-
NEW!
• Cuyama Sweetie Apples
• Candy Dream Grapes
• Coke Farm Habanero in clams
• Buck Pink Variegated Lemons
• Frog Hollow Warren Pears
• Sunrise Kiwano Horned Melon -
COMING SOON
• Fresh and dried Jujubes
• Cuyama Honeycrisp first week of September
• Kiwi Berries end of September, beginning of October
• Traceland (Morro Bay) Late Season California Avocados
• Pomegranates and Persimmons first week in October -
BACK IN STOCK
• Calo Red and Green Butter Lettuce
• Lakeside Watermelon Radish, 25# Celery Root and Rutabaga
• Tutti Frutti Parsnips
• Bunched Spinach -
TIGHT INVENTORY
• Organic Girl Butter, Butter Plus, and Little Gem
• Sweet Potatoes -
GAPPING
• Utility Apples
• Colored Cauliflower
• Covilli Pineapples
• Thai Coconuts -
WINDING DOWN
• Dwelley Corn
• California White Peaches and Plums
• Terra Firma Yellow Onions -
FINISHED
• Cherries
• California White Nectarines
• California Esquire and Mexican Kent Mangos
BUYER’S NOTES
Updated September 4, 2022
FRUIT
Prices going up on most berries over the next few weeks as California is coming to the end of the season and Baja and Mexico haven’t started up yet. The Labor Day week heat wave may also affect berry production. Don’t miss the update: https://www.earlsorganic.com/blog/labor-day-heat-wave-impact
We are coming to the end of the California Peach season and the transition from early season peaches to late harvest peaches. They are lower in moisture and less juicy than early varieties, but they are full of flavor. The peaches have been on the tree longer resulting in a more solid piece of fruit. Don’t wait until they get too soft though, this could result in a mealy peach. Late harvest peaches eat less ripe and more firm than early varieties.
California Avocados are winding down fast, and we will see more Mexico fruit come on with less maturity and lower oil content. Traceland (Morro Bay) Late Season California Avocados starting the first week of September with high oil content and flavor!
California Melons have peak flavor out of the San Joaquin Valley and Yolo County near Sacramento. Sweet varieties like Charentais, Galia and Honeyloupe should not be missed. Download Earl’s Melon Guide!
Warren Pears
Candy Dream Grapes
Adriatic Figs
APPLES
NEW! Cuyama Sweetie Apples are highlighted by a sweet taste and firm texture and their beautiful red color is accented by golden cheeks. With an international heritage, these apples were discovered in France and are considered a cross between a Braeburn and Royal Gala apple which accounts for their great flavor. Transitioning to new crop California along with apples and pears out of Washington. California Fujis in 2-3 weeks along with some New Zealand fruit. Jazz Club Apple from New Zealand will be light until end of September when Washington starts up. Fuji, Honeycrisp, Cripps Pink tight for the next few weeks.
AVOCADOS
Mexico has started up, overlapping with the end of the California season. Rincon (California) continues into September with excellent flavor. Traceland (Morro Bay) harvest date has moved to middle of September with high oil and great flavor. Traceland will have plenty of #2 fruit that is great for delis and kitchens! Look for Fair Trade fruit from Equal Exchange (Michoacan, Mexico) grown by small coop farmers. Fruit will be lower in maturity, oil content and flavor than California. October is Fair Trade month. Stay tuned for more information on how you can highlight your Fair Trade display.
BANANAS
Labor Day week will be very hot across California. Take care to store your bananas properly.
Download Earl’s Banana Handling & Receiving Guide for more helpful tips.
bananas are extremely susceptible to heat
Do not expose them to extremes of cold or heat
• Avoid setting containers in drafts, near heating vents, windows, or motors
• Ideal temperature to store in a well-ventilated space: 56-58 F, 13.3-14.4 C
• Temperature for ripening: 60-65 F, 15.6-18.3 C
• Relative humidity: 90 - 95%
• Mist: No
• Typical shelf life: 3 to 7 days (ripened, depending on conditions)
• Do not store or transport with commodities that produce ethylene i.e., apples, pears, etc.
