Market Notes
June 6, 2019
POTATO NOTES FROM ALL OVER
Organic Russets from Colorado are up in price again. They will stay high priced through June until the West Coast volume kicks in. Red potatoes will do the same in about two weeks. Jumbo fingerlings are tight and what little we can find are accounted for. Colored fingerlings are tight as well. No more purple out of Colorado and what we have in California we need to hold on to for mix. We have excellent quality on yellow fingerlings on both coasts. True pee-wee (2” and under) fingerlings are from Idaho and super expensive. Three color marble now back in stock with 48 hour notice. Creamers at great prices for load volumes. Harvest Moon purple/ yellow potatoes are done until late fall. Purple A’s readily available but they are running on the small side of the specification.
TARIFFS
Remember when our country used to scream when we had to pay $30 to $50 dollars more a week for gasoline. Well, prepare to do the same with your groceries from a produce point of view and above the 17.5% tariff imposed on Mexican tomatoes many items in the grocery store will be additionally taxed, and who do think that price will be passed along to? With food prices already on the rise for the past two years, get ready to pay up to 5% more for avocados, strawberries, raspberries, cauliflower, dates, figs, cucumbers, peppers, papayas, artichokes, and beer. Then there will be the Mexican retaliation by putting tariffs on American produce we export slowing down our exports. Both sides of the equation equal the same thing; prices up at the market. So, does the $50.00 more in groceries hurt less than the $50.00 more at the gas station? That truly is a new economy. Let’s see what happens Monday.
THE PAW PAWS ARE COMING THE PAW PAWS ARE COMING
We are about 6 week’s away from the best packer we know. Each season there are a few new growers and while it’s great to see the popularity of the sub-tropical growing, proper picking packing and shipping are essential for good arrival. While it is very true that the riper the fruit the sweeter and richer the taste (the brown ones taste like crème brulèe) but we eat with our eyes so we ship them green and firm with a little give so you can watch them ripen. We tissue wrap and tray pack each fruit individually unlike the bulk wrapped in newspaper. Paw Paws ship fed-ex directly from the grower in the mid-Atlantic area usually on Tuesday’s. We will provide more information as we get closer to the 6 week season.
NEW PRODUCE QUIZ – – WHAT AM I??
Particularly favored by the Greeks and the Romans, I am a hardy perennial that originated in the Mediterranean region. I have been used as a vegetable, herb, and a medicinal plant. In Latin I mean “little hay”. Greeks considered me a symbol of victory. Romans believed I improved eyesight. The base of my plant is made up of overlapping stalks, growing out of a white, fleshy, ribbed bulb. I can grow as high as six feet and I am topped with small yellow flowers each containing two seeds. I am best eaten raw to preserve my flavor, but I can be blanched, then sautéed or braised with other vegetables. I combine quite well with cream; taste great grilled with lemon, and make a killer au gratin. My seeds are used to flavor bread, cheese, soups, pastries, and wine. My essential oil is used in making spirits, wine and perfume. I am an excellent source of potassium. As a pharma-food it is believed I have the properties of a diuretic, an antispasmodic, a stimulant, and a gastric pain reliever. I am also known to be an aid to digestion and to prevent flatulence.
Answer to last weeks quiz..SESEME…Congratulations to all winners!
Call 908-789-4700 –Lisa or Richard– Fax 908-789-4702
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Culinary Specialty Produce, Inc., 2015