Summertime means fresh cherries! As we celebrate Cherry Fest here at Whole Foods Market, we checked in with our friends at Rainier Fruit Company to get the story behind this seasonal treat. While Rainier provides us with many of the fantastic cherries we sell, one of the favorite varieties is the Rainier cherry. Known for its golden color with pink or red blush, pure yellow flesh, and firm, fine texture they are considered by many to be THE best cherry!

Mark Zirkle’s family has been farming in Washington State since the late 1800’s, specializing in apples. About 25 years ago they began growing cherries, both dark sweet red and yellow Rainier varieties. The Rainier cherry is a cross between a Bing and a Van, developed at Washington State University. Nearly all cherry varieties are “self-unfruitful” — meaning they must cross-pollinate with other varieties in order to produce fruit. The Rainier was originally used as a pollination variety, but as growers and consumers alike fell in love with the delicious flavor and extraordinary sweetness, Rainier Fruit Company began planting orchards dedicated to Rainiers. This single variety focus is especially important for Rainier cherries because they require specialized attention, care and labor to cultivate the most perfect cherry, showcasing the unique flavor and color of this short-season variety.

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Today’s the day! (That’s Friday, February 4th.) Large ORGANIC Hass avocados are on sale for 5 for $5! Whether you buy 1, 5 or 25, you’ll get that rich taste and creamy texture at a great value. Perfect for your famous guacamole and more!

Stock up and if you have more than you can eat, you can freeze mashed ripe avocados to have a supply on hand for impromptu guacamole or a delicious vegetarian filling for enchiladas. To prepare for freezing, peel and de-seed the avocados. Mash with a fork and add one teaspoon of lime or lemon juice per avocado and mix well.

Use a freeze-weight locking plastic bag and fill with the mashed avocado. Remove most of the air from the bag, leaving just a bit of room for expansion. Close and freeze. It’s helpful to mark the date on the bag as frozen mashed avocado needs to be used within five months. Thaw the frozen avocados in the refrigerator or place the bag in a bowl of cool water to accelerate thawing.

xx = Amount of savings varies by store

That’s right! Super delicious, large ORGANIC Hass avocados are on sale this Friday only, February 4th, for 5 for $5! Whether you buy 1, 5 or 25, you’ll get that rich taste and creamy texture at a great value. Perfect for your famous guacamole and more!

The best way to tell if an avocado is ready to eat is to gently squeeze the fruit in the palm of your hand. Ripe, ready-to-eat avocados will be firm yet will yield to gentle pressure. If you plan to serve avocados in a few days, stock up on hard, un-ripened fruit. To ripen avocados slowly, put them in the fruit bin of your refrigerator. They will be ready to eat in a couple of days and you can keep them for up to two weeks this way. For faster ripening, place avocados in a brown paper bag and set in your oven with only the oven light on. Once avocados are ripe, they may be refrigerated for up to two to three days.

xx = Amount of savings varies by store

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Today’s the day to get your Satsuma Mandarins for just 69 cents per pound (available in our stores in the U.S. and Canada.) These great tasting little citrus gems are at peak of season during the holidays. Super sweet, juicy, seedless and easy to peel, the Satsuma is a variety of Mandarin orange and a cousin to the Clementine. Grown in the San Joaquin Valley, the Satsuma’s annual harvest begins in November and the season is, well, short and sweet, just lasting six to eight weeks.

In addition to enjoying as a peel-and-eat snack, try some of these recipes to take advantage of Satsuma season and our one-day sale. They just might find their way to your holiday table!

XX = Amount of savings varies by store.

A wonderful appetizer or hors d’oeuvres for a holiday party, Two-Bite Shrimp Pancakes with Satsuma Relish are impressive and delicious.

One of our favorite winter salads, Celery Citrus Salad with Balsamic and Feta combines crunchy celery and delightful sweet, juicy citrus – a perfect recipe to show off Satsumas!

For a quick dessert that is perfect for the season, Panettone Parfaits are an easy layered treat with Satsumas delivering a burst of flavor in between toasted almonds, creamy vanilla yogurt and sweet, bready panettone.

Satsumas add a bright citrusy spark both in the dressing and in this fresh seasonal salad, Spinach Salad with Aduki Beans and Clementine Vinaigrette.

Enjoy the season with the season’s best!

Just as you’ve been getting ready for all the joys of the season, so have our Satsuma Mandarin growers! These great tasting little citrus gems are at peak of season during the holidays and to celebrate the season (both of them!), we’re having a special one-day sale this Friday, December 17^th, with Satsuma Mandarins for just 69 cents per pound (available in our stores in the U.S. and Canada).