• Highly sensitive to freezing injury for a sustained amount of time (+12 hours)
• Susceptible to chilling injury if kept below 55 F, 13.3 C
• Damage sometimes is not apparent until the produce is returned to a higher temperature
BERRIES
Blackberries: Delicious Tomatero Blackberries were picked before the heat wave. Heat wave over the weekend may affect supply in the coming weeks. Stay tuned for updates.
Blueberries: Forbidden (Santa Maria) volume is picking up. Smooth transition from PNW to California.
Strawberries: Coming to the end of the season. Expect price increases and inventory to tighten up, the heat wave may knock out inland farms. Tomatero will be moving solely into 1# clamshells.
Raspberries: Fully into sweet California fruit with AG Berry and Sun Valley.
citrus
California Lemons are all but done with mostly smaller fruit available. New crop Mexico and California (Desert) has been delayed into the 2nd week of September. California Valencias will be done by end of October. Plenty of juice product on the market.
Early Navels by early October. Star Ruby Grapefruit are almost done with Rio Reds and Ruby varieties starting up. Flooding out of Veracruz caused more damage to the Lime crop than originally thought. Inventory is tight with higher prices.
figs
Maywood (Corning) has a bounty of Black Mission and Brown Turkey coming on with sporadic availability on Adriatics. Read more on Earl’s Maywood Farm Tour.
grapes
Candy Dream Grapes are out of this world! The delicious, sweet flavor lingers on. Concord and Thomcord Grapes are done. Air Chief Grape highlights: Red Seedless Krissy, Green Seedless Ivory, Pristine and Sweet Globe, and Black Seedless Sable. Grape season matures into late September/early October when the fruit develops high sugars.
kiwi
New Zealand Green and Gold Kiwis have excellent flavor. Don’t miss California Family Farms 1# cello bags.
melons
Dwelley has Seeded Watermelon Bins for Labor Day week. Don’t miss the flavorful Orange Honeydew from Riverdog. Specialty Melons include Sharlyn (pale orange flesh has both floral and fruity aromas), Piel de Sapo (has pale green to white inner flesh with a sweet flavor similar to Honeydew), Canary (bright yellow skin and a crisp, super-sweet creamy colored flesh), and more! Don’t miss our colorful Melon Guide and follow the flavor through the melon season.
pears
Starting to see the shift from California to the Pacific Northwest- Golden Bosc and Bartlett (California). Starkrimson Red Pears (Washington) have beautiful red skin and add a pop of color to a cheese platter. D’Anjou middle of September (PNW). Hosui Asian Pears are crisp like an apple and juicy like a pear. Warren Pears from Frog Hollow Farm are gorgeous russetted pears, soft and juicy with a melting mouth feel. The skin turns a golden yellow as it ripens and can be known to develop a pretty blush. Similar in size to a D’anjou, chefs prize this delicious pear in tarts or cakes, poached in wine, in salads and on sandwiches.
stone fruit
California Summer Flame Yellow Peaches are in promotable volumes. PNW peaches remain tight. White Nectarines are done. Last shot of Snow Gem White Peaches then they are done. Yellow Nectarines are on the tighter side and prices are creeping up. California is winding down on Plums. Frog Hollow Emerald Beaut is a late season freestone plum, with delicate green skin that turns golden with a hint of blush. HGO Flavor Fall has dark skin with golden firm juicy flesh. Plums and Pluots (PNW) will go through the Fall.
Cherries: Finished
Yellow Nectarines: September Bright, Grand Bright, Summer Flare, ECO September Bright (may have minor scarring)
White Nectarines: California is finished. Look for fruit out of the PNW this week.
