grower portal newsletter contact faq blog Sage Fruit About Our Fruit Recipes SCAVENGER HUNT Store Locator Blog Bio-Able Solutions June 7, 2021 by Sage Fruit Leave a Comment Sage Fruit Company of Yakima, Washington is excited to announce the launch of a new, Earth-friendly pouch bag beginning in June. During the 2021 cherry season, all Sage Fruit bulk, Organic Dark Sweet cherries will be packed in a Bio-Able Solutions bag. With increased consumer concerns over single-use plastic, as well as a heightened awareness of the availability of more sustainable options, Sage Fruit is actively seeking alternative solutions to traditional packaging. Unfortunately, traditional plastics do not rapidly degrade in our natural setting, and if they are not properly recycled, they build up in landfills, pollute the environment and disrupt our ecosystems. Bio-Able Solutions directly addresses plastic and food packaging sustainability. Enabled with bio-assimilation technology, these new bags are 100% recyclable and uniquely formulated to fully degrade in both marine and terrestrial environments, leaving behind zero micro-plastic waste. Key features of this new package include: ASTM 5526 certified ASTM 6954 Tier 1 certified FDA approved “We are very excited to roll out this new bag for our Organic Cherries, “Chuck Sinks, President of Sales and Marketing, stated. “We have been searching for some time for the right solution and when Kaci Komstadius, Social Media and Special Projects Coordinator for Sage Fruit, brought this bag to our attention, we were confident that she had found the answer. We look forward to getting this new bag to the marketplace this coming cherry season.” For more information regarding Sage Fruit’s Bio-Able pouch bags or their sustainability initiatives, contact the sales and marketing teams. Filed Under: Uncategorized Pears for the Holidays: DIY gifts with The Produce Moms & Sage Fruit December 24, 2020 by Sage Fruit Leave a Comment There’s no need for last minute gifts, during the holidays or otherwise, to be stressful or complicated. Follow along as Lori from the Produce Moms and Kaci from Sage Fruit demonstrate how to make easy, affordable and homemade gifts that everyone is sure to love. We’ve created a list of what you’ll need. Gather your ingredients and create these delightful gifts along with us! Slow Cooker Vanilla Spiced Pear Butter Yields 8, 8oz jars 7-8lbs pears (any variety) 1 lemon 1 orange 1 cup brown sugar 2 tsp vanilla extract 3/4 tsp cardamom (or allspice or clove) 3/4 tsp nutmeg (or pumpkin pie spice) 8oz jars DIY Gift Basket Pears the star of the show! Something Tall: Bottle of Wine or Sparkling Cider/Water, Bottle of Balsamic Vinegar, Jar of Honey, etc. Something Salty: Nuts, Pretzels, or Crackers Something Sweet: Dates, Candy, or Chocolates Something Savory: Cheese Wedge or Olives Tissue paper Gift Basket OR a Shoe Box + Gift Wrap For more gift basket tips, visit www.theproducemoms.com. Filed Under: Educational, Fresh Fruit, Holiday Recipes, Pears, Recipes WASHINGTON APPLE HARVEST August 7, 2020 by Sage Fruit Leave a Comment Apple harvest is in full swing in the Pacific Northwest! From August through the end of October, we’ll be hard at work picking all of your favorite varieties. Throughout the summer we’ve experienced mild temperatures. However, the warm days and cool nights have brought on good coloring of the fruit. The weather has also allowed for an earlier harvest than last year by 3-5 days. Popular varieties like Gala and Honeycrisp are some of the first off the trees, while our newest additions like Smitten and Cosmic Crisp will come later in September. At Sage Fruit, we specialize in growing both Conventional and Organic apples, which you can find at a store near you! We work hard on the farm, in the packing facilities, and in sales to deliver “An Exceptional Eating Experience!” **Note: Cosmic Crisp will not be in stores though, until late November 2020 Harvest Start Times: Variety Harvest Gala Early August Honeycrisp Late August Jonagold Mid September Fuji Mid September Golden Delicious Early August Granny Smith Late August Red Delicious Mid September Cosmic Crisp Mid September **Not available in stores until late Nov. Ambrosia Early August Smitten Late August Rome Mid September Cameo Mid September Braeburn Early August Pink Lady Late August DYK?: There are over 6500 apple varieties grown throughout the world? Here in the United States, we only grow a handful of them for commercial production. Recipes You’ll Love!