1) Avoid double dipping:  using a clean knife or spoon every time you scoop out of the jelly jar.  Bits of butter or peanut butter in the jelly is not desireable and may lead to spoilage.

2) Keep the jar rim is clean of jelly or crumbs.

3) Securely tighten the jelly jar lid after each use.  Make sure the rubber lip is sealed tightly again the glass rim. 

And always refrigerate your jelly after breaking the seal. 

Instead of buying seven different varieties of flavored yogurt and having to do a balancing act to get them stacked in the fridge - go the more economical route.  Buy a big container of plain or vanilla yogurt and blend in a heaping tablespoon of your favorite jelly variety to add flavor and a little sweetness to your yogurt. 

There are also muffin recipes that call for a dollup of jelly in each muffin.  You can even mix & match the varieties so it will be a flavorful surprise every time!

Try the Apricot or Peach Jam as a glaze on your next pork roast.

Add a spoonfull of jelly to your oatmeal in the morning. 

Blend some jam with olive oil and vinegar for a unique vinaigrette.

Share your favorite jam & jelly uses with us!

Apples will keep well in a our regular storage which is a large walk-in cold storage.  We keep the storage at about 32-34 degrees Fahrenheit and keep the humidity high (to prevent the skin from shriveling).  This is one way that we store apples over the winter.

Another way that we store apples (and Asian Pears) is in a Controlled Atmosphere (CA) storage.  During harvest season we fill our CA storage room from floor to ceiling and from wall to wall.  Once the room is filled, the door is closed and sealed air-tight.  Then for a couple of days we run a compressor which pulls all of the oxygen out of the atmosphere - hence we are controlling the atmosphere (CA).

So, why oxygen?  What does it do to the apples?  Oxygen allows the fruit to respire (or breathe).  When an apple respires it is maturing and ripening.  The maturity and ripening process of the apple is suspended without oxygen in the CA storage room.

We take great measures to pick our fruit at the peak of ripeness for you to enjoy.  Because of the ripeness of fruit, it is especially important for us to have ideal storage conditions to prolong the storage life of apples and pears.

When you eat apples throughout the winter on through the early summer, it is most likely because the apples were stored in a CA storage (or they were grown in the southern hemisphere if you are purchasing from a supermarket).

CA storage is not an uncommon technology in the apple industry.  Many large growers and packers for grocery stores use CA technology.  However, Kuhn Orchards is unique in the fact that we are a relatively small fruit grower but saw the value in constructing a CA storage; we constructed our CA storage in 1980. 

Sunchokes store best in a Kuhn Orchards perforated apple bag and should be kept in the refrigerator.  They do have the tendency to discolor (similar to an apple), but if you treat them with a little lemon juice or cider vinegar after slicing, it should prevent the pink discoloration. 

We bring Sunchokes to market twice a year.  They grow all summer long, and we will harvest some in late October and early November (hence making a great Thanksgiving soup!).  And then we will "store" the sunchokes over the winter months by leaving them in the soil, and will harvest them again in the spring months before they begin to grow (again, being a welcoming sign of spring). 

Sunchokes are a tuber that store their carbohydrates as inulin (fructose) instead of starch (sucrose), and are good for diabetics.  Sunchokes are said to be an excellent source of iron, and can have up to three-times more iron than a serving of broccoli.  The are also a good source of vitamin B and C.   

Pick up some sunchokes at market and try something new this week!

Every year in May, tucked away in the Fruit Belt of Adams County fruit growers prepare for the annual Apple Blossom Festival.  The Adams County Fruit Growers Association has been hosting this festival for 57 years now and it is a wonderful family event.  This is a great opportunity for Kuhn Orchards customers to come to our "neck of the woods" and see where your favorite fruits and veggies are grown.  We live in the spectacular South Mountain Range which is ideal for growing apples, peaches and more.  All along the hillside, you can see orchards for miles, and it is breathtaking.  We hope you will take some time out of your busy schedule, and come north to Pennsylvania to attend the Apple Blossom Festival!  

