Friday, April 8, 2022
CapitalPress.com
5
Symms Fruit Ranch: Lots of varieties — even quince
By DIANNA TROYER
For the Capital Press
CALDWELL, Idaho —
Planting a quince orchard was
a fortuitous hunch for Dick
Symms, whose family oper-
ates Symms Fruit Ranch near
Caldwell.
Award-winning hard cider
companies rely on the one-
acre plot with about 400
trees to make quince juice
for their increasingly popular
beverages.
“My grandfather decided
Symms Fruit Ranch
to plant the quince orchard in
2008 as a new unique addi- Dick Symms planted 400 quince trees in 2008 to diversify Symms Fruit Ranch near
tion to our farm,” said Eva Caldwell, Idaho.
Symms, a sales associate who
is among the fifth generation ly-owned and -operated ever our best-sellers even though green to a soft yellow when
of Symms relatives to work since,” she said.
it’s not a mainstream fruit for it’s ready to be picked in late
He launched the business many people,” said Emily September or early October,”
at the cherished family enter-
prise. “I haven’t heard of any on an 80-acre homestead with Mason, who buys quinces Symms said. “I’ve made a
other quince orchards in our 8 acres of fruit. Today the from the Symmses for her quince pie, and it tastes a lot
area.”
Symms ranch encompasses business, Cedar Draw Cider like an apple pie but with a
A quince resembles a 5,200 acres of orchards and near Buhl, Idaho. “It tastes a slightly different flavor that
bumpy plump golden pear. farmland.
bit floral like an intense pear makes it stand out.”
The hard fruit is cooked to
The family grows 25 vari- but with tropical notes like a
In two to three years, the
soften it. It is popular among eties of fruit including apples, guava.”
Spanish cultures to make apricots, cherries, peaches,
Mason named her quince
membrillo, a thickened juice nectarines, plums, prunes, cider War Worthy because
used to make candy or a slice- pears and wine grapes. The “it’s an ancient fruit rumored
able jelly eaten with cheese business is a vertically inte- to be the golden apple that
grated grower, packer, and sparked the Trojan War.”
and crackers.
The orchard has grown shipper with fruit sold nation-
Another award-winning
considerably since 1914 wide and in 30 countries.
cidery, Meriwether Cider
Symms estimates they har- Company in Boise, sells 750
when her great great grandfa-
ther, Richard Symms, moved vest 15 to 20 tons of quinces, ml bottles of quince hard cider
his family from Kansas to mostly for local Mexican and membrillo made from the
food markets and breweries.
Idaho and started the ranch.
Symmses’ crop.
“Quince cider is one of
“We’ve
been
fami-
“The fruit turns from
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Symms Fruit Ranch
Quinces resemble plump
golden pears with bumps
and are popular with hard
cideries and candy makers.
Symmses anticipate harvest-
ing a recently planted new
variety of apple, Evercrisp.
“It’s a combination of two
popular varieties, a Fuji and
a Honeycrisp,” she said. “It
should work well for us.”
The other apple varieties
include Honeycrisp, Brae-
burn, Rome, Red Delicious,
Golden Delicious, Granny
Smith, Pink Lady, Gala, Jona-
gold, Jonathan and Fuji.
Symms and other family
members grew up working on
the farm.
“We’re all bonded by our
love for the farm,” she said.
Her father, Dar Symms, is
company president. He over-
sees the packaging of cher-
ries, peaches, apricots, plums,
pears, and apples. Her uncle,
Jamie Mertz, supervises the
outdoor operations and fruit
harvest. Her cousin Sally
Symms is also part of the fifth
generation and runs the sales
office. Her great uncle, Jim
Mertz, offers expertise and
advice with daily visits to the
office.
“Working closely with
family comes with its chal-
lenges, but we all pull our
own weight and trust each
other’s judgment,” Symms
said. “Most of us grew up on
the farm working with our
cousins and making the best
memories.”