Sweet Stone Fruit With Wegman's BRIX

Stone fruit season is here. We're serving up plums, apricots, nectarines, and local cherries here. This first week of summer our stone fruit salads have been especially sweet thanks in part to the selection at Wegmans grocery store in Bethlehem, PA.

We're not sure if we should call this smart science or smart marketing. At Wegmans, each kind of fruit is marked with its BRIX level and the number of days until it will be ripe. "Very loosely defined ... the BRIX level in fruits tells us how sweet the fruit is ...," says this sign. Wegmans ripening bags are available for fruit that hasn't yet reached its peak.

Wegmans says these apricots won't be ready for a day or two ...

... but these (expensive) Black Velvet Apricots are ripe and ready for tonight's stone fruit salsa.

We also appreciate Wegmans local fruit offerings, including these Golden Cherries from nearby Kachline Farms. (Here's a link to other Wegmans local suppliers here in Pennsylvania.)

If you have more stories of stone fruit or have seen a BRIX in action in your market, please comment here.

Comments (6)

Seriously, they sell ripening bags? I thought you just used a brown paper bag and put a banana in with whatever you want to ripen. How much are these bags selling for?

posted by Anne (in Reno) on June 26th 2007 at 7:59am
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Oh Wegmans, how I miss you since I moved to NYC from Central New York. I used to spend many happy hours shopping there. Those signs on ripeness dates would be invaluable! I always have either under or overripe pieces.

posted by kkf on June 26th 2007 at 8:10am
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I'm really embarrassed that I shell out $4 for 4 somewhat small nectarines at the Farmer's market this past weekend. They are fantastically juicy and sweet- so much better than the grocery store produce at any given time in our area.

Is it just me or do others feel this way?

posted by s in DC on June 26th 2007 at 8:50am
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The ripening bags are free. S in DC, I agree that the farmer's market produce is almost always better (and more local), but in my visit here I've really appreciated Wegman's local and ripe produce.

posted by gochrisgo on June 26th 2007 at 8:51am
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I always LOL at "ripening bags". Even if they are free.

posted by Eddie Walker on June 26th 2007 at 4:05pm
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I love Wegman's. I miss it so.

posted by ErieIndiana on June 27th 2007 at 3:14am
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