Locally grown California produce is VIP: Very Important Produce! Specialty Produce is simply unmatched in customer service. Over twenty years as a premium provider of fresh produce says a lot about us! Specializing in locally grown California produce, Specialty Produce is reputed for its strong support of our local growers, farmers and ranchers. Our hardworking team thanks you for your loyal business. You can depend on Specialty Produce! It's our tradition!
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Farmers' Market Box of the Week
We’ve made shopping easy! Fresh & local – straight from the Farmers every Wednesday. Specialty Produce has created a new program similar to Community Supported Agriculture (CSA), which we are calling "Farmers' Market Box of the Week". We have the ability to combine produce from several farms which allows us a wider reach in support of California agriculture, on top of creating a hassle free farmers' market experience for you! Did I mention, you get all this for only $20?
Pre-ordered & weekly reserved boxes will be ready for pickup from 8-6pm on Thursday or Friday at our warehouse, just in time for the weekend! You can even see what’s in the box before you order! Check out the latest video on Facebook or YouTube on Wednesday afternoon. Sign up or learn more about your weekly box, chock full of fresh produce by emailing melissa@specialtyproduce.com. Help us support California farms & farmers!
More than twenty years strong and getting stronger, Community Supported Agriculture, (CSA) connects a community with the local farming industry, forming a partnership with the common concern to stabilize the local farming marketplace and to provide safe food. CSA's vital community concept is to build a local and equitable agricultural system.
Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) was introduced to the United States by Jan VanderTuin from Switzerland in 1984. Dating back to the 1960s, European women’s neighborhood groups encouraged farmers to generate and establish a bonding relationship with consumers. In the United States, the beginning of this worthy community collaboration between producers and consumers began in 1986 when two CSA projects delivered harvest shares from Robyn Van En's Indian Line Farm in Massachusetts and the Temple/Wilton Community Farm in New Hampshire.
As members of CSA, growers and consumers provide mutual support of the local food production. By direct sales to community members, growers receive better prices for their crops, have increased financial security and are assisted in marketing their valuable harvests. CSA's main goal is to maintain the community's productive and profitable small farms. Participating farms are helped in developing their highest ecological capability and encourage other local farmers and growers to become members. In turn, consumers enjoy food that is super fresh, rich in flavor and vitamins, get introduced to different products, learn new cooking ideas, and get their kids to appreciate farm-fresh healthy eating.
Typically the member is considered to be a "shareholder", and the share consists of a box of vegetables, but other farm-grown products may also be included. Interested consumers purchase a share also called a membership or a subscription and are entitled to receive a box of seasonal produce each week throughout the farming season.
In order to foster collaboration between chefs, consumers & growers we keep extensive records on where each farmers' market item comes from. The Specialty Produce website links each product to a farm, shows what restaurants are serving it on their menu, and gives you recommended links to recipes. Enjoy & get to know where your food comes from!
"Chocolate" Persimmons
Love chocolate? Love persimmons? Then you'll absolutely love Chocolate Persimmons!
Boasting attractive reddish-orange skin, sometimes with a splash of yellow on its seductive shoulder, the rather rare chocolate persimmon varies from small to medium in size. Succulent, sweet and rich in flavor when ripe, the flesh is firm until this almost magical and marvelous piece of fruit is fully ripe. The flesh has an infusion of brown tones, reminiscent to chocolate.
Tsurunoko persimmons belong to the obscure class of pollination-variant, non-astringent persimmons. This variety is called chocolate because its dark colored flesh actually offers a slight chocolate flavor. Typically at its finest moment when creamy in texture, the chocolate persimmon may be enjoyed firm or soft. Small quantities of alcohol exude from the seeds, which cause tannins in the flesh to clump together and lower the astringency. This turns the pulp brown giving it its descriptive name of "chocolate".
Versatile in culinary creations, chocolate persimmons are absolutely delicious for both sweet and savory delectable delights. A tasty treat fresh out of hand, chocolate persimmons are wonderful grilled, added to salads and for flavoring a variety of baked goods and confections. Make scrumptious cakes, cookies, brownies, bars, muffins, quick breads, puddings, cheesecake, jam, sorbet, ice cream and salsa. Sweet potatoes and stews welcome this fabulous fruit's complementary presence. A truly festive holiday joy, chocolate persimmons make a gorgeous garnish for most anything! To store, keep at 50 degrees Fahrenheit. Use within ten days for optimum quality and flavor.
Persimmons provide a good source of fiber and vitamin C and vitamin A. Recent studies suggest that persimmons can lower blood fats and are a good source of potent antioxidants.
Locally grown in California and located right in the middle of the very best fruit-growing region in the nation, Penryn Orchard Specialties is renowned for its biodiversity and proudly promotes natural ecological forces to do the necessary work. In fact, Penryn Orchard Specialties' location is where fruit was first grown commercially in California. The snows of the Sierra provide the nourishing water and the well-drained decomposed granite soil produce this orchard's outstanding fruit. Grower, Jeff Reiger completed a USDA conservation grant to increase the orchard's water efficiency. Those ecological forces mentioned above that do the work include the perpetual appetite of Guinea hens that eagerly eat obnoxious apple-eating pests and other annoying pesky plant-loving bugs. Integrated pest management is used to control codling moths and willing sheep do the mowing and frequent fertilizing.
The peak season for Chocolate Persimmons is October through December.
Specialty Produce enthusiastically endorses and proudly promotes our local growers, farmers, ranchers and the valuable California farming industry.
We’ve made shopping easy! Fresh & local – straight from the Farmers every Wednesday. Specialty Produce has created a new program similar to Community Supported Agriculture (CSA), which we are calling "Farmers' Market Box of the Week". We have the ability to combine produce from several farms which allows us a wider reach in support of California agriculture, on top of creating a hassle free farmers' market experience for you! Did I mention, you get all this for only $20?
Love chocolate? Love persimmons? Then you'll absolutely love Chocolate Persimmons! 