… Apple Ring Pancakes Green Apple Smoothie Washington Apple Crisp See Also: Northwest Pear Harvest Filed Under: Apples, Educational, Farming, Fresh Fruit, Growing NORTHWEST PEAR HARVEST August 6, 2020 by Sage Fruit Leave a Comment Although our summer fruit season has come to an end, that doesn’t mean things slow down here in the Northwest. In fact, they’re just getting started! While cherries kick off our harvest season in June, we continue with apples and pears well into the fall. There are ten commercially grown pears in Washington and Oregon, but our main varieties include: Bartlett, Bosc, Green Anjou and Red Anjou. Bartletts are among the very first new crop fruit to come off the tree, with their harvest beginning in early August. Like apples, the different pear varieties are harvested at different times. 2020 Harvest Start Times: Variety Harvest Availability Bartlett Early August Available through January Red Anjou Late August Available through June Bosc Mid September Available through April Green Anjou Mid September Available nearly year-round Farming is a year-round job and we’re lucky to have the best growers out there! DYK?: Pears are picked when they are fully mature, but not yet ripe. They are one of the only fruits to ripen off the tree! To ripen pears, allow them to sit on your counter top at room temperature for 1-3 days. Check the Neck! to see if they are ready to eat – apply gentle pressure to the neck of the pear, and if it gives slightly, it is juicy and sweet and ready to eat! Why are pears considered a Winter fruit? Find out here. Recipes you may like… Pear Smoothie Pear & Pomegranate Salad Honey Baked Pears See Also: Washington Apple Harvest Filed Under: Educational, Farming, Fresh Fruit, Growing, Pears Tagged With: agriculture, availability, bartlett, bosc, D'Anjou, Farming, green anjou, harvest, pears, red anjou Pears on Pizza? Absolutely! September 18, 2019 by Sage Fruit Leave a Comment Step aside pineapple, there’s a new fruit pizza topping in town! It’s long been debated as to whether or not pineapple (fruit in general) belongs on pizza. Well, we’re here to add to that great debate, BUT instead of pineapple, we’re adding pears! Pears can be grilled or cooked, they pair well with cheese, and let’s be honest… Everything goes with bread! Hence why we’ve added them to one of our favorite foods. Now it’s time pineapples step aside for pears to triumph as the ultimate fruit to use as a pizza topping! We highly recommend giving one of the delicious recipes below a try. While you’re at it, enter for your chance to win a Gozney Roccbox mobile pizza oven. Our friends over at USA Pears are hosting a #PearPizza takeover from September 12, 2019-October 16, 2019. How to enter: Follow @USAPears on Instagram Take a picture of your #pearpizza – it can be your own creation OR a pizza you purchased. Share your photo to Instagram with #PearPizza and tag @USAPears Official Rules Pear & Walnut Flatbread with Gorgonzola, Arugula and Balsamic Glaze Grilled Pizzetta with Pears, Shaved Ham & Fresh Basil Filed Under: Fresh Fruit, Pears, Recipes Tagged With: contest, fresh fruit, pears, Pears. Seasonal Fruit, pizza Meet Sage Fruit Company January 25, 2019 by Sage Fruit 3 Comments Welcome to the beautiful Pacific Northwest, where tree fruit is our specialty! Get to know Sage Fruit Company as we take you through the process of growing, packing and shipping the world’s best apples, pears, cherries, peaches, apricots & nectarines. Filed Under: Apples, Cherries, Educational, Farming, Fresh Fruit, Growing, Peaches, Pears, Stone Fruit Tagged With: