The fact that land Herbert Clark purchased in 1886 remains the Clark Brothers Orchard in 2007 is due to a combination of luck, skill, a helpful microclimate, and, in recent years, the same kind of cooperative marketing agreement that seeks fair prices for small Latin American producers selling bananas. The fact that land Herbert Clark purchased in 1886 remains the Clark Brothers Orchard in 2007 is due to a combination of luck, skill, a helpful microclimate, and, in recent years, the same...

No, it wasn't to decide an open council seat The young voters of Billingsport Elementary School were choosing an apple to appear on the cafeteria menu as part of their school wellness initiative. And the fruit, at least the apples for now, will be delivered by local suppliers. The honey buns, donuts and chocolate milk offered for breakfast at the school a few years earlier have been replaced by better choices whole grain cereal and yogurt as well as fruit. Classmate Janae Clark touted the...

California does not produce a whole lot of mandarins, but there are some farms in the Central Valley that produce the fruit and, lucky for us, bring it to the farmers market. Call it a tangerine, clementine or satsuma one way or another they all hail from Citrus reticulata, commonly referred to as the mandarin. Mandarins are a great and healthy snack, they have high amounts of dietary fiber, are loaded with flavonoids and Vitamin C and recent studies have discovered a compound in the peel...

Mostarda is candied fruits in syrup that has been spiked with some form of mustard (more on that below) and maybe a little white wine vinegar. At Blue restaurant on Long Beach Island this past summer, their cheese plate was accompanied by a delicious version made with citrus rinds and mustard seeds. Mostarda di Cremona contains bright red cherries like the ones used for fruitcake, which leads me to think one could cheat by buying good quality candied fruits, briefly simmering them in sugar...

Honeycrisp apples are a hit around the world, thanks to the efforts of two Minnesota breeders and one very persistent grower. At farmers markets, apple orchards and supermarkets across the country, people await their arrival, hoard them, enjoy them, and pack them in boxes to send to their kids at college. What are they looking for? From a sensory perspective, flavor, crispness, and juiciness are important, as is the apple's ability to retain these qualities in cold storage. The apple,...

First, the big bins filled with 850 pounds of McIntosh apples not big or pretty enough to make the grade are slowly dropped into a lightly chlorinated tub of water. Inside a four-person crew is hurrying in an effort to keep up with the press that mashes nearly 1,600 pounds of apples an hour. On the other end, Charlie's wife, Julie, and her good friend, Jane Alford, are nimbly setting half-gallon jugs under three spigots that distribute the sweet cider, and then screwing caps on each one....