-
NEW!
• EverCrisp Club Apple
• Pink Variegated Lemon
• Orlando Tangelo
• Nagami Kumquat
• Crespo Ataulfo Mangos (Mexico)
• Lemon T’ Orange (mid-week)
• Gold Nugget (mid-week)
• Jester Squash (sweetness is similar to Sweet Dumpling)
• Tutti Frutti Leeks (Santa Barbara County) -
COMING SOON
• Import Bartletts end February/early March
• Red Seedless Grapes (Peru) by end of week -
BACK IN STOCK
• Bacon Avocados
• Thai Coconuts
• Sumano Black and Pink Oyster Mushrooms
• Sunchokes
• Terra Firma Beets -
TIGHT INVENTORY
• Artichokes
• Anna’s Napa Cabbage
• Red and Medley Fingerlings
• Green Onions (Cal-O)
• Red Radish (Cal-O) -
GAPPING
• Josie’s Lemon Herb Salad Mix
-
WINDING DOWN
• Burdock (WA)
• Daisy Mandarins
• California Kiwis
• Kent Mangos
• Asian Pears -
FINISHED
• California Kiwis
BUYER’S NOTES
Updated February 5, 2023
FRUIT
fruit update
The Big Game is next Sunday, February 12th! Equal Exchange Fair Trade Avocados and Covilli Fair Trade Limes and Mixed Heirlooms are on Earl’s Weekly Specials. Avocados from Mexico are at peak flavor! Download four Equal Exchange POS Cards to highlight your display.
FUN BIG GAME FACTS:
13.2 million pounds of avocado are consumed in the US during the Super Bowl – the most avocados consumed in a single day within the U.S.
Roughly 28 million pounds (13,000 t) of chips, 1.25 billion chicken wings, and 8 million pounds (3,600 t) of guacamole are consumed during Super Sunday.
This year’s matchup will feature the Kansas City Chiefs facing the Philadelphia Eagles at State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Arizona.
As we get into warmer weather with a break from the rain, new varieties of Citrus are rolling in. New this week! Orlando Tangelo, Gold Nugget Mandarin and Lemon T’Orange. Download Earl’s Citrus Guide and learn more about each variety.
Nagami Kumquat
Apples
Meet the newest addition to the Club, the EverCrisp Apple! Packing a loud crunch, the EverCrisp combines the best of its parents Honeycrisp and Fuji. It is sweet and crisp with a firm dense texture. Blushed rosy red over a creamed background. It maintains sweetness and firmness for weeks without refrigeration. The EverCrisp is best for eating out of hand. Club Apples are varieties that are not just patented, but also trademarked and controlled in such a way that only a select “club” of farmers can sell them. Download the updated Club Apple Variety Guide.
Last call for the premium Buckeye Gala High Colored Bush Variety.
Apples are coming out of Controlled Atmosphere storage. Highest grade and color and strongest fruit gets put into storage. Learn more under the Vegucation highlight.
Avocados
Good volume on Equal Exchange Fair Trade Avocados for The Big Game with aggressive pricing. Weekly Specials on 48ct, 60ct, 70ct and 84ct!
Avocados
Bananas
Earl’s carries Fair Trade Bananas year-round. Download Earl’s Banana Ripening and Handling guide.
Berries
Blueberries: California CWP Pints solid berry with good flavor.
Strawberries: Mainly from Baja and limited volume out of California as weather improves. Expect seasonally appropriate flavor and minor white shoulders.
Blackberries and Raspberries: Good volume and flavor out of Mexico.
Citrus
Coming mid-week! Lemon T’ Orange has a similar flavor to traditional lemons, but with less tartness. Primarily used in jams and marmalades. Gold Nugget Mandarins have bumpy skin and are very aromatic and easy to peel. Fruit is seedless with a rich and sweet flavor.
Valencias (Mexico) have good flavor and a value juicing option. Blood Orange’s from Fruit World are sizing up. Cara Cara Navels will go through February with great flavor. Lime pricing are coming down a bit. Side Hill Sweet Meyer Lemons are gorgeous. Tango Mandarins will go through February.
Minneola Tangelo
grape
Import Sweet Celebration Red Seedless Grapes (Peru) will return by the end of the week.
kiwi
As California winds down there is overlap with imports from Italy. New Zealand starts in May followed by fresh crop California.
