They have some of the weirdest names in produce: Dapple Dandy. Dinosaur Egg. Flavor Grenade. But it never was about the names. From the beginning, it was all about flavor.
Floyd Zaiger, a fruit breeder in Modesto, is the Johnny Appleseed of plums and apricots. A few decades ago, Zaiger wondered why his granddaughter was eating carrots instead of his plums. So, he set out to build a better plum.
Zaiger started with the work done by Luther Burbank, who developed many fruits and vegetables, including the Santa Rosa plum. Zaiger took Burbank's plum-apricot hybrid, which was called a plumcot. Cross this fruit with an apricot and you get an aprium. Cross the plumcot with another plum, you get the pluot.
In the past 10 years, the pluot has changed the plum industry. They are big in size and huge in flavor. They have flavor elements of both plum and apricot, and a higher concentration of sugar.
If you have been looking to find a way to get your kids hooked on fruits and vegetables, then start with the pluot. They are grown in the San Joaquin Valley and by many local farmers. They will retail for around $2.50 to $3 per pound. Pluots will ripen at room temperature, but keep them covered so they don't dehydrate. A ripe pluot will yield slightly to a gentle squeeze.
Cantaloupe
Coachella, San Joaquin Valley
49-59 cents a pound
Early summer cantaloupes taste fantastic. Ripen them at room temperature.
Eggplant
Fresno
$1.29 - $1.69 each
Buy them and use them right away. Extended refrigeration causes chill damage.
Bing cherries
California, Washington
$2.99 - $3.99 a pound
California's season is ending, but Washington is in the peak of its season.
Watermelon
Coachella Valley, Bakersfield
39-59 cents a pound
We're entering the peak season. They taste better at room temperature.