Super sweet, juicy, seedless and easy to peel, the Satsuma is a variety of Mandarin orange and a cousin to the Clementine. Grown in the San Joaquin Valley, the Satsuma’s annual harvest begins in November and the season is, well, short and sweet, just lasting six to eight weeks.

Perfect for a peel-and-eat snack and to tuck into lunchboxes, this small-sized tangerine is just right for kids. In addition to being a deliciously sweet finish to a meal, it packs a citrusy burst of flavor in salads and savory dishes. Try some of these recipes to take advantage of Satsuma season and our one-day sale. They just might find their way to your holiday table!

XX = Amount of savings varies by store.

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With the holidays right around the corner, excitement is in the air around flowers. Our floral buyers are busy ensuring the right varieties and colors of the freshest flowers make their way to our stores, but we recently had the opportunity to meet someone who reminded us that flowers can mean so much more.

Gladys, a worker from a Fair Trade certified farm that supplies our Whole Trade Guarantee roses, came to our headquarters in Austin, Texas last month. Our produce team from across the country had gathered for a meeting, and Gladys shared her story with us.

Gladys has worked at Agrocoex, one of our Whole Trade partner farms in Ecuador, for 17 years. She explained that at Agrocoex she is able to participate in decision making and feels comfortable to express herself and her opinions. Women make up about 60% of the workforce at the farm and are valued for their work. Gladys and her coworkers have all have received training in labor rights, project development, negotiation skills and management.

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As part of our Fall into Organics celebration, organic Honeycrisp apples will be just $1.49 per pound in all stores today, Friday, October 29th!

XX = Amount of savings and grower sources vary by stores. But you can bet it’s a heck of a deal regardless!

Sound the alarm! As part of our Fall into Organics celebration, organic Honeycrisp apples (one of the most anticipated fruits of the season!) will be just $1.49 per pound in all stores on Friday, October 29th! That’s a heck of a deal of 50% off!

While the apple is an age-old autumn favorite, Honeycrisp is hot on the scene. A hybrid of Macoun and Honey Gold apples developed by the University of Minnesota, Honeycrisps have been on the market for less than a decade. Even so, they’ve gained serious accolades for their outstanding, sweet taste and explosively crisp and juicy texture. In fact, Wall Street Journal named the Honeycrisp “The New Apples of Farmers’ Eyes,” and the Boston Globe touts it as a “…everyone’s new favorite.” Read the rest of this entry »

This week’s peak pick for our Fall into Organics celebration is a classic recipe favorite, Butternut Squash. Winter squash, also known as hard squash, is available in a variety of shapes, colors and sizes but Butternut is amongst the most common. Butternut is a versatile veggie with sweet, nutty taste similar to that of pumpkin. It is perfect for mashing, baking, pureeing and cubing. Here are a few of our latest favorite ways to enjoy Butternut:

• Butternut Squash and Kale Salad
• Classic Butternut Squash Soup
• Butternut Squash with Wilted Spinach and Blue Cheese

Butternut squash is available domestically most of the year and grown all over the country, but fall is a peak time to enjoy it. (Check with your local store, there is a good chance you will find locally grown squash!)

When shopping, look for squash that are firm, heavy for their size, and that have hard, tough skin. Winter squash can be stored at room temperature in a cool, dry place for a month or more, so don’t be shy about stocking up while it is at its best!

The variety of growing regions makes the list of organic butternut growers that we love a long one; but here is one of the many that we want to thank! Thank you, Justin Trussoni and Organic Valley for supplying our stores in the Midwest with tasty organic squash!

At 24, Justin Trussoni is one of a growing number of second-generation organic farmers who are taking on the project of growing the world’s food with enthusiasm and energy. Justin started out on three-and-a-half acres which he leases from his father. “I didn’t know anything about it then,” he chuckles. He asked a number of other farmers for advice. In the Organic Valley farmers’ co-op, collaboration and information sharing is valued, so Justin had good support from the start (a fact that helps explain why young farmers like Justin succeed). Eventually, through trial and error, he developed his own system that’s a hybrid of what he learned from others and in the field. Read the rest of this entry »

Our Fall into Organics celebration is well underway, and our favorite pick for this week is Bartlett Pears. Known for their quintessential “pear flavor,” Bartletts are aromatic, sweet and juicy with a soft, smooth texture.

Grown domestically in California, Washington State and locally in many regions, organic Bartlett pears are available domestically from August through December. Bartlett pears turn from a bright green to mild yellow and yield to gentle pressure as they ripen. They are perfect for eating out of hand or cooking; here are a few recipes that we think are perfect for the season! Read the rest of this entry »