Market Notes
August 4, 2016
FINGERLING FATALITY
We are not between a rock and a hard place but we are between a field and a raindrop. We had hoped for early harvest from a grower out of New Mexico but the lack of trucks and the rain detained the harvest for so long we got cut, completely. We had hoped we could harvest our Tehachapi fields earlier, but even though they have been killed, they are too early to harvest lest they would show signs of serious skinning. We have become very short on supply between now and August 15th harvest. Fortunately we do have product. Unfortunately we do not have pretty product. Last week we thought we were out of the weeds due to good arrivals from New Mexico. Product was beautiful but all our additional loads got cut. So we are left with the product that has large lenticels (read black spots). We will gladly provide pictures of the product we are sending upon request but we would also like to take a minute to further explain the condition. Lenticels are the tiny dark spots on the potatoes. Think of them as pores that allow the potato to breath. Our potatoes, while still in the ground got rained on after they were killed so the pours filled with water. After being stored and cured the water came out of the lenticel but the lenticel itself got larger. Fortunately the lenticels did dry out completely. Had they not, the lenticels would have become a blister and the entire area of the potato would have become mushy. This did not happen so we are left with large dry spots on the potato, essentially a large, dry pore. Aside from the large pores, the potatoes are in excellent shape. Good color, no black ends and no sprouting. From a culinary point of view they will cook and look the same on the plate. This product is also quite limited and we will do all we can to satisfy all orders until the 15th. We hope to cover all orders but there might be some allocation. This is not the week to go on ad with fingerlings. That applies to both wholesale and retail. For our customers who use jumbo we have just enough for two weeks supply so all of those orders will be covered. Both organics and smalls are very tight and for the most part they are spoken for. We apologize for this temporary dip in quality but it is really only slightly cosmetic and nothing that will get worse with time. We promise year round availability but we do not assure year round perfection although we achieve that most of the time. As a result of the current condition all orders will result in a conversation and a picture and we will go from there. This does affect our distribution on both the east and west coast. We appreciate your support and hope you will work with us through this temporary downgrade of quality. Feel free to contact us about your upcoming orders if you are impatient, but be assured that we will be contacting you.
NEW PRODUCE QUIZ – – WHO AM I???
To some, I’m a buggy bean, to others, I’m religious bread, but I’m really just a pod. I am the fruit of an evergreen tree believed to have originated in Syria and have been cultivated since ancient times. Related to the tamarind tree I am famous for keeping John the Baptist from starvation while he was crossing the desert. My tree often survives over one hundred years, grows to about forty feet, while I am born from its small reddish flowers. My leathery skin is reddish brown and ranges in length from four to eight inches. I can stabilize, bind and gel, but I do not stimulate (it’s not in my contract). In fact, I am often used as a flavor substitute for products that do stimulate. My pod produces a powder and my seeds produce a gum, useful, eh? I contain 50% sugar so you can call me sweetie. Mint and cinnamon are my friends and we are often caught on a plate mixing it up. In my worst nightmare I am ground up and used as animal fodder, chewing tobacco, or dog biscuits, can you imagine? When I go uptown, I am a thickener in cool sauces, and excellent liqueur, and can also be found in cakes or candy bars. I am a rich source of fiber and protein with a low level of fat. If you scare me with a “boo”, I’d have to grow antlers
Answer To Last Week’s Quiz…BUTTERNUT SQUASH…Congrats To All Winners
Call 908-789-4700 –Lisa or Richard– Fax 908-789-4702
Visit us at www.culinaryproduce.com
“like” us @ Culinary Specialty Produce on Facebook©
Culinary Specialty Produce, Inc., 2015