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The Best Fruits to Eat This July (and How to Use Them)

Image of EZ Open Coconuts

NEW!! CONVENTIONAL EZ OPEN SWEET YOUNG COCONUT
You are familiar with Melissa’s Organic EZ Open Sweet Young Coconut, now also available as conventional with the EZ Open Plunger! No more fidgeting with an implement to poke a hole for your straw! Just remove the collar pin, push down on the green top to puncture through the coconut flesh, then insert straw and enjoy! It really is that simple. Honest! Available Year Round. Product of Thailand.

Image of figs

CALIFORNIA FIG SEASON IS HERE!
Fresh figs are one of the world’s ancient fruits. California grown figs are some of the best eating! Figs are a rich source of vitamins and minerals that are beneficial to our hemoglobin, metabolism, cognitive health, and other functions vital to a healthy lifestyle. Fresh figs are generally consumed raw as a snack, stuffed, or included on grazing and dessert cheese boards or on top of dessert pizzas. All figs may also be broiled, sautéed, grilled (when firm), then stuffed, puréed for jams, ice creams, and sauces. They pair well with cooked, dried, or salted meats, fresh fruits and cheeses of all varieties, chocolate, balsamic, and wine (of course!). Did you know peeled, puréed figs can be an oil substitute, 1:1? Be prudent: All figs have seeds and are from the latex/mulberry family. They may cause a reaction if you are sensitive or allergic to walnuts, jackfruit, cassava, and other members of the latex family.

Select fresh figs that are firm yet yield to gentle pressure. Avoid fruit with broken skin (over-ripe) or mold. Store fresh figs at room temperature in a single layer, unwashed, and use within 3 days or refrigerate up to five. Because of their high sugar content, figs do not fully freeze; however, they may be dehydrated for later use. July through September in California is the season for a variety of fresh figs, noted below. 

BLACK MISSION
The cuttings of this variety fig were brought to California from Spain by Franciscan missionaries in 1768 and, through the years, became the largest commercially grown fig in California.  Mission Figs, when ripe are juicy and sweet with dark coloring at the bloom end and a slight bright green color at the stem end. Though smallest in size of all the varieties mentioned here, it is the most versatile of all the California grown varieties. When dried, their skin turns almost black in appearance, therefore the name Black Mission Fig.

BROWN TURKEY
Large in size, Brown Turkey figs are elongated teardrop shape and mild yet flavorful in taste. They are easy to stuff with soft cheese such as goat or bleu, then wrap in prosciutto and serve or broil just to crisp the edges of the prosciutto. Wash, halve, and sauté in butter to serve with roasted meats or halve and sprinkle with sugar of choice prior to baking or brulée with a torch and serving alongside grilled pound cake or ice cream.

TIGER FIGS
Also known as panache figs, this variety has an interesting striped skin of yellow and green with vibrant raspberry flesh. Sweet in flavor with hints of berry and citrus, this fig is best served simply washed and served whole or quartered. Add Tiger Striped figs to fresh salads or a grain bowl made with Melissa’s Cooked Quinoa. 

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STONE FRUITS
One of summer’s pleasures is chin-dripping stone fruit. Some people find the clingstone variety pits bothersome while others like to gnaw on them, sucking off all the bits of remaining flesh similar to rib meat on a bone. Freestone fruits have pits that easily pull away from their flesh, making them easier to prepare. No matter; just safely scoop out the pit with a spoon or large melon baller. The flavors, aromas, and colors of summer stone fruits make them all the more appetizing, serving them fresh or grilled for salads, grain bowls, pies, stuffing French toasts or topping ice creams and desserts, or peeled and puréed for frescas, canning, sauces and popsicles.  

Select fruit that is firm with slight give and heavy for its size, avoiding soft spots or shriveling. Many people like to consume the fruit firm and crunchy, but most prefer the fruit with slight fragrance equating to full flavor. Store the fruit, unwashed, in a single layer at room temperature to ripen, or hasten by placing in a paper bag, usually for two to three days. Refrigerating unripe fruit will not allow it to ripen and may cause it to lose flavor.  Ripe fruit may be refrigerated whole and unwashed in the crisper drawer for up to five days. Frozen fruit is best washed, cut, peeled and pitted prior to freezing in a single layer on a cookie sheet, then transferred to a freezer bag and stored for up to six months. Available July to September. Grown in USA.

SUMMER PEACH BITES
Fruit, similar to humans and regardless of variety, does not grow in only one size. Summer Peach Bites are a tote of mixed varieties of smaller than average sized fruit, yet have big flavor like their larger siblings. The advantage is they are often just enough to satisfy your sweet fix, a fun way to experience a few varieties of peaches, and just the right size for small children to enjoy in their lunch bags or as a healthy treat.  
 
SUMMER PLUM BITES
Plum Bites, as with Peach Bites, are smaller-sized mixed variety plums in a convenient, reusable tote. Plum variety profiles can have tart skin with sweet flesh or sweet skin and flesh. Interior colors may range from red, variegated orange to red, or yellow-to-purple.

ORGANIC FROG HOLLOW PLUMS
We have written about Frog Hollow Farms last month and their farming techniques that yield quality, flavorful fruit. This month, Frog Hollow begins harvesting their USDA Certified Organic Plums, a sweet fruit with a bit of tang.   

