Apricot Farm![]() SWEET SOUL APRICOT
The
summer heat brings folks out for fresh fruit and Charlie Olson has
been in the business for over 70 years, bringing apricots to Sunnyvale
residents since his family moved to California over a century ago. The
apricot season is just two months long, June and July. The original
family tradition was to open the day after the Fourth of July, however,
now global warming brings early seasonal heat making the fruit ripen
quicker. Now the season starts closer to the middle of June. “The heat
makes the apricots cook on the trees,” he says “We have to pick them
right as they change color.” A typical day runs from 6:00 a.m. to 6:00
p.m. seven days per week. There are six hands to help sort the apricots
which are picked and loaded into the tractor running from the orchard to
the stand. “We have to sort by soft, sunburnt, small and regular.”
Charlie says sorting is crucial to different tastes. For example, a
sunburned apricot is generally sweeter with a crispy skin. These fruits
are discounted as they do not keep as long as the younger apricots.
Despite the hard work, he says the effort is worth it. “It really is a
labor of love. It’s in my soul. Our goal is to make people happy — and
we do.” - Shop the story -
Savor the aroma of sweet floral honey blended with apricot and sugar syrup, add in some shea butter for super soft skin. ![]() |