apples, apricots, cherries, Farming, fresh fruit, Growing, nectarines, Pacific Northwest, Packing Fruit, peaches, pears, Shipping Fruit Once Bitten… Forever Smitten! October 15, 2018 by Sage Fruit 48 Comments Have you tried a Smitten? Once bitten, you’ll be forever Smitten! The search for the next great eating apple began in New Zealand in 2005. By 2011, Smitten was introduced to the United States courtesy of Pegasus Premier Fruit. Today, only a few apple shippers across the country are responsible for the growing, packing and distributing of this unique variety within the domestic market – which includes Sage Fruit! Parentage Smitten is a cross pollination of Gala, Braeburn, Fiesta and Falstaff. Characteristics Smitten is a bi-colored, stripe apple. It has a bright, pink/red blush over a yellow background The flesh is both crunchy and juicy Smitten is a hardy apple that remains firm in refrigeration – it stores tremendously well! Flavor Profile Smitten has a perfectly well-balanced flavor. It is sweet, with a hint of tartness and complex aromatics. Curious yet? Head to your local grocer and pick some up! Let us know what you think. Can’t find them? Ask your produce manager. We’re also giving you an opportunity to enter for a chance to win a sample case of Smitten apples + $100 Amazon Gift Card! Click here for more details. Filed Under: Announcements, Educational, Fresh Fruit, Giveaways, Healthy Habits Tagged With: apples, giveaway, New Variety, Smitten #GetYourGrillOn Instagram Contest! August 17, 2018 by Sage Fruit Leave a Comment Summer is the perfect time for family cookouts, so #GetYourGrillOn with Summer Fruit! We’re hosting our first ever Instagram contest with The Produce Moms and we’re giving you a chance to win a new grill! Grilling peaches for dessert? We want to see it! How about fruit kabobs? Snap those pics! Head on over to our Instagram now and enter for a chance to WIN…1 Grand Prize Winner + 2 Weekly Winners! How to Enter: Follow @sage_fruit and @theproducemoms on Instagram Take a photo of your summer fruit on the grill, tag @sage_fruit & the @theproducemoms and use the #GetYourGrillOn hashtag. Like this post and tag a friend. Each new comment + friend tagged counts as an additional entry. Contest will close on Sunday, August 26th, 2018 at 11:59PM EST Open to US only…winner will be announced on Instagram on Monday, August 27th. Make sure your Instagram is set to PUBLIC, so we can view your post. Prizes: Weekly Prizes = Grill Accessories Grand Prize = Grill! (ARV: $300) Filed Under: Fresh Fruit, Giveaways Tagged With: contest, fresh fruit, grilling, Summer Fruit Northwest Stone Fruit Season July 31, 2018 by Sage Fruit 3 Comments This past spring, we welcomed a new growing and packing facility to the Sage Fruit Family. With this new warehouse (Vanguard Pride Packing), we added more apples and cherries to our inventory….but, we also added A LOT of Northwest grown stone fruit. So, as much as we enjoyed the summer before, we now have three more reasons to love it – apricots, peaches & nectarines! While our apricot season is already over, we are just getting started with peaches and nectarines. What is a stone fruit? Let’s first establish what a stone fruit is. Very simply, it is a fruit that contains a large “stone” (or pit) inside of it. Many people think the stone itself is the seed, however, the stone actually protects the seed, which is found inside of it. (Cherries are also considered stone fruit.) Our Stone Fruit Beginning this summer, we have both Conventional and Organic peaches and nectarines available. ALL of our peaches and nectarines are tree-ripened for the sweetest flavor! You might be asking yourself, “What does tree-ripened even mean?” Well, we allow the fruit to remain on the tree as long as possible in order for it to have the opportunity to reach its highest sugar content. We pride ourselves on delivery an exceptional eating experience, and know that the tree-ripening process in the most important aspect of our stone fruit growing. While we pick the fruit when it is still firm, we