Market Notes
March 14, 2019
While we will have little luck finding Kaffir limes or finger limes over the next few months the winter citrus season, as it always does, and ends on a sweet note. The sour season is pretty much done. Much of the mid-season fruit is finishing up so Paige and Dancy tangerines will become scarce as will several varieties of pomelos. Calamondin, Seville, Yuzu and Sudachi will become scarce as well until September. So let’s get sweet. Sumo mandarins are now available and they are wonderful. Honey oranges from Florida, stem & leaf Murcotts and Golden Nugget tangerines are now prime. Then there is the Pixie tangerine, the first of the Ojai Valley fruit. Last year the crop from the very fruitful valley was affected by the fires. Crop was small as was the fruit size. This however is shaping up to be a bumper crop with beautiful large fruit. Stay tuned to this label for some of the best fruit of the season including the Tango, Tahoe Gold and Shasta varieties of double and triple cross tangerines. They are among the best fruits of the season. Yummy!
POTATO UPDATE
From all areas of distribution our potato programs are running well. We continue to meet the growing demand for fingerling assortment and jumbo fingerlings. Packing of our monst popular potato, the yellow fingerling is running smooth. We expect to be fine through May when our next California crop will be ready for harvest. We are holding back on large orders of purple fingerlings in order to maintain our mix. Pee wee fingerlings are running short on red but good supplies of yellow remain. Organics out of Colorado are running low on yellow and showing some quality problems on Norkota russets. We will get through them in a few weeks and then we should have beautiful Canela russets. Round yellows and reds are in good supply in Bakersfield, and Purple A’s are loading out of the LA Market. Marble potatoes remain as a two variety mix as we will not have purple marble potatoes until May. Masquerade and Harvest Moon bi-color purple/yellow potatoes are all but done with just a few loads left of each. Call with orders, we’ll fill ‘em.
NEW PRODUCE QUIZ – – WHAT AM I??
Once used in love potions and to perfume wealthy Romans, I come from a tropical evergreen tree. In the middle ages I was all the rage for those who could afford me. Thanks to the Dutch I got top billing in Europe. I am sold as a curled stick from my bark or as a powder. My pods produce oil that is used as a culinary and a medicinal ingredient. I am a native of Sri-Lanka, Southern India and the West Indies. I am used in almost anything, sweet or savory, but my favorite places of residence are buns, chocolates, coffees in the winter, ice-creams on the Riviera in summer, and anything apple. I have two main varieties, but my flavor in either fades fast, so don’t get stick with me! I contain calcium, potassium and iron and added to tea I can soothe the digestive system.
Answer to last weeks quiz..WATER CHESTNUTS…Congratulations to all winners!
Call 908-789-4700 –Lisa or Richard– Fax 908-789-4702
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Culinary Specialty Produce, Inc., 2015