FRESH-PICKED APRICOTS AND PEACHES -- SO-O-O DELICIOUS RIGHT OFF THE TREE -- AND PART OF A LOW CARBON DIET

Ruth Sandra Sperling
RSS Designs In Fiber - Internet Shop of Handmade Items





LOOK GOOD, DON'T THEY!!??

BOY - ARE THEY!!

This is a picture of just a few of the apricots and peaches I picked myself yesterday locally - just a few miles from where I live!!

Actually, I went a little "wild" -- I picked right around 16 pounds of apricots and peaches!!!!

I went to a local U-PICK orchard in the Antelope Valley of Southern California - where they have about 16 acres of different fruit trees.

This is the beginning of the season -- and right now they have ripe on their trees apricots and the first crop of peaches (sorry - I don't remember the names of the varieties).

I just love apricots -- and they only have them for 3-4 weeks every year, so when I pick them, I pick a bunch. After few days, when I have eaten what I can so far, I take some of the rest (before they spoil) and cut them in half and take the pit out and put them in the freezer.

Then I have them through the summer for as long as they will last!! They make a great cold summer snack - alone or with some other foods such as yogurt or in a fruit salad or in a mildly hot (with jalapeno peppers, a little onion and celery) fruit salsa!!

So-o-o delicious!!

So-o-o much better than anything you can buy in the grocery stores!!

AND - THIS IS PART OF EATING A LOW CARBON DIET -- AS THERE IS MINIMAL, IF MUCH OF ANY, CONTRIBUTION TO GREENHOUSE GASES IN GETTING THEM!!! THIS IS WHY:

1. PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION TO AND FROM THE ORCHARD!!
2. NO PACKAGING - PICKED RIGHT OFF THE TREE - PUT IN A REUSED BOX TO TAKE HOME!!
3. NO TRANSPORTATION BY THE SELLER AS I PICK IT AND PAY FOR IT IN THEIR ORCHARD!!

SO - ANOTHER PLUS POINT - HEALTHY FOR ME, HEALTHY FOR THE PLANET - GOT TO INCLUDE THE FACT THAT IT SUPPORTS A HETEROGENEOUS ORCHARD OF DIFFERENT SPECIES OF FRUIT TREES WHICH, BELIEVE ME, I HAVE HEARD -- SUPPORTS A CERTAIN WILDLIFE POPULATION. 16 ACRES ISN'T ACTUALLY CONSIDERED BIG ENOUGH TO BE ECOLOGICALLY SIGNIFICANT -- BUT EVERYTHING HELPS -- ESPECIALLY MORE TREES!!

Whereever you live -- are there any U-PICK orchards where you can get lucious fruit that you pick for yourself right off the tree??? Check it out -- you might find some!!

Even if you have to drive there -- make it an outing with a bunch of people (carpooling) -- and stock up -- and have some fun!!!!!

Ruth