- About Us
- Our Fruit
Cherries
The cherry, spring’s first fruit, has been cultivated since about 300 B.C. and was named for the Turkish town of Cerasus. For centuries the cherry tree has been valued for its beauty and succulent fruit. In the United States sweet cherries are grown primarily in Washington, Oregon, and California—with Washington producing over 50% of the country’s cherries—and secondarily in Michigan, New York, Utah, and a few other states. Here in California, under the brilliant, hot sun, sweet cherries are grown in the perfect climate, making our ‘Bings’, a luscious dark red, super sweet cherry, the iconic cherry of your dreams. Available varieties: Brooks, Rainier, and Bing.
Brooks
These are our first cherries off the tree and absolutely delicious. The ‘Brooks’ variety was created at U.C. Davis and in that sense is very “California.” These soft and delicate cherries are high in sugar with mild acidity and superb fruit texture. Mid-May to early June.
Bing
As Farmer Al says, “Bing is King” of cherries! ‘Bing’ cherries are the sweetest and juiciest variety, making them the most popular and commonly grown cherry in California today. Developed in the 1870s, ‘Bings’ are firm, juicy, and are a deep mahogany-red when ripe. Exceptionally large with an intensely sweet, vibrant flavor, ‘Bing’ has become the standard to which all other varieties are compared. Late May to late June.
Rainier
These delicate beauties have such a sweet taste and which loves to show off their creamy-yellow flesh. Created in 1952 at Washing ton State University through a cross between the ‘Bing’ and ‘Van’ varieties, the ‘Rainier’ cherries are considered the “cream of the crop” by many cherry aficionados. Late May to mid June.
Apricots
Truly from the cradle of civilization, the Apricot was first grown in ancient India around the year 3000 BC. Ancient Greeks called them “the golden eggs of the sun.” By the 16th century, apricots were successfully cultivated throughout Northern Europe. In the Middle East, where apricots are used extensively both fresh and dried, the fruit’s brief season became the source of an Egyptian saying, “Fel meshmesh” or “in the apricot,” used much as English speakers would say “once in a blue moon.” In other words, something is “fel meshmesh” when it’s unlikely to happen because the time for it is so brief. Here at Frog Hollow Farm we say, “don’t blink or you’ll miss ‘em.” Available varieties: Honeyrich, Robada, Orangered, and Goldensweet.
Honeyrich Aprium
This hybrid fruit looks and tastes a lot like an apricot, but it’s actually a cross between an apricot and a plum. Its genetic makeup is roughly ¾ apricot and ¼ plum- just the opposite of the pluot, also a Floyd Zaiger creation. Due to its sweetness and juiciness, the ‘Honeyrich’ aprium has become a popular early summer fruit, especially in California. Mid May to early June.
Robada Apricot
When the ‘Robadas’ are ready to pick, you know our stone fruit season has arrived. The ‘Robada’ has a particularly vibrant color that makes the fruit glow on the trees, almost like tiny Japanese lanterns lit from within. Large in size, this apricot provides a robust eating experience. Late May to early June.
‘Orangered’ Apricot
Developed at Rutgers University by Leon Hough, ‘Orangereds’ have a very limited harvest season – sometimes as short as just a few days when at their peak. The flesh of our ‘Orangereds’ is richly scented and particularly delicious. Late May to early June.
Golden Sweet Apricot
Whatever it lacks for in size, it more than makes up for in flavor. This California born and bred Apricot has a brilliant golden orange skin and soft blush with a rich apricot flavor. They are similar to the ‘Blenheim’ apricot – firm and delicious – and by far our sweetest apricot. Mid June to early July.
Peaches
A sweet and fragrant peach, ripe enough to drip juice down your chin, is one of the joys of summer. Native to China, legends tell of this fruit’s power to confer immortality and how this fruit, not surprisingly, was treasured by ancient Emperors. A horticulturist by the name of George Minifie supposedly brought the first peaches from England to the USA in the early seventeenth century, planting them at his Estate of Buckland in Virginia. Peaches now grow throughout the world’s temperate regions, but grow best in Brentwood’s Mediterranean climate. Farmer Al long ago adopted the Cal Red as the farm’s signature peach. Available varieties: Gold Dust, Flavorcrest, Suncrest, Redtop, Zee Lady, Opal (white), Summerset, O’Henry, August Flame, Cal Red, Autumn Flame.
Gold Dust
A great early peach and one of our all-time favorites, the ‘Gold Dust’ has a soft, melting flesh with the juiciness we all crave. It’s a peach with high sugar, low acidity, and delicate flavor—a little on the sweet side. Mid June to late June.
