NEWS FROM TWIN SPRINGS FRUIT FARM

The view from the top of the farm; Gettysburg is off in the distance.
Highfield Silt Loam - The best fruit-ground on the planet

For what's at market this week please see below (Click here for locations and time).

CONTINUING BLUEBERRY SALE!

     Being as we are still picking huge numbers of our fabulous blueberries Twin Springs will continue to have a sale, especially with reference to the 12 pint (6 quart equivalent) flat price. While our retail price per pint will remain at $6.00, with a quart going at a discount for $11.00, the cost of a flat will be $60.00, for at least the coming week (through Friday 7/25); this makes pints only $5.00. We think that given our supply everyone will benefit from the bulk pricing.
     Please keep in mind what a superfood blueberries are, and how easy it is to freeze them for later, out of season use. It may also be a good opportunity to make pies and jam; pies may be frozen, should you have the space, and jam makes a wonderful gift, whether at the holidays or as a hostess gift at a dinner party - Time to be creative. 
     There is no loss of beneficial health effects from anthocyanin and other antioxidants when berries are cooked; as with tomatoes there are nutrients available in the cooked product which may not be available as easily to your body from the raw item. 
     The below recipe is a real favorite of ours; and I used to print it up to give out at market with our schedule printed on the back, not so much anymore, but here it is, and if you are clever with computers and printers perhaps you can figure out how to print it without all the rest of the newsletter. Cut and paste perhaps? or go to edit and use the "copy" function, to paste it somewhere for printing. One of these days I'll figure out how to make recipes more readily printable, but not today, unfortunately. Sounds like a winter project, along with a million other things.

Peach & Blueberry (and/or Blackberry) Crisp

INGREDIENTS
2 lbs. TSFF peaches (3-4) cut into wedges
2 cups Blackberries and/or Blueberries
1 Tbs. Cornstarch
2 Tbs. Fresh Lemon Juice
1/3 cup Sugar
2/3 cup Flour
3/4 cup Light Brown Sugar, firmly packed
1/2 cup Old Fashioned Rolled Oats
1/2 tsp. Salt
1 tsp. Cinnamon
1/2 tsp. Nutmeg (freshly grated is ideal)
3/4 stick (6 Tbs.) cold unsalted Butter
3/4 cup toasted pecans, coarsely chopped

INSTRUCTIONS
    In a large bowl, toss the peaches and berries gently with the cornstarch, lemon juice and sugar until well mixed.
    In a small bowl stir together the flour, brown sugar, oats, salt, cinnamon and nutmeg.
    Add the butter, blending the mixture until it resembles coarse meal, then stir in the pecans.
    Spread the peach mixture in a 13" x 6" (3 qt.) baking dish; sprinkle the pecan mixture evenly over it.
    Bake the crisp in the middle of a preheated 350F oven for 45 to 50 minutes, or until the top is golden brown.



 
 GARLIC
     It may, perhaps, fall below your radar, but we have been Garlic-less for quite some time, excepting for the scapes, now long gone. Well, the wait is over; we have dug and cured a few thousand heads. We don't care to sell it just out of the ground, while it still has excess moisture in it.

     After garlic is harvested it needs to be cured. In curing, the energy from the leaves goes into the bulbs as they dry. We remove any large chunks of dirt from the roots, being careful not to bruise the garlic; but we leave the roots on as they have a moderating effect on the drying rate. If you have a small amount you can spread them somewhere out of the sun and rain, to dry for a few days.

     You can tell when the garlic is ready to harvest when about half of the leaves have turned brown.  If you harvest too early, the cloves will not have developed fully and will not fill the skins and the bulbs will not store well. If you harvest too late, the bulbs will start to split and the cloves will come out of their skins.

     You may hang the plants, just twist some twine around the leaves to secure them, or lay them out where they are protected from sun and rain. We put our garlic inside in trays, one layer, underneath fans. The appropriate number of plants in a string depends on their size and moisture level at harvest. You want the circulating air to be able to reach all sides of all bulbs. Hang the strings out of direct light where it is warm with good air circulation - a temperature of 27�C (80�F) and two weeks drying time is ideal. This way the bulbs dry evenly and without spoilage. You want the wrappers to dry and the garlic to retain its moisture and oils.

     The ideal storage environment for garlic is in the 60s, at a pretty low humidity. Some of the dirt left on the skin is probably preferable to cleaning them up too far in advance. We have someone "clean up" the bulbs every week by rubbing off the dirt and the first couple of layers of loose skin, while pulling off most of the roots and placing them in trays for market. Keeping the supply of garlic in good shape for the next few months will be much easier once the new farm storage rooms are online.

