Blossom Bluff Orchards

Don't know much about Parlier except that it's about 200 miles away.Now, their farmers market stand at the Ferry Building is a different story. The beauty of the market normally is being able to sample fruits before deciding on whether to buy. Starting last Spring, this perk became a memory so a shopper has to depend on two things: a. asking the seller for his/her opinion and b. eyeball the fruits or vegetables. During the summer, you'll see a variety of stone fruits such as peaches and nectarines. During the past two or three months, it has mainly been citrus fruits (mandarins and tangerines) and persimmons, both Fuyu and Hachiya varieties. My mom is particularly fond of the Hachiyas which take some patience in waiting for them to ripen before eating; when they are ripe (https://www.yelp.com/user_local_photos?select=TkZDd_96hOzCFeYhEFHTRA&userid=saJuyv784apZzH--psHZ3Q), let's just say that the meat is sweet like sugar. The season ended about the end of 2020 for them but mandarins are still available as well as the visually interesting Buddha's hand fruit (https://www.yelp.com/user_local_photos?select=uT2JOTQHHK0-aanp8v9edg&userid=saJuyv784apZzH--psHZ3Q). I have no idea how to eat them... Googled this right after writing this.They are at the Ferry Building on Tuesdays and Saturdays (back lot area). Do stop by and see if something fits your palates.

Salt of the earth here. This is a good sized, family run business, that offers certified organic fruit, owned by simply really nice, hard working people. The August day we came toodling down a dusty road looking for them, they were busy at their packing shed filling humongous orders to ship off to SF and places beyond. This happens twice a week, on Sundays and Thursdays, something the Blossom Trail brochure did not exactly explain.Oblivious to their strict schedule, we found ourselves staring at a tightly closed, little farm store which is located right next to their home and a very unhappy dog that insisted we should not be there and should not get out of the car. Hey, I've watched Cesar Milan, Dog Whisperer. I got out of the car, stood firm, showed no fear, then wisely remembered I wasn't Cesar and slowly retreated to my open car door and hastily jumped in. Dog=1, Wendy=0. What that dog didn't know was, while Mr. B was too chicken to get out of the car, he was still unrelenting and hell bent on getting some great fruit. So he called their listed phone number. I have to say, Fran, wife, was most gracious and very accommodating. She even jumped into her car and drove us over to their packing shed where she introduced us to her hard working son, Brian, who dropped everything to help us. We left the dog in our dust.They were currently processing several delicious varieties: OHenry peaches, Snow King white peach, Bella Royale peacotum (an interesting peach apricot plum mix), Flavor Grenade plum, and the Elephant Heart Plum (my personal favorite, a most delicious turn-of-the-century plum developed by Luther Burbank). While still not quite ripe, they had delicious aroma that convinced us we were getting something special. We came away with about $20 worth of beautiful, unique fruit.Their products can be found at many Farmer's Markets in the SF Bay area. Make sure you look for the Blossom Bluff Orchards label. Or if you find yourself out in the exciting (jk) Fresno area and want to buy from the source, call first to make sure their little farm store is open.

Yesterday I stopped by Blossom Bluff's stand at the Albany Farmers' Market. Because I had just seen my chiropractor I was limited as to how much weight I could lift, so didn't look closely at the stone fruit. Nina bought some apriums. The young woman explained that apriums are 75% apricot and 25% plum, while pluots are 75% plum and 25% apricot. I didn't know that. What I did notice and buy was a 4 oz package of sliced and dried Fuyu persimmons for $5. I had some today and they were very tasty. Next week I will be able to carry more and I will buy some stone fruit too. When I was looking for a Blossom Bluff review to add mine to rather than starting a new thread, I was delighted to find my friend Lainie L. was FTR. I commend her lovely review to your attention.

One day this lovely lady walked into the restaurant I work at and handed me a peach. It was love at first bite. Memories of sunny days spent in the peach orchards at my Nana's house in Texas came flooding back. I hadn't tasted a peach like that since we left Texas. Even the venerable Frog Hollow Farm fell short. But not these babies. . this was a peach. A real, honest to goodness juicy dead on ripe peach. The lady was Fran Loewen and she has been supplying my summer stone fruit for four years. I always look forward to her phone calls around mid-April to let me know when they will start harvest and I plan all my menus around her harvest. Peaches, Nectarines, Plums, and Apricots all arrive perfectly ripe, juicy and sweet. I have to beat the kitchen boys off with a spatula to keep them from eating all the fruit I need. Fran's family runs the farm .. her dad, her mom, her husband, her children and even her brother all lend a hand to bring straight from the orchard to the table goodness. I love that there is no middle man, just me and the grower. . .it is a marvelous relationship. Fran and her husband, Ted, are as sweet as their fruit and I love working with them.To experience Blossom Bluff for yourself you can find a Blossom Bluff booth at the Berkeley Farmers' Market, Ferry Plaza and Marin Farmer's Market - check their website for days and times. Or you can head to any higher end restaurant in the Bay Area, chances are, you'll be enjoying their wonderful fruit.

I received CSA fruit boxes from Blossom Bluff for a few summers. Their fruit is excellent in quality, and since we don't actually see it here in the Valley, in the stores, it was nice to be able to get 13 boxes of it during the summer months. This summer, my CSA has switched to a different stone fruit supplier for the summer box. I miss Blossom Bluff. If you are near a place where they sell their fruit, like the Ferry Center Farmer's Market in SF, then stop by and get some really good fruit.

The most wonderful stone fruit. They are always helpful and the peaches, god they are the best in the bay area. I love filling my bag up with all these wonderful stone fruit treasures.