Flavorcrest
A classic California peach with a beautiful crimson red blush on yellow background. ‘Flavorcrest’ is the third most widely planted fresh-market peach in California and is picked late June thru early July.
Suncrest
One of the best peaches of all time and a Slow Food Ark heritage variety! The ‘Suncrest’ peach brings you that old-fashioned taste of days gone by. Gently tapered, with a rich yellow skin swirled with deep red and a firm but juicy yellow flesh, ‘Suncrests’ provide that “eat over the sink” experience! Early July to mid July. Sink not included.
Red Top
The ‘Red Top’ is large with skin color that is almost fully blushed red over yellow. They are one of the first freestone varieties to reach the market. This is a firm and fine-grained freestone and known for its consistently good flavor. Available in early July.
Zee Lady
Another gem from the Zaiger fruit-breeding programs in Modesto, CA, the ‘Zee Lady’ is a good size peach with bright red over yellow skin color. She’s a beauty! Available approximately mid July to late July.
Summer Lady
First discovered in a commercial orchard in Fresno in 1982, the Summer Lady peach is an early-ripening variant of the well-balanced and pleasantly aromatic O’Henry peach. Slightly rounder, with deep-red burgundy streaks at maturity, Summer Lady peaches ripen 7-10 days earlier than the O’Henry, giving us a preview of coming attractions each summer!
Opal
There are peaches and then there are white ‘Opal’ peaches. As you know, most peaches—at least the ones you find at farmers markets and the like—are yellow fleshed. They have that classic peach flavor and texture with balanced sugar and acids. White ‘Opal’ peaches, on the other hand, are white as New Mexico desert sands with super-high sugar content and very low acidity so that the sweetness comes through two-fold. A dessert peach if there ever was one, and Opal is truly a gem. Opalescent, pink-blushed skin over mild white flesh with hints of vanilla. Late July to early August.
O’Henry
The ‘O’Henry’ has it all – flavor, size, and a beautiful red color with purple crimson. Elegantly pointed shape with downy-soft skin, this is Farmer Al’s favorite peach to grill. Late July to mid August.
August Flame
‘August Flame’ does not belie its name. With a bright red blush over yellow/orange background – it’s no wonder where this peach got its name. The ‘Autumn Flame’ peach is characterized principally as an attractively colored, high quality, late season peach. Yet as attractive as it may be, its flavor is even more phenomenal. Early to late August.
August Lady
This is a late variety freestone with late maturing, high quality fruit which is a firm, flavorful fruit with a rich, red color, crisp flesh texture at commercial maturity large,. In particular, it has long been known that it is desirable to provide a peach that bears fruit during a portion of the season later than other varieties of peach. Welcome August Lady! This is a natural offspring of Summer Lady. Ripens mid August.
Cal Red
Yes… the infamous ‘Cal Red’! In a class by itself, this is the “Oh My God” peach! Yet, the ‘Cal Red’ is a relative newcomer to the world of peaches. This California-born, late-summer hybrid was bred by University of California botanist Claron O. Hesse in the mid-1960s. Like its Golden State namesake, the ‘Cal Red’ boasts a rich, golden background color marked with a gentle, sun-kissed red blush. Many people mark their calendars for the ‘Cal Red’ arrival. You should, too. Mid to late August.
Summerset
The ‘Summerset’ is a very large and very yellow peach with almost no red blush. This fine late season yellow freestone, ripens early September in northern California. Excellent for canning, freezing or fresh use. You’ll enjoy its classic peach flavor. Late to early September.
Autumn Flame
The ‘Autumn Flame’ has a firmer texture which softens nicely when aged properly on the kitchen counter. Early to late September.
Nectarines
Nectarines are peaches with smooth, fuzzless skin, even though they are regarded commercially as different fruits. They were once erroneously believed to be a hybrid of peaches and plums. As with peaches, nectarines can be white or yellow, and clingstone or freestone. On average, nectarines are slightly smaller and sweeter than peaches, but with much overlap in fruit qualities. The lack of skin fuzz can make nectarine skins appear more reddish than those of peaches, contributing to the fruit’s plum-like appearance. The history of the nectarine is unclear; the first recorded mention in English is from 1616, but they had probably been grown much earlier within the native range of the peach in central and eastern Asia. Available varieties: Ruby Diamond, Ruby Grand, Fantasia, Flavortop, Summer Flare, Summer Fire, August Fire.
