Sweeten Up Your Summer
By CISA

Fresh Picked Blackberries at the Amherst Farmers' Market - (c) Sienna Wildfield

At the height of summer, nothing is more refreshing than biting into a piece of fresh, juicy fruit. If you’ve never tried farm-fresh fruits, you owe it to yourself to go find some. Nothing compares to the taste and texture of fully ripened locally grown fruits- particularly not under-ripe fruit shipped from far off places. Thankfully, here in the Valley, there are lots of ways to fill your fruit bowl with local fruit:

• Local grocers
• Farmers’ markets
• Straight from the farm
• Pick your own–bring your friends or family for an afternoon activity with a sweet incentiv

As local berries and fruits ripen, finding new ways to use the abundance can be exciting. Pies, cobblers, and tarts are delicious ideas, but fresh fruit shouldn’t be limited to desserts- add them to salads, breakfasts, or get creative with savory dishes. Want to enjoy these treats year-round? Read up on preserving your fruit for the rest of the year by freezing, drying, and jam making.

You may not always notice it at the grocery store, but summer fruits have their own micro-seasons of availability, so you’ve got to scoop them up when you get the chance. Keep in mind that harvest times vary from year to year, so it is always a good idea to call ahead to be sure that the products you want are available. For a list of local fruit producers, visit our online Farm Products Guide.

And if you find that you’re competing with the fruit flies for all that local fruit on your counter, try this: squirt some dish soap into a mug, add a glug of vinegar (locally available from Apex Orchards in Shelburne), and fill with water. Flies are attracted to the vinegar, but get caught in the soapsuds, especially if you’ve eaten, or covered, any fruit in your kitchen.