Image of Tamarillo

RED TAMARILLO
Also known as tree tomato, this fruit originates in New Zealand. Tamarillos have a tough orange or red skin, ovoid in shape with a stem. Interestingly, the interior of this tree fruit looks very similar to a tomato, but it is not a tomato, which grows on a vine.  Tamarillo flavor ranges from tart to mildly plum-like, depending on level of ripeness. The orange-skinned fruit tends to be a bit sweeter than their red sibling. Both are known to be prepared ripe, peeled and cooked as sauces for fowl or seafood, but can also be served with cheesecake (cuts the richness of the cheese), halved and served with curries, or used as a base for barbecue sauce or tamarillo jam. Fruit is ripe when fragrant and yields slightly to pressure. Once ripe, fruit may be refrigerated up to three weeks in a plastic bag. Available July to October. Product of New Zealand.

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IT’S MELON SEASON, TOO!!
There are several varieties of seasonal melons around the corner ranging from personal sized to standard, and from crunchy and firm in texture to tender. Remember, not all melons have to have cantaloupe orange skin, either. Select fruit that is heavy for its size, firm with slight give at the stem end, and fragrant when ripe. Avoid any cuts, dents/soft spots, or mold. If the stem is still attached, avoid the fruit altogether; this indicates the melon was picked green and will not ripen nor have flavor.  Store melon, unwashed, on the counter at room temperature, 3-4 days, then transfer to the refrigerator up to two days more.

CHARENTAIS
This signature melon from Melisa’s originates in the Charentais region of France but is also grown in California and the Dominican Republic. Charentais melon is ‘personal’ size; enough for two, or a platter of sliced wrapped with prosciutto. Its toothsome orange flesh is not crisp, but lusciously firm, fragrant, honeyed and juicy. 

ORANGE CANDY™ MELON
Don’t let this melon be mistaken for Canary Melon. They both have bright yellow skin, but Orange Candy™ Melons are more round in shape. Similar in flavor to honeydew with the addition of a tropical flavor. Pairs well with bitter greens or robust greens such as spicy arugula or perky mint.  Available July through August. Product of USA-CA.

HAMI
Hami melons originated in China as early as the Han Dynasty and appear to look like a football-shaped cantaloupe. The flesh is crisp, juicy, and cantaloupe in flavor as well as color. Available July-August. Product of USA or Mexico.

CANARY
So named for its bright yellow skin, this oval-shaped melon has smooth skin and crisp, firm textured pale green flesh. It is similar to cantaloupe in flavor, and tasty with a bit of ginger and a squeeze of lime. Sounds like a daquiri to me!! Available July to August. Product of USA.

LEMONDROP MELON
With an expected arrival in mid-July, this is a ‘different’ melon. A hybrid of Galia melon, Lemondrop’s outer appearance is netted, much like a cantaloupe, with green flesh inside, similar to its parentage. Cut it open and you’ll see the familiar flesh of Galia, but one bite will confuse your mind with its sweet lemon hard candy flavor you may remember at the movies as a child. Pairs well with berries, honeydew, other melons and fresh seasonal fruit. Tasty as an agua fresca, too! Available July to early August. Product of USA.

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LET THEM EAT GRAPES!!!
Yes, California grape season kicks off in July!  Beginning this month, Melissa’s will have a nice selection of teeny grapes for kiddies of all ages, as well as grapes meant for grazing, roasting, skewering, and pairing with something bubbly or stronger.

Select grapes that appear plump in large bunches with fresh, not dried stems. If the berries have detached, check to see they have no discoloration or mold. The berries themselves should have a nice color and no brown or dark spots. Avoid shriveled fruit. Refrigerate unwashed in a perforated bag or container with air holes. Best stored, refrigerated, once washed or prepared. Tasty roasted with a bit of oil and Italian herbs and a pinch of cayenne, or coat in softened cream cheese and chopped toasted nuts. Pairs well with all meats and seafoods, other fresh fruits and veggies that need a bit of sweet. Availability is dependent upon variety. Please see below.

CHAMPAGNE GRAPES
Generally, the first seasonal grape of the season, named for their small, round berries, but are actually Nantes variety. When dried, they are known as black currants, often seen in Danish cookies, rolls, and breads. Sweet, pea-sized berries with red to purple skins. Kids of all ages like them because clusters with smaller stems can be consumed whole. These are considered a seedless variety. Fun added to ice cubes for beverages, or add to grain salads for a bit of sweetness. Available July through September.  

MUSCATOS™ BLACK GRAPES
One variety of Melissa’s three signature seedless grapes. Black grapes are rich in flavor and very good roasted or grilled to pair with meats as well as seafood. Use them in pan sauces, purée and strain for granita or frescas, and add to fruited salsas. Available July through October.  

MUSCATOS™ GREEN GRAPES
Crisp, sweet, and seedless, Green Muscatos™ grapes are tasty with firm cheeses, and are a must have for fruit salads and smoothies. Don’t forget to be classic and skewer them with a bit of cheddar, a square of dried salami, and a melon ball as summer appetizers! Available July to October, USA California grown.

MUSCATOS™ RED GRAPES
Floral notes and crunchy, this variety’s red color is perfect for fruit salads and general snacking. Wash, halve, and sandwich into grilled cheese or add to a quesadilla or pizza! Available July through October, USA California grown. 

TRI-COLOR MUSCATOS™ GRAPES
When you simply can’t decide, or are entertaining, go for the 3-pound pack containing a full pound of each grape! Available July through October, USA California grown.

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