     Remember Jo's* advice that fresh garlic should be allowed to sit, after being minced, crushed or pressed, for at least ten minutes prior to introducing it to any heat, as the allicin and other nutrients develop during that period and greatly enhance the health benefits of garlic.

 


Short and Sweet 
(Hey it's getting late, "Beer O'Clock")
Aubrey, and the gang

Here's generally what's at all our market
locations this week:
  • Sweet Cling Peaches! We will have plenty at all locations. At this time most of what we are picking is Garnet Beauty, a very pretty, juicy sweet peach. On the way home from Mt. Vernon when stopped to get diesel, I spoke with a fellow farm market attendee from a neighboring farm. She indicated, that being as she was Adams County born and raised, that she wouldn't touch a cling peach, choosing to wait till freestones were in season; this is something I have also heard from a small proportion of customers. I will only say that it is their loss, and that they are shortening an already short season by waiting for what may be almost a month to start eating peaches. I'm glad she's not selling our peaches; her heart just wouldn't be in it. Our hearts are; come out and get a sample.
  • Blueberries, as mentioned above this is a peak week and we will be selling 12 pint flats at a discount at all locations. They have never been better; please take advantage of the abundance.
  • Fresh Heads of Garlic will be at all locations starting this Saturday. They were dug a couple of weeks ago, and cured in the barn. I'm looking forward to not buying the stuff in the grocery store; either way I wouldn't be without them.
  • Manar Cucumbers - A good supply for the foreseeable future
  • Red Raspberries: We are having pretty good pickings and will certainly send some to all locations; however, we often sell out, so keep that in mind when planning your day.
  • Sweet Peppers, fully ripe, delicious and sweet - red, yellow and orange
  • White Carrots and Orange Carrots
  • Our greenhouse grown, vine ripened "Trust" Tomatoes are quite plentiful, and as delicious as ever.
  • Sungold, sweet orange cherry tomatoes and the very "tomatoey" Dasher red pear tomatoes are in good supply, being as the first of the field ones are starting to be picked.
  • Pink Lady Dried Apples, "Apple Snitz" as the Amish call it
  • Both "Orion" and "Neon" Eggplant, in very limited amounts
  • Arugula: finally back in somewhat good supply. I can't tell you how many customers are addicted to this, including my wife; and say they wouldn't even consider buying anyone else's version, preferring to go without rather than picking up a disappointing product.
  • We will have very limited amounts of both our Red Oakleaf and Green Buttercrunch Lettuces again this weekend, but I promise the staggered plantings in the new greenhouse are close to being ready, and supply should begin to match demand quite soon. We are aware that local field lettuce, from fellow farmers, is over with, being as outdoor lettuce won't tolerate hot weather, and had hoped to have it for you by now, but soon; I promise (barring a disaster). 
  • Twin Spring's Hot Pepper Jelly, Chipotle Ketchup, Marinara Sauce, Apple Butter and Apple Sauce. All may be purchased individually or by the 12 jar case for 10% off. You may hit "reply" to this email to let me know to have a case reserved for you.
At "OUR OWN" Market Locations:
  • Yes! - Joe's Sweet Corn, remember only at "Twin Spring Own Markets"
  • Local Cantaloupes as well as Red Watermelons
  • New Potatoes, Spring OnionsBroccoli, Radishes, Green and Gold Zucchini as well as Green and Golden Beans.
  • John Stoner will supply us with Eggplant, Herbs, Beets, Basil, Kale, and Mini Gourmet Patty Pan Squash.
  • We carry Kime's Tart Cherry Juice, a glass of which I'm finishing right now.
  • Fresh Hard Pretzels, both regular and whole wheat, baked right down the road in Gettysburg, so they are always fresh
  • Michelle's Granola, handmade and baked fresh in DC
  • Allen's fresh Eggs, both brown and white, from "free walking hens"
  • Twin Springs carries Ed's fresh local artisanal Cheeses: sharp cheddar, cheddar, smoked cheddar as well as smoked jalape�o; also available are his goat gouda and goat cheddar.
  • Jim Small's local wildflower Honey which is, of course, never heated more than necessary to flow during bottling, and which is completely unadulterated, sourced from the hives Jim keeps on our farm as well as other local farms.
  • Maple Syrup and Maple Sugar are available and are tapped and bottled on the Patterson Farm in Maryland.
  • McCutcheon's: jams, some fruit sweetened, ie. no cane sugar or corn syrup, and jellies as well as many other great products created right in Frederick Maryland
  • Baked Goods from the Stonehearth Bakery, also in Frederick, all items are baked "that" morning.  
 
 
or add a friend's email address to bug them about going to market to buy local stuff!