cross between apricots and plums, is stealing fame this summer from its cousin the plum. Frog Hollow Farm grows and ships three varieties of pluots and two varieties of plums from June to September.This summer’s crop of Flavor King pluots (a plum-apricot hybrid) is proving the pluot to be one of the best loved hybrid fruits available today.
Frog Hollow Farm’s pluot varieties steal the show entirely thanks to their unique and surprising qualities. They planted two excellent plum varieties at the opposite ends of the spectrum from one another in colour, texture, and growing season. In addition, Frog Hollow Farm grows three varieties of pluots. Their typical plum and pluot harvest runs from late June to late September.
In spite of this summer’s Flavor King rise to fame, each of the varieties of plums and pluots grown at Frog Hollow Farm offers unique benefits to fresh fruit lovers.
The Santa Rosa plum was bred by famed California horticulturist Luther Burbank in his Santa Rosa plant research centre. Red-skinned with a purple bloom, its amber flesh gets flushed with red. Its plump perfection with tender flesh is extremely sweet and juicy. A bit of tartness in the skin balances out the sweetness. Santa Rosa plums are available from late June to early July.
Frog Hollow’s other plum variety is the Emerald Beaut. A freestone plum, the Emerald Beaut has a delicate green colouration that turns golden with a hint of a blush. It has a firmer texture than the Santa Rosa with a crisp almost crunchy mouth-feel. One of Frog Hollow Farm’s most hardy fruits, the Emerald Beaut just gets sweeter and sweeter without losing texture as it ages. Emerald Beauts are harvested and shipped mid to late September.
The first pluot variety to ripen is playfully called the “dinosaur egg,” but Dapple Dandy is its official title. It has marbled pink and green skin over delicate white flesh threaded with rose. Kids especially love this pluot for its distinctive colouration and the lack of tartness in the skin. Dapple Dandy pluots are available mid-July to early August.
The Flavor King is the best pluot variety they grow. It’s a dark-skinned pluot with red flesh, and has an intense rich flavor combined with sweet, spicy tones that are reminiscent of the Santa Rosa plum. A nice acid bite and firm texture that softens beautifully as the fruit continues to ripen, the Flavor King is amazing eaten out of hand and equally good for baking. Flavor King pluots come off the tree at the peak of the August harvest along with some of Frog Hollow Farm’s other best varieties like the O’Henry and Cal Red peaches. Flavor Kings are available early to mid-August.
Shown in the photo above, the Flavor King’s beautiful dark skin shows their sugars to be fully developed. Frog Hollow Farm harvests pluots when ripe and ships to customers from tree to table in 48 hours.
Next, the Flavor Heart pluot gets its name from its distinctively tapered shape. Its meaty, pale yellow flesh is very low in acid and the sweetness and colour contrasts strikingly with its dark purple almost black skin. The Flavor Heart is quickly becoming a favourite among pluot fans. Flavor Hearts are available early to mid-August.
Customers can enjoy four shipments of Frog Hollow Farm organic plums and pluots. They’re eat-over-the-sink juicy and sweet.
This program is likely to stagger in order to ensure shipment of key varieties like the Flavor King pluot. Because Frog Hollow picks the best plums or pluots available at the time of shipment, the varieties included in a customer’s box depends on seasonality. Frog Hollow Farm growers are sticklers for quality and they guarantee the freshest organically-grown, tree-ripened fruit nature has to offer. Fresh fruit ships Mondays through Wednesdays for delivery within two days.
Frog Hollow Farm is a certified organic with CCOF (California Certified Organic Farmers). They grow several varieties of cherries, apricots, peaches, nectarines, plums, pluots and pears in their orchard. Check out their different fresh fruit programs offered throughout the year and their individual organic fruit boxes shipping now.