do not pick it when it’s green. So, you can eat it as soon as you get it home, or let it sit on the counter to soften up a bit. Types of Peaches Peaches have a delicate aroma, and a skin that is velvety. Depending on the pit, peaches are classified as either freestone or semi-cling varieties. A freestone peach can have its center stone easily removed from the flesh because it is not attached. In contrast, the center stone of a semi-cling peach is attached to the flesh. Freestone peaches are much more suitable for canning than semi-cling peaches, however there is no noticeable difference in flavor, and both are excellent for eating fresh! Additionally, the flesh of peaches can be different – we grow both white flesh and yellow flesh varieties. White Flesh: Extremely sweet! Yellow Flesh: Sweet and well-balanced flavor. Types of Nectarines Nectarines and peaches are closely related. However, they do have one visible difference, which is their skin. Peaches are velvety, whereas nectarines are smooth. Their skin is brightly colored gold with hues of ruby and pink throughout. All nectarine varieties are semi-cling. Like peaches, nectarines can either be yellow flesh or white flesh. The flavor profile of each, also follows similarly to peaches. White Flesh: Extremely sweet! Yellow Flesh: Sweet and well-balanced flavor. Availability Northwest grown Peaches: Mid-July through September Northwest grown Nectarines: Mid July through September Need help picking out the perfect fruit? Use the guide below! Filed Under: Educational, Fresh Fruit, Healthy Habits, Nectarines, Peaches, Stone Fruit Tagged With: fresh fruit, Nectarine, Peach, Stone Fruit, Summer Fruit What’s the difference? Dark Sweet vs. Rainier Cherries June 8, 2018 by Sage Fruit 10 Comments It’s officially summer here in the Pacific Northwest…. Cherry season has begun! From now through August, we will be picking, packing and shipping these little gems seven days a week. In all likelihood, when visiting your local supermarket, you will find two different types of cherries. Although there are numerous varieties for each type, we classify them as Dark Sweet and Rainier. But, what’s so different between the two? The obvious difference between them is their appearance. Dark Sweet cherries are a rich, mahogany color, whereas Rainier cherries are yellow, with a tinge of red. However, their flavor profile also sets them apart from one another. Rainiers have a lower acidity level, which results in them having higher brix (sugar content). Thus, Rainier cherries are actually sweeter than Dark Sweet cherries. In addition, the growing season for Rainier cherries is much shorter. There is less acreage planted in the Pacific Northwest, therefore there is less volume to supply consumers with. You can find Washington grown Rainiers at retail from mid-June until mid-July. Dark Sweets, though, you will be able to find until the end of August. Quick Fact: Developed in 1952 at Washington State University, the Rainier cherry is a cross between the Bing and the Van. It gets its name after the highest peak in the state of Washington. How to: Select, Store & Prep Cherries Select: Dark Sweet – Look for cherries that are a deep red, mahogany color with green stems. Rainier – Look for yellow with red blush on the shoulders of the fruit and green stems. Store: Always store your cherries in the refrigerator until you are ready to eat. Keeping them in the refrigerator prevents them from becoming soft and helps prolong their shelf-life. Prep: Before eating, be sure to wash your cherries by rinsing them under cool running water. Unlike some other fruits and vegetables, no additional wax is added to cherries, but it’s always a good idea to rinse your fresh produce! Filed Under: Educational, Healthy Habits Tagged With: cherries, Dark Sweet Cherries, fresh fruit, Rainier Cherries Go to page 1 Go to page 2 Go to page 3 Go to page 4 Go to Next Page » Our Fruit Recipes Kids in Force About Sage Fruit Contact FAQ Blog Privacy Policy Copyright © 2013-2021 Sage Fruit Company with by 3rd Studio