| Q. |
Are visits to the
ranch allowed? |
| A. |
Of course, but please schedule an
appointment at 831-637-1938. Many times we are out
doing our farmers markets. We are located at 930
Westside Road in Hollister, CA.
Click here for a MapQuest map. |
| Q. |
What is a California Blenheim apricot? |
| A. |
Simply put, the best tasting apricots in
the world! They are a rare (only 800 acres left in
the state) and flavorful apricot famous for its delicate
taste and superb dried flavor. This variety can only
be grown in a few places in the world including the Santa
Clara Valley. |
| Q. |
What is a slab apricot? |
| A. |
All the old-timers know that slabs are
the extra-ripe, fullest-of-sweetness kind of dried
apricot. Usually hand-cut and when placed on a tray
to dry, they lose their shape and "slab" out on the tray.
Often compared to fruit leather, slabs are the sweetest,
most intense flavor of our dried Blenheim apricot. |
| Q. |
What is a slip-pit apricot? |
| A. |
These are the biggest and most plump
Blenheim apricots dried whole. Then,
the pits are slipped-out and dried a few more days.
Few growers make slip-pits as they are a two-step labor of
love. The taste is superb! Plump like a pillow
with a stong "woody" flavor from the pit. The Cot
Queen says "Once you go slippies, you never go back!" |
| Q. |
Do you add sugar to
your dried apricots? |
| A. |
No. Our apricots obtain their
sweetness from naturally drying in the California sun! |
| Q. |
How long can dried apricots be stored? |
| A. |
Our dried apricots can last years in the
refrigerator or freezer...but, we want you to eat a bag a
week. That's all we ask! Seriously, our fruits
are all low in sulphur dioxide. We keep them
refrigerated and so should you. They'll last
unrefrigerated for about 4 months, but they will gradually
lose their bright color and turn darker. |
| Q. |
Do you carry certified organic products? |
| A. |
 Everything
we grow is grown organically. However, only our
walnuts and unsulphured apricots are CCOF Certified
organic. Certified organic products will have the
CCOF logo (right) next to them. |
| Q. |
What is the nutritional information for apricots? |
| A. |
Based on a serving size of approximately
6 dried apricots (42 g):
Calories
Total Fat
Saturated Fat
Cholesterol
Sodium
Total Carbohydrates
Dietary Fiber
Sugars
Protein
|
110
0g
0g
0mg
5mg
25g
2g
16g
1g |
|
Vitamin A 50%
• Vitamin C 0%
Calcium 2% •
Iron 10% |
|
More potassium than a
banana. |
|
| Q. |
What about apricot
pits (kernels, seeds, etc.)? |
| A. |
We save a lot of our pits for our
customers who want to crack them out and eat the kernels.
They are sun-dried and organic, of course. They
require some hammering to extract the inside kernel.
*Apricot pits are considered controversial because,
like apple seeds, they contain cyanide. However, they also contain
vitamin B-17 and Laetrile not found in any other food source. Please
use reasonable judgment when consuming this product. |
|
|
*Some markets we can attend only on a seasonal basis; not every
week. Some we do every other week and some September
through December. Please contact us at 831-637-1938 to
confirm.
Year-round Events
Santa
Cruz Community Farmer's Market, every Wednesday,
2:30 - 6:30, Lincoln & Cedar Streets
Saratoga Farmer's Market, every Saturday, 9:00 -
1:00, West Valley College.
Sunnyvale Farmer's Market, every Saturday, 9:00 -
1:00, South Murphy between Washington & Evelyn
Blossom
Hill Farmer's Market, every Sunday, 10:00 - 2:00,
Princeton Plaza Mall at Kooser & Meridian
Campbell Farmer's Market, every Sunday, 9:00 -
1:00, Campbell Avenue between Central & 1st Streets
Mountain View Farmer's Market, every Sunday, 9:00 -
1:00, Hope & Evelyn Streets
Moraga
Farmer's Market, every Sunday, 9:00 - 1:00,
Moraga Road and Moraga Way
Montclair Farmer's Market, every
Sunday, 9:00 -
1:00, LaSalle Avenue between
Mountain & Moraga in Oakland
Seasonal Markets
Morgan
Hill Farmer's Market, every Saturday, 9:00 - 1:00
from May through December,
3rd & Depot Streets in downtown
Felton
Farmer's Market, every Tuesday, 2:30 - 6:30 from
May through November, Felton Presbyterian Church
Los
Altos Farmer's Market, every Thursday, 4:00 - 8:00
from May through October, downtown Los Altos
Castro
Valley Farmer's Market, every Saturday, 9:00 -
1:00, May through October, Castro Valley BART Station
Redwood
City Farmer's Market, every Saturday, 8:00 - 12:00
from April through November
|
|
 Since l926, we have been
a family owned and operated business. As for apricots, our
parents, Frank and Mary Gonzales began farming them here in
Hollister when they were married 52 years ago. In addition,
they raised three children on the 120 acre ranch you see
pictured here.
Apricots and
walnuts have been farmed exclusively since their son, Gary,
returned from a stint in the Peace Corps in l971. Gary does
the farming, Patti, his wife, does the bookwork, Dad does the
never-out-of--retirement-Ramrodding, and the kids do the packaging
and labeling.
Our apricots are the
best in the world because they are HOME GROWN IN THE FLAVOR
ZONE. We raise only the Blenheim variety of apricot which
is a very delicate and perishable fruit. This is the kind of
cot that you cannot buy in the store. It is so fragile and
juicy that it cannot be transported well.
We cut and dry all our
cots within two days of harvest. We always tell people
"nothing tastes better than a Blenheim apricot grown in
the Santa Clara valley area". The Santa Clara valley once
famous for its fertile soil and delicious fruits, now grows
houses and freeways, so that leaves Hollister, at its remote
southern end, as the best place to grow this superb variety of
apricot. If you know your cots, there's no comparison!
 Our
ApricotKing cots are low
in sulphur, pesticide-free, and over-ripe. Apricots of
course are an excellent source of iron, potassium, and vitamin
A.
We really believe we
have the best quality, best-tasting, and best priced fruit on
the market. It has to be because it's ours and it's
HOME GROWN IN THE FLAVOR
ZONE!
|