The Apple Blossom Festival is located at the South Mountain Fairgrounds north of Gettysburg.  The Festival is Saturday and Sunday May 5th & 6th from 9am until 5pm.  There is ample free parking, admission is $5 for adults, children under 12 are free.  Details for the Apple Blossom Festival are at www.appleblossomfestival.info. 

The schedule for the weekend is packed!  There will be band performances, a Crunch Quest scavenger hunt for the kids, puppet shows and magic shows, Orchard Bus Tours with Fruit Growers as your hosts, all sorts of fair food, the Coronation of the 2012 Pennsylvania Apple Queen, and much much more.  It is sure to be a spring time event you and your family will look forward to year after year!  

Of course, since May 5th and 6th is also the FIRST WEEKEND OF MARKETS, we still want to see you at your regular Saturday and Sunday Farmers Markets!!  So if you shop with us on Saturday, make plans to come to the Apple Blossom Festival on Sunday, and vis-a-versa if you are a Sunday shopper! 

We are very excited to be bringing  the first of our tender tips of asparagus to market.  We will have asparagus bunches at our Frying Pan Farm Park Farmers Market (Thursdays) and Palisades Farmers Market (Sundays).  Our CSA customers who have been receiving boxes of produce and goodies all winter will be receiving a bunch of asparagus in their CSA box too!  

Asparagus.................................. mid-April to early June
Rhubarb...................................... early May to mid-June
Strawberries............................... mid-May to mid-June
Radishes..................................... late May to early July
Scallions..................................... late May to mid-June
Garlic Scapes............................. early June
Beets............................................. mid-June to early July
Leeks............................................ mid-June to mid- July
Sweet Cherries.......................... mid-June to mid-July
Red Raspberries....................... mid-June thru mid-Oct.
Gooseberries.............................. late June/early July
Blueberries................................. late June to early August
Sour Cherries............................. late June to mid-July
Currants...................................... late June/early July
Artichokes.................................. late June to early August
French Filet Beans.................... late June thru Sept.
Carrots......................................... late June thru late July
Black Raspberries.................... early July
Apricots...................................... early July to late July
Sauce Apples............................. early to late July
Shallots....................................... early July thru May
Blackberries............................... early July thru mid-Sept.
Peaches....................................... early July thru late Sept.
Plums.......................................... early July thru mid-Sept.
Nectarines.................................. mid-July thru late August
White Nectarines..................... mid-July to mid-September
White Peaches........................... mid-July to mid-September
Onions......................................... mid/late July thru May
Cherry Tomatoes...................... late July thru mid-October
Flat Peaches............................... late July to early August
Garlic........................................... late July thru May
Everbearing Strawberries...... late July thru October
Tomatillos.................................. late July thru September
Bitter Melon............................... late July thru September
Fennel.......................................... July/August
Heirloom Tomatoes................ early August to late Oct.
Melons......................................... August
Okra............................................. mid-August thru Sept.
Apples......................................... mid-August thru Nov.
Peppers....................................... mid-August thru October
Asian Pears................................ late August thru Nov.
Pears............................................ early Sept. to mid-October
Table Grapes............................. early to mid-September
Pumpkins/Winter Squash .. mid-Sept. thru February
Chestnuts................................... late Sept. thru Nov.
Quince......................................... mid to late October
Sunchokes.................................. late Oct. - Nov., Mar. - May
Storage Apples.......................... November thru July

Early Blush - A new early variety. Medium size with orange-red blush over a golden background.
Goldrich - Large oval fruit with bright, shiny orange color. Flesh is firm, fine textured and deep orange.
Harogem - Medium fruit with bright red blush over orange skin. Flesh is firm, and freestone.
Hargrande - Very large fruit, yellow-orange in color. Flesh is firm, orange and freestone.

If apricots are soft, juicy, and fragarant, eat them the same or next day.  They will keep in the refrigerator for up to one week.  Cook apricots just long enough to soften them, for they are mushy if over cooked.