16 September, 2009

The Perfect Fruit


This summer has been fantastic for stone fruits (especially peaches- mmm!) here in California, and one of my favorites that my father grows is the pluot. If you don't know, a pluot is a PLUm-apricOT hybrid that comes in many varieties that range from golden yellow to black-purple. Ever since I read Ruth Ozeki's All Over Creation, and subsequently a biography of Luther Burbank, I've been interested in the developement of new fruits. Last week, I started reading a book about the origins of the pluot- The Perfect Fruit by Chip Brantley- and it inspired me to try all the different varieties that are available at my market. It's the end of the season, so this is just the tip of the iceberg, but I've been impressed by the differences in flavor. So far I have tried:


Flavor King
Flavor Grenade
Flavor Queen
Flavor Treat
Flavor Fall
Flavorosa
Flavor Delight
Dapple Dandy

The Flavor King is generally considered to have the most complex flavor and I have to agree. I wish I had bought dozens of them when they had them at the market! For now I will have to gorge myself on the Flavor Treats and Flavor Grenades that remain.

2 comments:

lisa solomon said...

i'm totally smitten with pluots too! keep buying them at the farmers market. yum

stephanie said...

i've been wanting to read "all over creation". did you like it? and have you read "my year of meats" by ruth ozeki?

you do a great job with your blog & your work is amazing!