Melons
Mini Seedless Watermelons (Mexico) have good flavor.
Pears
Last shot of Homegrown Shin Li Asian Pears and then the season is done. Golden Bosc, D’Anjou and Red D’Anjou out of the Pacific Northwest in good supply.
Tropicals
We are now fully into the Mexican Mango season and Crespo has started up with Ataulfos. Kent Mangos winding down and Tommy Aktins (Mexico) about two weeks away. Thai Coconuts are back in stock.
VEGETABLES
vegetable update
Desert region has good production on peak commodities with some delayed harvest windows with nights down into the 30’s. Greens and Lettuce have had some frost and need to wait until the frost melts before they can harvest. Look for Green Onions and Red Radishes from Cal-O to tighten up this week and possibly gap.
Covilli Mixed Heirlooms are in peak volume and flavor and on Earl’s Weekly Specials. Now is a great time to build up your display in time for The Big Game!
Mixed Heirloom Tomatoes
Asparagus
Mexican market is picking up and Asparagus will be in promotable volumes. Talk to your Earl’s Sales Rep for more information.
Artichokes
JAS Artichokes are a few weeks out.
Baby bok choy
Prices are going up due to the cold weather.
bunched beets
Terra Firma and Coke having problems getting back into the muddy fields but we will some Red and Gold from Cal-O.
green beans
Covilli is back into good supply.
Broccoli
In fantastic volume! Prices will hold for a few weeks.
Brussels Sprouts
Sweet Baby Broccoli
Prices will improve with production out of Mexico in a few weeks.
Broccoli Crowns
Plenty of Crowns from multiple growers.
Brussels Sprouts
Good volume on Brussels in net bags and bulk.
Cabbage
Anna’s was hit hard in the valley by the storm, followed by some humidity and we may see a gap on their Napa Cabbage. Desert is in full production on Red and Green Cabbage. Look for a decrease in prices in the coming weeks. Tomatero Savory Cabbage in excellent supply.
Carrots
Cal-O Red Carrots are a seasonal offering. Mix up your carrot display with Sunrise Yellow Carrots. Nantes Carrots are in excellent volume, just in time for crudité platters for The Big Game!
Jalapeños
Cauliflower
Cold weather and rain has delayed harvest and prices are back up.
Romanesco
Great substitute for Cauliflower.
Celery
Heart production is in full force and Juice Celery is abundant as well as 24ct/30ct.
Cucumbers
Juicing Cucumbers have been hard to find, and prices are up. Bagged Persians have tightened up.
eggplant
Globe and Graffiti in good supply.
garlic
2 to 3 more weeks on Domestic Garlic. Argentinian Garlic is an excellent value!
greens
Transition phase with production out of the south and some from Sun Valley and Tomatero out of Watsonville. Cold nights bring out the robustness on Winter Greens!
Kohlrabi
Green is back in stock from Capay. Look for Purple from Sunrise soon.
Lettuce
Little Gems is delayed from the rain. Sunrise is harvesting what they can, but it will be a few weeks before they can ramp up production.
leeks
Tutti Frutti Leeks starting up out of Santa Barbara County.
onions
Good supply with stable prices. Shallots winding down by the end of April. Cipollinis until the end of February.
bell peppers
Green is a little tight. Red, Yellow and Orange good volume.
Hot Peppers
Full lineup of Covilli Hot Peppers. Stock up on Jalapeños and Serranos for The Big Game!
Potatoes
Russet count market is very tight. Growers have a surplus of small potatoes that are being packed into bags. Tasteful Selection – Gold will be the primary fingerling.
Peas
Plenty of Snap Peas and Snow Peas and sporadic English Peas (Mexico).
Roots
Last shot of Burdock this week and the season is done until Fall. Pretty Purple Turnips from Anna’s through May.
Summer Squash
Covilli has good volume on all grades.
Sweet Potato
Pricing is stable with good volume on all labels.
Tomatoes
Covilli Mixed Heirlooms in promotable volume and on Earl’s Weekly Specials! Beautiful Covilli Purple Rose Heirlooms are back.
Winter Squash
New this week from Tomatero - Jester Squash! Looks like an oval Delicata Squash with a sweetness similar to Sweet Dumpling.
FOLLOW THE FLAVOR @EARLSORGANIC ON INSTAGRAM
VEGUCATION CORNER