Ruby Grand
Deep yellow skin splashed with red over yellow flesh, the ‘Ruby Grand’ is a large nectarine both intense and fragrant. The firm, yellow, melt in your mouth fruit is good for fresh eating, canning, freezing and drying. Many feel the ‘Ruby Grand’ is the best fruit we grow. Mid July.
Ruby Diamond
Farmer Al describes the ‘Ruby Diamond’ as our best early-season nectarine, medium sized with a tangy-sweet yellow flesh and a crimson skin. Mid season, yellow flesh, freestone variety and very good eating quality. Early July.
Flavor Top
‘Flavortop’ nectarines, with their succulent, firm yellow flesh and bright red-and-yellow skin, hold up well sliced in a fruit salad or warmed on the grill. One of the highest scoring nectarine varieties in regional fruit tastings. One of the very best! Mid to late July.
Fantasia
Here’s an old variety with red marbled skin over deep, golden, meltingly smooth flesh. The Fantasia is a large, egg-shaped nectarine with an amazingly sweet and tangy taste. Mid to late July.
Summer Fire
The ‘Summer Fire’ is a sensational nectarine – not as juicy as the others but they’re firm, meaty, and packed with a red-wine intensity. Early to mid August.
Emeraude
Sugar-sweet and alluring, the ‘Emeraude’ nectarine features fuschia skin over juicy white flesh. Late June to early July.
August Fire / August Red
The ‘August Fire’ and ‘August Red’ nectarines are our lightest late summer variety. Tall, rich, and red with bronzed red skin over yellow-orange flesh. Mid August to early September.
Summer Flare
‘Summer Flare’ nectarines are large, large, large! These nectarines have are solid red with a hint of yellow in the background. Early to mid-July.
Plums
The plum fruit Prunus armeniaca gained its name from the beliefs of Pliny the Elder, a Roman historian and scientist of the 1st century, that the plum originated in Armenia. Other historians point to Mesopotamia as a clue. Armenian sources support their claims by referring to a 6,000-year-old apricot pit found in an archaeological site near Yerevan. These days we think of Frog Hollow plums as the wine-fruit and no matter where they came from originally, we think those grown right here in Brentwood excite even the stodgiest Roman historian. Available Varieties: Santa Rosa, Emerald Beaut.
Santa Rosa Plum
The ‘Santa Rosa’ plum, as you might have guessed from the name, is one of the true stars bred by famed California horticulturist Luther Burbank at his plant-breeding research center in Santa Rosa. Red-skinned with a purple bloom and amber flesh flushed with red, the ‘Santa Rosa’ is plump plum perfection: sweet with a bit of tartness in the skin, with good texture and lots of juice. These are our favorite plums of summer. Late June to early July.
Emerald Beaut Plum
This is one delicious and unusual late season plum. Ripe fruit holds on the tree longer than any other stone fruit-two months or more. It continues to sweeten, becoming exceptionally sweet, but it remains crisp and crunchy! The ‘Emerald Beaut’ has green skin, which gets yellower as it fully ripens and yellow/orange freestone flesh. Mid to late September.
Pluots
A funny thing happened on the way to the farm. One day somebody decided to cross (yet again) a plum and an apricot and a see what came out the other end. That someone was the iconic late 20th century fruit breeder Floyd Zaiger. The pluot is a complex cross-hybrid of plum and apricot, being 2/3 plum and 1/3 apricot in parentage. Remember the Aprium? It is like that, but turned around. Mr. Zaiger has come up with apriums, pluots, nectarplum, nectarcot, peacotum, and most recently the cherum. But it is the pluot that is most recognizable to the fruit eating public. Its exterior resembles a plum fairly closely. Its insides are like Heaven. Available Varieties: Dapple Dandy, Flavor King, Flavor Heart, Flavor Fall, Flavor Treat.
Dapple Dandy
Often dubbed “dinosaur eggs”, these sweet ‘n’ juicy customer favorites have marbled pink and green skin over white and rose-pink flesh that resemble dinosaur eggs when fully ripe. Great for eating out of hand or making open faced tartlets or Galettes. Mid-July to early August.
Flavor King
Undeniably the best pluot variety we grow! The dark fruit has a red flesh with an intense rich, fruit punch flavor combined with sweet, spicy tones similar to a ‘Santa Rosa’ plum but with the acid bite! ‘Flavor Kings’ are great to eat on a fruit plate and great for baking. Early to mid-August.
Flavor Heart
Large, heart shaped, dark purple. Deep meaty yellow flesh, sweet with low-acid. Early to mid August.
