California Apricots: Spring days are growing longer in the Central Valley and our sun-ripened apricots have just been harvested. They’re picked when their sugars are perfectly developed and dried using our tried and true, centuries-old sun-drying method for optimal taste and texture. Sweet and slightly tart, they’re great eaten just as they are, or used in your favorite recipes. How about making Apricot Habanero Jam, Apricot Braid Bread or Apricot Almond Oatmeal to share with family and friends? Our California apricots are a good source of Vitamin A, which plays a key role in the normal function of the heart, lungs, kidneys and other
Healthy, Easy, and Delicious Spring Salad: This fresh and delicious spring salad makes the perfect side dish or meal all by itself. Enjoy the sweet and chewy textures of dried blueberries and cranberries along with a crunchy boost in protein from our sliced almonds and sunflower seeds. Your taste buds will thank you for the sweet bursting flavors of fresh strawberries combined with the tasty zing from a homemade balsamic vinaigrette. This salad is sure to add an extra spring in your step! Total Time: 10 minutes Serves: 2-4 Prep Time: 5 – 7 min. Ingredients (Salad): 8 oz. fresh spinach leaves 5 fresh
Gushing with succulent flavor ranging from sweet to tart, berries are bound to leave you feeling refreshed. There are many types of berries from around the world and many have been staples in our diets for centuries. A few of the common varieties most are familiar with include strawberries, blueberries and cranberries. Strawberries Strawberries are highly popular, ranking as the favorite fruit amongst young children in the United States. They are the only fruit that has the seeds on the outside and the average seed count on a single fruit is a whopping 200! The most desired variety is the garden strawberry which is
Easy to Make Cranberry Energy Bites: These delicious cranberry energy bites are packed with dried cranberries, chia seeds, ground flax seeds, almonds and more, making them the perfect healthy snack! They will provide you with some of the best nutrients such as protein, fiber, iron, omega 3’s and fatty acids. Not to mention, these organic bites are easy to make, convenient for on-the-go, easy to store and can last a while if kept refrigerated or frozen. Total Time: 30 minutes Serves: 20+ Bites Yields: Two dozen Prep Time: 10 – 15 min. Bake Time: 10 – 15 min. Ingredients: 2 cups of Quick Oats
Where It All Began: If you’re like a lot of people, you enjoy snacking on dried fruit. Have you ever stopped to think about how the idea of drying came about? Drying fruit has been around for centuries and is the process of extracting most of the original water content from the fruit. When fresh food was tougher to come by, having dried fruit on hand stood in place of fresh fruit in our diets. The main idea of drying fruit was to help preserve it; dried fruit lasts a lot longer than fresh fruit and is a lot easier to keep on hand.
Easy to Make Granola Recipe: Quick, easy, and healthy, you can’t go wrong with this homemade Bella Viva granola. This flourless, crunchy snack is packed with flavor and healthy fats! Unlike traditional granola, this recipe uses nuts and flax seed as the base which contain omega-3 fatty acids. You can even add 1 cup of your favorite Bella Viva dried fruits and nuts to make it your own! Total Time: 50 minutes Serves: 6 Yields: 6 Cups Prep Time: 15 min. Bake Time: 30 – 40 min. Ingredients: 1 ½ cups raw walnuts 1 ½ cups raw cashews 2 cups oats 1 cup ground
Heat Waves and Cold Spells: We are concerned California might be approaching another dry season despite experiencing a hint of healthy, wet weather over the past three months. Although spring just arrived, the weather can’t seem to make up its mind as to which season it is. In the first week of February, many cities hit record high temperatures. The small Riverside County town of Thermal even reached 93 degrees! However, by the third week of the month, drastic below-freezing temperatures started making an appearance at night. According to Bella Viva Orchards’ owner, Victor Martino, this recent freeze is the worst he has ever
Blossoms Bring Beauty to the Central Valley: California accounts for producing over two-thirds of the nation’s entire fruit and nut supply. Thousands of people travel to the Central Valley every year to see and take pictures of the spectacular sight of the fruit and nut trees in full bloom (01). In fact, there are hundreds of different varieties of produce grown throughout the Central Valley. Popular crops found here include almonds, nectarines, peaches, plums and pluots, cherries and apricots. Alongside each crop is a different type of blossom and not all bloom at the same time. Some of the blossoms might look similar to
Twin Girls Farm Located in the crop-thriving county of Tulare, California is a family farm that grows our delicious organic navel oranges. Ignacio (Nacho) and Casamira (Cassi) Sanchez, owners of Twin Girls Farm, understand how fortunate California is regarding citrus. The vibrant colors and sweet juiciness combined with the lovely aroma of oranges can bring life to an otherwise dreary winter day. This state has the right land and weather to grow perfect citrus and this family has quite the story to tell. Nacho’s father brought his family to California from Mexico when Nacho was just two years old. They worked hard for everything
Health Facts: California citrus has the perfect balance of sweet and tangy bursts of flavors that hit our taste buds and refresh our bodies. Not only do oranges taste delicious and smell amazing, they’re incredibly healthy for us as well. According to multiple studies, like most citrus, both lemons and oranges are high in Vitamin C. Vitamin C is important for many reasons including acting as an antioxidant, producing collagen and healing wounds (01). It may also strengthen our immune system—which is ironic because the California citrus season seems to come into play as the common cold season seems to arrive (02). Lack of
