- Author: Kathy Low
You've probably heard of the Mediterranean fruit fly (Ceratitis capitata) quarantine in a large section of Solano County. The quarantine applies not only to commercial growers, but to home gardeners as well. To find out if you live in the quarantine zone, check the map at https://admin.solanocounty.com:4433/depts/agriculture/quarantine.asp.
The Mediterranean fruit fly, or Medfly is a very destructive pest because its larvae tunnels into, feeds upon and develops in the pulp of many fruits and vegetables. The Medfly multiplies rapidly and tolerates cooler weather better than other fruit flies. This makes the Medfly the top economically disastrous fruit fly.
According to a report on the Agriculture Commissioner's website, “including farm production and locally sourced, value-added food processing, agriculture's combined economic contribution to the Solano County economy was $617.6 million.” So it's important for home gardeners to comply with the quarantine to help protect Solano's economy.
Originating in sub-Suharan Africa, Medfly infestations are costly to area agriculture and are expensive to eradicate. The Medfly may have been transported on fruit illegal sent to an individual in the county. So it's imperative that homeowners do not transport fresh fruit or vegetables outside the quarantine zone to help stop the spread of this invasive pest. More details about the Medfly can be found at http://entnemdept.ufl.edu/creatures/fruit/mediterranean_fruit_fly.htm.
If you live in the quarantine zone, it's important not to transport any fresh fruits or vegetables from your garden off your property, since they may potentially have been infested. The California Department of Food and Agriculture states the fruits and vegetables should be eaten on-site, or processed (juiced, frozen, dehydrated, cooked, made into jam) on site. Any unconsumed or unprocessed fruits and vegetables should not be discarded in your green waste bin. Instead, they should be double bagged in plastic bags, sealed, and discarded in your trash bin.
Right now persimmons are ripening and nearing harvest in Solano County. Again, if you live in the quarantine zone, it's important not to transport them off your property. If you have too many to eat fresh, you can process them at home. The two most common methods of preserving them are by dehydration, and by freezing them. Instructions on how to dry and/or freeze them can be found on the National Center for Home Food Preservation website at http://nchfp.uga.edu/index.html. You can also make jam out of them. But beware that many jam recipes on the Web are not “safe” recipes. According to Diane Metz, Nutrition Advisor Emeritus, pectin company jam recipes are considered safe. So below are links to the MCP and Pomona's pectin persimmon jam recipes. http://www.pomonapectin.com/recipes/persimmon-jam/http://www.kraftrecipes.com/recipes/mcp-persimmon-freezer-jam-63386.aspx
Questions about safe home food preservation can be sent to Diane Metz at
DLMetz@ucdavis.edu. If you don't have email, call Katie Churchill at (530) 666-8143 and ask that the message be sent to Diane Metz.