Market Notes
Nov 22, 2019

 

SAY HELLO AGAIN TO ORRI AND WELCOME TO SUGAR BELLE

      This is really special and you will have to move fast. First let’s talk about Orri.  An Ortanique variety called Orah that went through a forced mutation (don’t ask) to create a new limb sport called Orri. It has all the attributes great citrus needs; thin skin, easy to peel, 98% seedless, and a depth of flavor from a great balance of sugar an acid. Popular in Israel, where it was developed, South Africa and Spain, the Orri is now being grown in central Florida.  Mix a Honeybell Minneola with a Clementine and you get the new kid on the block, the Sugar Belle. Flavor and color are the standouts here. The result of this combination yields a mandarin with a pronounced neck and a deep orange color. Sweetness is the key here with just a slight bit of acid.  Both are packed in 4/5th citrus cartons (36 pounds) or 12×3 pound bag.  Weather permitting harvest should begin on December 10th. Here’s the kicker – THIS IS A 3-4 WEEK PROGRAM– No Samples on this one folks, you will need to take an orange leap of faith.  Have we ever been wrong before?  (Shut-up)!  Product loads out of Vero Beach and it should not be a problem to combine a pallet or three with your LTL trucks loading out of Southern Florida.  Please contact Trae Cyrus in our New Jersey office to lock in before the deluge.

HOLIDAY FORECAST

     Our primary grower in Colorado will be closed this coming Tuesday 11-26-2019 and possibly Wednesday 11-27-28-2019 for electrical work on their ever expanding facility. Then they will be closed Both Thursday and Friday for Thanksgiving but they will be open Saturday for loading. Other than that potatoes are in good shape everywhere.  East Coast is fully stocked.  California is fully stocked. Marbles, pee-wee’s and jumbos are available.  Purple A potatoes remain tight we are anticipating new crop the second week of December. Purple fingerlings might run short for one week affecting the three color fingerling mix. No massive herb shortages, but expect basil, sage and tarragon to tighten up by early next week.  French beans, peeled carrots and most squashes are readily available. Flooding in the east and burning in the west has subsided a bit so roads and air should be ok. Culinary Specialty Produce will shut down its New Jersey office from Wednesday when work is done to Friday AM. Our west coast office will remain 24/7 on call.  All phone numbers remain the same.  

 PRODUCE QUIZ – WHO AM I???

     I am an orange of the navel variety.  I am a freak, a limb sport if you will a genetic mutation.  Nobody grafted me; I simply appeared as a different limb on a regular navel tree growing in Venezuela.  Even today, I am considered genetically unstable, and often called a chimera.  I’ve been partying with some bloods and mandarins lately, and you wanna talk unstable?  Anyway, here’s what makes me cool.  First, I often have variegated leaves, which is pretty neat compared to the bland old green leaves of a regular orange tree.  But my internal color is what gives me star quality.  Not bloody red, but pink, salmon pink, similar to a Star Ruby Grapefruit.  In the USA I grow best in California although I was first domestically cloned in Florida groves, I lacked the rich flavor and the bright color my western crop provided.  Finally, my flavor cannot be beat.  If you are lucky enough to find me, peel me and you to will thrill to my wonderfully distinctive, rich, sweetness. Sometimes described as the “tutti-frutti orange”, I am available late fall through winter.  Grab me while I’m stable, because you never know what I’ll turn into next!  

Answer to last weeks quiz…PINEAPPLE…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