Botanically a fruit because of its seeds, peppers are also generally a source of Vitamin C, which helps reduce the effects of sun exposure as well as increase immunity. Though peppers are available in a riot of colors, like that perfect black dress or suit, they pretty much go with anything, dressed up or down! Wearing protection on your hands and fingers; select peppers with taut, shiny skin free of mold and stems free of wilting. Avoid touching any body parts until your hands have been thoroughly washed. The smallest trace of pepper oil can irritate. If a pepper is too hot for you, consume a glass of milk, a peeled banana, a mango, a beer, or cooked and mashed potato or rice. Many peppers are available year-round, but now is the time for even more varieties. This segment will start with the less hot varieties. Product of Mexico and the Netherlands.
ORGANIC SHISHITOS - The darling of the pepper pack, shishitos originate from Japan and are generally mild. However, about one in every ten is considered hot, yet still milder than a serrano pepper. Usually served whole with stem and edible seeds, seared or charred over a very hot pan, shishitos may also be served raw, pickled, sautéed, or tempura-style. Think about a twist on rajas con crema, substituting roasted poblano with small chopped and sautéed shishitos. Add cooked shishitos to a sandwich (remove the stems first), pizza, or salad dressing. Of course, shishitos are a must-have nosh for your summer BBQ or beach party while proteins or s’mores are grilling! Select shishitos with shiny skin and fresh stems. Avoid signs of mold. Keep refrigerated, unwashed, in a loose plastic or paper bag, then wash and use within the week. Available year-round. Product of Mexico. Grown conventionally or USDA Certified Organic.
RED FRESNO, JALAPEÑO, AND YELLOW GÜERO PEPPERS - You’ve most likely seen or heard of these colored pepper varieties. All three have about the same amount of mild heat, making them interchangeable while adding variety, color, and pop to your dishes and cocktails. Red Fresnos are known for their shiny bright-red skin and slightly fruity yet mildly spicy profile, often used in stews, sauces, and for adding bright color to fresh chimichurri and mango salsas. Green jalapeños are a classic appetizer, stuffed with cheese, then breaded and fried, sliced into rounds and folded into focaccia and other breads, or covered in sweetened or vinegary brine to candy or pickle. Yellow güero peppers are pale in color, broad, and chubby. Fresh, they are crisp in texture, seedy, and the gateway heat level for acclimating to hotter peppers.
SERRANO - Serrano peppers are the next step toward raising the heat. They are about 2 inches in length and slim, but not skinny. Often added for their grassy flavor and pinch of heat in chile verde pork or tomatillo sauce, many veteran chile-heads consider this variety “mild” and eat them as a side to their daily meals.
KEY LIMES
Known as an integral ingredient in Florida’s Key Lime Pie, this citrus originated in Southeast Asia and is a hybrid of three citrus fruits: citron, papeda, and pummelo. This is why the juice of key limes is not green, but a faint yellow, and the zest or peel turns from green to yellow as it ripens. No doubt about it, this citrus is tart yet fragrant, juicy when ripe, and very seedy. Key limes are used for more than pie filling! Use them to make nuoc cham, coconut soup, curry, brighten seafood and ceviche, balance the sweetness of fresh fruit, add zing to beer and cocktails, include in marinades, or blend with freshly grated zest to make lime butter.
Select key limes that are bright in color and heavy for their size. To prepare key limes for use, wash and roll a room-temperature lime with slight pressure on a hard surface to make squeezing easier. Squeeze over a strainer or over the palm of your hand to catch any seeds. Available year-round. Product of Mexico.
