Market Notes December 2nd , 2021

GARLIC

     Where did it go?  Halloween was no problem, the Italian street festivals had plenty, pizza doesn’t taste any different.  What happened to one of our most used spices?  If you drove up US 101 through Gilroy just a mere three months ago, the stench would let you know it was a good garlic season. At least it was good domestically. Fact is, we defend a lot on overseas garlic. The Mexican and domestic product is not enough to cover this populations needs. We depend on overseas product to meet the demand. Did Europe or China or South American countries have extensive crop damage?  Is there a garlic pandemic?  Did Covid attack the garlic. No, no, and no. If you go to the port of LA in Long Beach, California, and swim out about three-hundred miles out into the Pacific, you’ll find it. In boat after boat after boat waiting for an invitation to port. Meanwhile, a pallet of peeled garlic has hit triple digits and you have to wait a week to get it.  Garlic being allocated, who knew?  What’s next?  Are they going to cut off our truffle allowance (LOL)? Seriously, the shortage is in the shipping and as the ports speed up so will the availability of garlic.  The FTC won’t have a hard time with this one.  

YUMA

    We’ve got troubles in Yuma. Now that the transition is complete the damage from the 100 degrees plus temperatures is showing up in the product, but in many different ways. Look at baby kale. It grows where there is very high humidity and to much water gets into the leaves causing breakdown and leaf damage during processing.  Then, in the alternate Yuma, baby spinach doesn’t receive the high humidity, just the high heat and is too dry.  When the washing process begins the leaf blows up and disintegrates on the line. Many say expect shortages in the next few weeks. The good news is the future. The ten-day forecast is eighties during the day and high forties at night.  Happy, happy lettuce temps. More good news is that the mesclun’s will not be affected as they harvested before these problems would develop.

NEW PRODUCE QUIZ – WHO AM I ???

It happened one night not too long ago when two strangers crossed a couple of acres and started a new family.  He’d seen her once from afar, but when he stole that second stare, it was enough to rock him to his stem and he knew then that this was meant to be.  How could there be another creature so beautiful?  And how could she be this beautiful and green?  Green!  Yes, green, and ooh, what a tan!  He wasn’t even supposed to talk about  “THEM”, much less fantasize.  His whole life he been taught yellow was the way and never to stray.  He decided then and there this was not what he had been planted to do.  But then he saw her looking, looking right at him.  Her scalloped edges shone, her small soft body was round and plump.  She was prime.  Then, in the blink of an eye, it happened.  She twirled around on her stem, spun straight up to glow radiantly in the sun, slid down her vine and landed on the soft dirt, right in front of him!  He looked around both startled and nervous, for surely someone else had seen this gorgeous acrobatic feat.  A short time passed and no one seemed to notice.  They were safe They were alone!  It was now or never!  So with his entire fiber, with every A, every C vitamin and mineral he possessed, with his stem strong and firm, he surged forward.  Their seeds met and it was magic, art, fireworks, mosaic actually.  Hence my birth, a culinary delight with edible skin and soft seeds, a new baby to the culinary world.

Answer to last weeks 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., 2020