Fruit season is upon us! Although most of our produce is referred to as vegetables, a lot of the bounty of this time of year comes from the fruiting part of the plant. In fact, “vegetable” isn’t a biological term – biologists say that plants have roots, shoots, flowers, and fruits. The fruit is the mature, ripened ovary of a plant that develops from the flower after being pollinated. The seeds develop within the fruit after fertilization.

In your share this week you’ll find some surprising fruits – zucchini, beans, and raspberries. We harvest all of our fruits 2-3 times per week. Fruits need to be harvested on a regular basis for several reasons related to taste, yield, and longevity. Fruits taste best when they are at the right stage of ripeness; while a mature leek can stay in the ground and gradually grow for weeks without changes to quality, a zucchini left on the plant will grow to be enormous. These oversized zucchini have a higher water content, more seeds, and tend to be pulpy and bitter. While still delicious in zucchini bread, they are less appealing to eat fresh. Harvesting the fruit of a plant also encourages further production, as the plant will continue to flower and produce additional fruit, which lengthens the harvest window and overall yield of the plant. Finally, fruits left on the plant will eventually spoil, which attracts pests and diseases.

Other fruits we grow include cucumbers, peppers, tomatoes, corn, strawberries, pumpkins, and winter squash. Fruits tend to ripen especially quickly during the heat of the summer months, when the warmth and sunshine allows the plant to produce more sugar through photosynthesis which allows the fruiting part of the plant to thrive. The warm temperatures also accelerate the enzymes that convert starches to sugar, break down cell walls to soften the fruits, and develop flavor and color. We are honored to share taste of summer with you!!

~Eddy