Flavor Fall & Flavor Treat
These large, late-season pluots with reddish-purple skin over yellow flesh. These pluots are meaty, beaty, juicy and bouncy end to the season. Available late September-mid October.
Pears
There are three pear species that account for the vast majority of pear production: the European Pear (Pyrus communis) cultivated mainly in Europe and North America, the Chinese white pear (Pyrus × bretschneideri), and the Nashi Pear (Pyrus pyrifolia)—also known as Asian Pear or Apple Pear—the latter two grown mainly in eastern Asia. We grow the former and latter types here at the farm, (there are hundreds of cultivars in each of these two categories), including Frog Hollow’s famous ‘Warren’ pear. Although not nearly as popular as our stone fruit, our pears in their own right rival the stone fruit in overall eating quality. The ‘Warren’ pear especially has that soft, silky texture of our finest peaches but with pear flavors and aromas. The ‘Warren” pear is the “official” pear of Frog Hollow Farm. Available varieties: Shinseiki, Shinko, Hosui, Taylor’s Gold, Golden Russet Bosc, Warren.
Asian Pear
Also called “apple pears,” Asian pears are often described as having the texture (and shape) of an apple combined with the taste of a pear. Botanically, though, they’re true pears, native to China and Japan. While some are smooth-skinned, the majority have a skin that’s thicker and rougher than a typical European pear, in shades ranging from pale yellow to deep tan.
Shinseiki
Yellow with skin that is clear, the medium-sized ‘Shinseiki’ pears are crisp, the white flesh is juicy, and there’s a bit of sweetness and a touch of tartness. This is a refreshing pear no one should miss. Mid August to late August.
Hosui
Popular in Japan and California, the ‘Hosui’ pears are very round. Mild in flavor, they’re juicy, crunchy and sweet with a little tartness. August to mid September.
Shinko
Large Asian pear. Round, slightly flattened shape. Skin is bronzy-brown with brown russeting. Flesh is yellowy-white with a sweet, subtle rich flavor, and juicy. One of last pears to pick. Golden color, butter-scotch note to flavor. Beginning mid-September.
European Pear
The enormous number of varieties of the cultivated European pear (Pyrus communis subsp. communis), are without doubt derived from one or two wild subspecies (P. communis subsp. pyraster and P. communis subsp. caucasica), widely distributed throughout Europe, and sometimes forming part of the natural vegetation of the forests. Even though pear cultivation originated in cool, temperate climates, pear production is found throughout the world in a wide range of climates. In the United States, pears are grown from the Deep South to the temperate Pacific northwest to the frigid upper Midwest.
Warren
Once known as the Post Office pear of Hattiesburg, MS, it later gained the name Warren after its ‘founder,‘ Thomas Oscar Warren. It has a classic European, soft texture, juicy, that’s very sweet, and silky. It’s never caught on commercially because of how difficult it is to grow. In fact, we’re one of two commercial growers of ‘Warren’ pear. Here at Frog Hollow, it is Farmer Al’s favorite pear—Al has never shied away from growing anything that tasted great. Great in salads, in sandwiches, great with cheese. Many folks think it the best fruit on the planet to eat with cheese. Beginning mid-August.
Golden Russet Bosc
The ‘Bosc’ pear is reputed to have first sprung to life as a wild seedling in the orchards of France or Belgium in the mid-18th century. It was introduced to the US in 1836, and is also been known as the Kaiser Alexander. Now, the ‘Golden Russet Bosc’ is a sport of the Bosc. Its flesh is yellowish-white and its skin a uniform golden russet (hence the name) with the classic ‘Bosc’ shape—a long, long neck. It is a beautifully decorative pear that’s available beginning mid-September.
Seckel
Even older than the ‘Bosc’ (at least in its described origins) and immensely smaller. The diminutive ‘Seckel’ was discovered as a wild seedling near Philadelphia in 1817. Also known as sugar pears, this pear is green with dark-red blush or nearly all red in some cases. It is very very sweet, with low (almost no) acid. Juicy, fine fleshed. Beginning mid-September.
Taylor’s Gold
‘Taylor’s Gold’ is believed to be either a natural mutation of the ‘Comice’ pear variety, or even a cross between the ‘Bosc’ and the ‘Comice’. It was first discovered in 1986 by Michael King-Turner in his Riwaka orchard near Nelson, New Zealand. A sweet, juicy, tender pear with a cinnamon-colored rough skin and speckled gold flush. This is the largest of all pears. Great for holidays. Available early September.