| Q. | Are visits to the ranch allowed? | | A. | Of course, but please schedule an appointment at 831-637-1938. Many times we are out doing our farmers markets. We are located at 930 Westside Road in Hollister, CA. Click here for a MapQuest map. | | Q. | What is a California Blenheim apricot? | | A. | Simply put, the best tasting apricots in the world! They are a rare (only 800 acres left in the state) and flavorful apricot famous for its delicate taste and superb dried flavor. This variety can only be grown in a few places in the world including the Santa Clara Valley. | | Q. | What is a slab apricot? | | A. | All the old-timers know that slabs are the extra-ripe, fullest-of-sweetness kind of dried apricot. Usually hand-cut and when placed on a tray to dry, they lose their shape and "slab" out on the tray. Often compared to fruit leather, slabs are the sweetest, most intense flavor of our dried Blenheim apricot. | | Q. | What is a slip-pit apricot? | | A. | These are the biggest and most plump Blenheim apricots dried whole. Then, the pits are slipped-out and dried a few more days. Few growers make slip-pits as they are a two-step labor of love. The taste is superb! Plump like a pillow with a stong "woody" flavor from the pit. The Cot Queen says "Once you go slippies, you never go back!" | | Q. | Do you add sugar to your dried apricots? | | A. | No. Our apricots obtain their sweetness from naturally drying in the California sun! | | Q. | How long can dried apricots be stored? | | A. | Our dried apricots can last years in the refrigerator or freezer...but, we want you to eat a bag a week. That's all we ask! Seriously, our fruits are all low in sulphur dioxide. We keep them refrigerated and so should you. They'll last unrefrigerated for about 4 months, but they will gradually lose their bright color and turn darker. | | Q. | Do you carry certified organic products? | | A. |  Everything we grow is grown organically. However, only our walnuts and unsulphured apricots are CCOF Certified organic. Certified organic products will have the CCOF logo (right) next to them. | | Q. | What is the nutritional information for apricots? | | A. | Based on a serving size of approximately 6 dried apricots (42 g): Calories
Total Fat
Saturated Fat
Cholesterol
Sodium
Total Carbohydrates
Dietary Fiber
Sugars
Protein
| 110
0g
0g
0mg
5mg
25g
2g
16g
1g | | Vitamin A 50% ♦ Vitamin C 0%
Calcium 2% ♦ Iron 10% | | More potassium than a banana. | | | Q. | What about apricot pits (kernels, seeds, etc.)? | | A. | We save a lot of our pits for our customers who want to crack them out and eat the kernels. They are sun-dried and organic, of course. They require some hammering to extract the inside kernel. *Apricot pits are considered controversial because, like apple seeds, they contain cyanide. However, they also contain vitamin B-17 and Laetrile not found in any other food source. Please use reasonable judgment when consuming this product. | | | *Some markets we can attend only on a seasonal basis; not every week. Some we do every other week and some September through December. Please contact us at 831-637-1938 to confirm. Year-round Events Santa Cruz Community Farmer's Market, every Wednesday, 2:30 - 6:30, Lincoln & Cedar Streets Saratoga Farmer's Market, every Saturday, 9:00 - 1:00, West Valley College. Sunnyvale Farmer's Market, every Saturday, 9:00 - 1:00, South Murphy between Washington & Evelyn Palo Alto Farmer's Market (California Street), every Sunday, 9:00 - 1:00, California Avenue at El Camino Real
**Not to be confused with PA's downtown Farmers Market held on Saturdays between mid-May and mid-December Blossom Hill Farmer's Market, every Sunday, 10:00 - 2:00, Princeton Plaza Mall at Kooser & Meridian Campbell Farmer's Market, every Sunday, 9:00 - 1:00, Campbell Avenue between Central & 1st Streets Mountain View Farmer's Market, every Sunday, 9:00 - 1:00, Hope & Evelyn Streets Moraga Farmer's Market, every Sunday, 9:00 - 1:00, Moraga Road and Moraga Way Montclair Farmer's Market, every Sunday, 9:00 - 1:00, LaSalle Avenue between Mountain & Moraga in Oakland Chico Certified Farmer's Market, every Saturday, 7:30 - 1:00, 2nd & Wall in downtown Chico Seasonal Markets Morgan Hill Farmer's Market, every Saturday, 9:00 - 1:00 from May through December, 3rd & Depot Streets in downtown Los Altos Farmer's Market, every Thursday, 4:00 - 8:00 from May through October, downtown Los Altos Downtown Chico Thursday Night Market, every Thursday night, 6:00 - 9:00, April through September, Broadway from 2nd to 5th streets Felton Farmer's Market, every Tuesday, 2:30 - 6:30, May through November, St. John's Catholic Church on Highway 9 |
|  Since l926, we have been a family owned and operated business. As for apricots, our parents, Frank and Mary Gonzales began farming them here in Hollister when they were married 52 years ago. In addition, they raised three children on the 120 acre ranch you see pictured here. Apricots and walnuts have been farmed exclusively since their son, Gary, returned from a stint in the Peace Corps in l971. Gary does the farming, Patti, his wife, does the bookwork, Dad does the never-out-of--retirement-Ramrodding, and the kids do the packaging and labeling. Our apricots are the best in the world because they are HOME GROWN IN THE FLAVOR ZONE. We raise only the Blenheim variety of apricot which is a very delicate and perishable fruit. This is the kind of cot that you cannot buy in the store. It is so fragile and juicy that it cannot be transported well. We cut and dry all our cots within two days of harvest. We always tell people "nothing tastes better than a Blenheim apricot grown in the Santa Clara valley area". The Santa Clara valley once famous for its fertile soil and delicious fruits, now grows houses and freeways, so that leaves Hollister, at its remote southern end, as the best place to grow this superb variety of apricot. If you know your cots, there's no comparison!  Our ApricotKing cots are low in sulphur, pesticide-free, and over-ripe. Apricots of course are an excellent source of iron, potassium, and vitamin A. We really believe we have the best quality, best-tasting, and best priced fruit on the market. It has to be because it's ours and it's HOME GROWN IN THE FLAVOR ZONE! |
