Orchard Talk

We are in the final day or two of u-pick peaches and nectarines. We’ll still have them in the markets for a few more days, and we’re running specials on apricots, so if you’re thinking of putting some stone fruit up for winter, hurry in! We also have nice canning tomatoes available at $9 1/2 bushel.

If you’re hungry for apples, we just started picking Paula Reds. According to AppleJournal.com, “Paula Red may be the best early fresh-eating red apple widely available, especially in the northern states. A little like McIntosh, from which it is presumed to have descended, Paula is an attractive small to medium apple that fares well in the kitchen.”

Need picnic fixins? We’re picking fresh King Orchards sweet corn every day, plus we have melon, green beans, peppers, cabbages, onions, potatoes, plums, cukes and zucchini.

Tags: apricots, nectarines, sweet corn, u-pick peaches

We just received results from our recently-conducted nutritional analysis of King Orchards Montmorency Tart Cherry Juice Concentrate. Independent lab evaluations revealed that our tart cherry juice concentrate provides over 7000 ORAC units and 330 mg of Anthocyanins per one-ounce serving.

Antioxidant strength is measured in Oxygen Radical Absorbance Capacity (ORAC) units. ORAC measures how many oxygen radicals a specific food can absorb and deactivate. The more oxygen radicals a food absorbs, the higher its ORAC score.

Anthocyanins are what provide cherries their distinctive red color and may hold the key to the health benefits locked inside. These rich, red pigments that give cherries their color are a type of phytonutrient known as flavonoids, which have been linked to a variety of health benefits.

Already, nutritionists and sports enthusiasts have recognized the powerful antioxidant profile of Montmorency cherries, and are incorporating them into their fitness regimens. The British Cycling Team, for example, credits cherry juice as one of the secrets to their phenomenal success – 15 Gold Medals! – in the Beijing Olympics. They drink Montmorency Tart Cherry Juice Concentrate from CherryActive in the UK.

According to a recent article in the Scotsman:

GB Secrets Can Lead to Success in Velodrome… From new equipment to diet – the consumption of vast quantities of cherry juice being one example – they are at the cutting edge of innovation.

And from The Independent:

The Ride of Their Lives: Britannia Rules the Wheels: Lottery millions, laser scans, the latest in sports psychology, and a daily dose of Montmorency cherries… “Nutritionists advise the riders on diet. The British team consume large quantities of fish oils and juice from Montmorency cherries. As antioxidants, they help the muscles to recover more quickly after strenuous exercise.”

We can’t promise Olympic gold, but we’ll do our best to keep providing delicious and nutritious 100% tart cherry juice concentrate as efficiently and affordably as we can. Cheers!

Tags: cherry juice, cherry juice concentrate, tart cherry juice, Tart Cherry News

In Traverse Magazine’s Food Loving Summer, an “it-list of the fresh and fleeting discoveries that make life up here so delicious,” Emily Betz Tyra said King Orchards peaches are so irresistible, they will “make you weak in the knees.” Thanks Emily! We couldn’t have said it better ourselves.

But don’t take Emily’s or our word for it. Come out to the orchard right now for fresh-picked or pick your own peaches. We’re starting this week with Early-Glow and Garnet Beauty varieties, both tasty and juicy semi-freestone peaches. Red Haven peaches, everyone’s favorite freestone canning peaches, should be ready after the 17th, along with our almost-famous nectarines. We’re talking running down your arm juicy good peaches and nectarines.

And that’s not all! Apricots are still jammin’ and there are plump red raspberries to be picked (they’re ever-bearing and will be here til September). In the fruit-stands, we have yellow and red plums, blueberries, sweet corn, melons, the best red & white potatoes ever, peppers, onions, zucchini, cherry chocolate oatmeal cookies, cherry juice concentrate, killer Balaton cherry salsa, dried cherries and our new Nuts about Cherries trail mix… practically everything for a perfect summer picnic.

For dessert, Lexi and Rose have been baking up a bevy of fresh fruit pies. Try the lovely Lattice Topped Cherry, Crumb-Topped Cherry, amazing Apple, beautiful Blueberry, righteous Cherry-Raspberry or their newest creation, the Three Berry Pie, a triple threat featuring Blackberries, Raspberries and Blueberries.

Tags: peaches, u-pick