Winter Apples!

Here's another example of the freaky weather we've had in 2010. There are lots of apples on these trees, but all the leaves have dropped off. And it's mid-December. We'll be picking them off in a few days, but I think I'll leave a few fruits on the trees to see what happens. I think they'll be ok as long as we don't have a hard frost.

Fall Colors

The trees are starting to turn fall colors. The peaches are particularly pretty, with mahogany colored leaves.
When I lived in the city, seasons were marked by the school year or by the parade of holidays. In the country, the signs are more basic. The sky, the trees, the temperatures at night, all tell me that fall is here. Each season has things to enjoy.
Right now, I think I'll go pick and enjoy a ripe Fuji apple.

Fair
Ribbons
We're always excited this time of year to participate in the Antelope Valley Fair. We're very proud to have won ribbons every year we've participated, since 2003. Our big winners this year: nectarines & Asian pears.

Dogs pick their own fruit!

Our dogs Sky King the golden retriever & Chocolate the labrador retriever go out into the orchard every morning just after breakfast to pick their dessert. They repeat this several times a day. What do they like? Just like people, they want the ripest, tastiest fruit. They will go from tree to tree, sniffing around until they find fruit to their liking. Grab it & pull. My husband Jack saw Sky King bypass the low level fruit & jump at the tree to pick own just a little higher. He got it on first leap too.

Freezing Apricots
Yes, you can freeze apricots! First, pick apricots that are just ripe...if they are too ripe, freezing will ruin their texture. Don't wash them, just pop them into a ziploc & freeze. When you are ready to eat them, take out just as much as you want. Put them into a bowl & microwave on high for one minute. Then pull out the pits & rinse them off. Eat right away because if you let them sit, they will turn brown & mushy. We've kept apricots in the freezer successfully for up to a year. My husband has them for breakfast every morning.

Cherry season comes & goes so quickly. As the cherries first ripen, they are sweet & tangy, but as they stay longer on the trees, they develop deep & winy flavors. This year we managed to eat most of the cherries & keep the birds out. It's been a light year, but the quality is great.

Cherries survived bad weather

Late last week we had a storm blow in. One day of cold wind was followed by one day of rain. The cherries had just set & were vulnerable. The cold could kill off the fruit & the rain knock them off the trees. On Saturday, we walked through the orchard to find the cherries in great shape. Most are about 1/8 " long & a lovely green color. There's one more storm due this week, but it should be okay by them. Late season storms can do the worst damage. We were lucky this time. It looks like it will be a nice crop.

Apricots about 2 weeks after fruiting.

Cherry blossoms with snowy San Gabriel mountains in the background

Spring came about two weeks early this year. Peach & nectarine trees are covered with blossoms in various shades of pink. Bees are buzzing around, trying to get to every single flower. Apricots & plums have already fruited and if you look carefully, you can see tiny little fruits. Next up are apples & pears. Cherries are the last to blossom, which seems funny since they are the first to ripen. We're enjoying the beauty of spring & looking forward to the bounty of summer.