Market Notes
January 12, 2017

FUNGUS FANTASTIC

Here is a great after season offer we just heard about. Black Truffles from France, highly aromatic, are on sale. While still not cheap they are under $500 per pound. Considering the high price of domestic black truffles this season this is a great time to step up your stink. White Alba Truffles are all but done and there are some domestic blacks available. Chanterelles are gone only to be replaced by the Hedgehog and Yellowfoot. We have some beautiful, firm whole Black Trumpet Mushrooms that will make a stunning addition to salads or soups. Hen-Of-The-Woods or Maitake Mushrooms are ready as always along with imported Blue Foot and Woodear. Fresh mushroom mixes, and organic mushrooms available as well. Please contact your Culinary rep for details.

AND THE BEET GOES ON

While the citrus suffered and the berried drowned, many of our southern California root vegetable growers survived. Radishes were little roughed up by the rain and wind but the beets thrived. We have four colors, red, white, candy stripped and white along with a 24 bunch mix. Carrots are hoppin’ as well. Orange, red, purple, white and yellow are the color selection here along with round carrots and of course a mix. White turnips and baby fennel complete the root menu, but wait! There’s more! Artichokes, from 12 count to 150 count are also available from the same farm. All picked to order and delivered to your favorite consolidator or freight forwarder overnight. Call for stupendous pricing.

GREEN SCENE STILL NOT CLEAN

It’s called Powdery Mildew or Downy Mildew. It is the result of heavy rains and very high humidity. In the worst cases the entire field is turned, or disked. . In the best case you can spray and save a percentage of the harvest. Organic crop cannot be sprayed so that is a 100% loss, better luck next field. This is the situation in the southern fields of Yuma, where the bulk of our winter baby greens are grown. Fortunately this weather pattern is not everywhere so there are still some fields without flaw. Organics have been affected the heaviest, with yellow arugula and broken down kale. Baby lettuce volume has been reduced by 40%. One nice thing about baby greens is that they are quick to grow so every week brings new (and hopefully improved) crop. Combine that with the January slows and we are able to fill most orders completely with excellent quality. So the question is what will come first, improved volume or improved sales. We’ll let you know next week.

NEW PRODUCE QUIZ – – WHO AM I???

I am the berry of a tropical evergreen West Indian tree, Pimenta officinalis, or Eugenia pimenta. Although I am often called many names and I sound like I would be a combination of many flavors I am truly an individual. By taste I combine the fragrance of cinnamon, nutmeg, clove, and some say ginger. I am primarily grown in Jamaica, where my walk fills the air with aroma. Sometimes called a bayberry I am grown to full size but picked unripe. I am then dried out in the sun until I am pea sized and brown. Then I am ground into the popular powder you use. Sometimes my berries are sold whole and you can grind me yourself to maximize my intensity. If they would only let me mature my taste would be sweet and hot. In Ancient times I was used in Aztec and Mayan kitchens but today I am particularly popular in Sweden and Finland. I am added to sausages, pickles, marinating liquids, fish dishes, tomato juice cocktails, and mulled drinks. My essential oil contains eugenol, which is used to manufacture vanillin. Medically I am known to alleviate flatulence.

Answer To Last Week’s Quiz…LEMON CUCUMBER…Congrats To All Winners
Call 908-789-4700 –Lisa or Richard– Fax 908-789-4702
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Culinary Specialty Produce, Inc., 2015