Market Notes
October 11, 2018
POTATO MARKET UPDATE—RED IN THE SHED
As we go through the harvest and packing seasons from the different growing areas we work with we often come across anomalies in the process of packing potatoes. There are occasional shortages and occasional abundances at any given time that are usually corrected with two to three days. For example, we are currently out of Organic Russets in Colorado but come Tuesday new crop comes out of storage and the valley will be flooded with crop. We also, and this is the sales pitch part, happen to have an abundance of medium sized Amarosa fingerlings in Oregon. These can be loaded FOB or consolidated in San Francisco or Los Angeles. The Amarosa fingerling is a red skin potato with a light pink flesh. We can pack them in fifty pound foodservice boxes or two-thousand pound totes. Due to the abundance we can create some very attractive pricing. So, if you need to add a new color to your mix or want a uber cool colored potato chip, please give us a call to get some red to stay out of the red. Pictures available on request.
FINGER LIME TIME
The fruits are green and the trees are clean. Finger limes are bursting out everywhere. From conventional to organic, finger limes are now available. They are in local markets packed in eight ounce clamshells or eight ounce plastic bags. Growers are also doing a bulk pack twenty pound box. Most of the available product is from farms located in and around Bakersfield and points south to Los Angeles. Aside from sourcing from numerous growers we have our own small deal that ships along with our fingerling potato program out of Edison, California. This is for bulk packaging only. Of course we can ship nationally but If you are loading in the Edison area, this is an easy way to get free freight on the finger limes as we can easily stack a few cases on the top of a pallet of potatoes. While continuing to gain in popularity the finger lime still remains expensive due to its limited yield and difficulty to harvest (read huge thorns).
CULINARY CLOSING
Culinary Specialty Produce will be closed on Friday, October 19th. You will be at the PMA, so what do you care? We will be in corporate meetings all day and there is no way we will be whale watching in the Pacific and train riding in the Santa Cruz Mountains. Nope, we will be hard at work all weekend. Normal hours will resume on Monday October 22nd. We did this in alignment with the PMA so while we are traveling and meeting so will many of our customers. Of course we will be on cell phones and have mobile e-mail but we won’t be at our desks until Monday. We will do our best to work ahead and cover what we can in advance. Please contact us if you have any concerns but please trust we will be reaching out to you.
NEW PRODUCE QUIZ – – WHAT AM I??
Don’t leaf me out, because I’m the main event. Well, okay there is the fruit, but you can’t eat it. Maybe you will use its bumpy peel for concentrated aromatic oils in curry, or for some zest in your “jungle soup” (gkaeng bpah), but that’s it. I’m what you want! I’m the bay leaf of the Far East. I am a citrus sub-species of the family peapeda. I am a lovely dark green with a glossy sheen. My leaves (often pounded into a jelly or mixed with hot chili paste) grow in couplets, smaller on top, broader on the bottom, and range from one half inch to over three inches long. I’m not an easy pick as my growth is slow and you will fight thorny branches to reach me. In tropical Thailand my tree is a fixture in every countryside home. Often seen out on the town with lemon grass, together we create a mean dtom yam, and often we don’t get home ‘til dawn. It’s my scent that the public craves making me essential in soups, salads, curries, stir-fries, broth or stew. I am a secret ingredient in many fish dishes and I provide an excellent texture, and great presentation. Cut me into slivers to release my seriously tempting aromatic citrus flavor. The more you cut me the stronger I get, until I eventually dominate everything I surround. I also have many household uses. My uses include invigorating shampoos, insect repellents, stain removers, as well as being a tooth and gum strengthener. So if you can find me, don’t leaf me behind. Get it?
Answer To Last Week’s Quiz:…SUNFLOWER…Congrats To All Winners
Call 908-789-4700 –Lisa or Richard– Fax 908-789-4702
Visit us at www.culinaryproduce.com
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Culinary Specialty Produce, Inc., 2015