The staple Fairtrade Fruit, this week is all about Bananas! The U.S. is the largest importer of bananas and the demand for Organic Bananas only continues to grow. Here at Earl’s we support a better banana: we offer superior flavor, in-house conditioning to order, and daily photos so you can make the right choice. Meet Coliman Bananas, a family business.

Look for pomegranates with a full bright red to dark red color that feels heavy for their size, which means they are super juicy. Drastic changes in temperature from cold to hot or rain can cause the fruit to crack. This is not a bad thing! In fact the fruit will be bursting with juice and ready to go! Read on to find out how to easily open a pomegranate and remove the arils.

Late summer produce is starting to wind down and now is the time of year to start making room for the wonderful bounty of Fall.

The Big J is the most common New Mexico chile variety boasting meaty walls and a large size (up to 14 inches in length!). The heat can vary from mild to medium, and the flavor is sweet and slightly smoky. Victor from La Granjita buys seeds from the Hatch Valley to grow his own Big J peppers, so you can taste the essence of New Mexico without a trip to the state.

Bouchey Farms is a third generation farm located in Wapato, Washington in Yakima Valley. They specialize in red, gold and russet potatoes and Russian Banana, Amarosa, Purple Pelisse and French fingerlings.

California Keitt mangoes are super juicy and sweet with almost no stringy fibers and a small pit which means more fruit to eat. Don’t shy away from these green mangos because Keitts stay green even when ripe.

Now is the best time of the year to eat fresh figs. The first crop arrives in June and hasn't developed the honey sweetness we associate with a delicious fig. There is a brief break during July before the 2nd crop arrives around the end of July/early August. Figs develop their peak flavor from the middle of August to around the middle of September. In our opinion it is worth waiting for that delicious, incredibly rich and sugary fig.

Over 99% of the grapes grown commercially in the United States are from California.  Grapes are grown in the 450 mile long by 50 mile wide area between Sacramento and the San Joaquin Valley regions and in the Coachella Valley in Riverside County.  Deep purple Thomcords, red seedless Sparkle, and green Stella Bella are just a few of the seasons highlights.

The first of the locally grown California Bartlett pears have arrived. In our opinion, we at Earl’s feel that California Bartlett’s are some of the best pears in the world. Pears ripen from the inside out and have a fragrant aroma, but how do you know when your pear is ripe?