Yellow Peaches: Autumn Flame, Summer Flame
stone fruit, continued
White Peaches: Snow Gem
Plums: Flavor Fall, Emerald Beaut
Pluots: California is finished
Peterson Family Fruit: Regenerative Organic Certified (ROC) - August Flame Yellow Peach
tropicals
Covilli Pineapples in a seasonal gap. Covilli Dragon Fruit Fuschia, Pink and Red are back! We will see some RVO Magenta Dragon Fruit out of Fallbrook. Thai Coconuts are gapping for a few weeks. California Esquires are done along with Mexican Kents. California Keitt Mangos are looking to have a strong season with steady pricing.
tropicals, continued
They are super juicy and sweet with almost no stringy fibers and a small pit which means more fruit to eat. They are not subjected to the stress of a hot water bath, as most imported mangos are, contributing to a delicious eating experience. Don’t shy away from these green mangos because Keitts remain green as they ripen. On Earl’s Weekly Specials!
New! Kiwano Horned Melon taste like a mix of cucumber, kiwis and bananas when ripe. The fruit will have an orange rind and give slightly to gentle pressure when ripe. Cut in half like a kiwi fruit and scoop out the fruit or squeeze the cut fruit from the bottom and tilt the loosened fruit into your mouth. The seeds are edible but the real flavor is in the green flesh! Grown by Sunrise Farms (Buellton).
VEGETABLES
An intense heat wave is coming over the Labor Day weekend and into Labor Day week. Temperatures will reach over 105 degrees in many growing regions including Salinas Valley and Bakersfield. The heat affects our food production, putting not only the plants and fruit at risk but the people harvesting our food. Once the temperature reaches 90-95 degrees it is too hot to be in the field picking and workers need to be sent home. Hot days and fewer hours to pick will affect supply and quality across various commodities.
Some summer fruits such as Watermelon, Tomatoes, and Melons like the heat, however if it gets too hot for an extended period of time the plants become stressed, interrupting their production cycle, slowing down the ripening process and preventing necessary nutrients from reaching the plant. For many plants like Tomatoes, new fruit will not set in high heat conditions. The flowers will not pollinate, leading to gaps in production down the road.
What can you expect?
We may see sunburn on Hot Pepper plants as well as Tomato plants. The tomatoes that were cooked will need to be pulled off the vine and composted. The good news is that the sunburned pepper and tomato plants will recover.
Expect to see a little sunburn on some Lettuce varieties. Romaine and Butter Lettuce will show the worst damage with browning around the top of the leaves. Prices will continue to rise on Lettuce, Broccoli, Cauliflower, Iceberg, Sweet Baby Broccoli amongst others. Expect prices to remain volatile for at least a few weeks.
Strawberries can be cooked by excessive heat. Volume will most likely tighten up.
Herbs, in particular Basil, are susceptible to quality issues from the heat. The plants need a recovery period of at least 7-10 days, depending on crop damage it could be longer.
Artichokes open to flower in the heat. Expect production to be reduced.
We will continue to update you on the impacts from the heat, but there is a good chance we will see shortages in production down the road.
Tutti Frutti Heirloom Tomatoes
Rincon Hass Avocados
Corno di Toro
asparagus
Supply is steady out of Mexico with standard sizes prevalent.
ARTICHOKES
Steady production, weather dependent. We may see production decrease with the Labor Day heat wave. Flush in a few weeks with more availability.
bunched beets
Red and Gold Beets from Ralph’s (Vernon, WA) are beautiful. May see a disruption over the holiday weekend. Jumbo Beets are a good value option.
VARIETAL BEANS
Dwelley Specialty Beans-Cranberry is back! Blue Lake, French, Romano and Yellow Wax good supply.
bROCCOLI & broccoli crowns
Volatile and limited.
sweet baby bROCCOLI
Price is starting to come up with good quality.
Brussels Sprouts
More local product is coming on with great quality for at least a few more weeks. Bagged Brussels are hard to find.
cabbage
Strong on Green and Red with good pricing. May see a gap at the beginning of the week on Napa.
carrots
Stunning Purple, Sweet Yellow and Nantes Carrots from Sunrise. Sunrise is gapping on Rainbow Carrots. Ralph’s Rainbow Carrots will help bridge the gap.
Cauliflower
Strong market. May see some hiccups due to the heat wave.
Romanesco
Lakeside looks sharp.
celery
Celery is steady and promotable.
corn
Dwelley Corn is coming to an early end due to heavy worm pressure.
cucumbers
Plenty of Slicers. Wilgenburg Euros will return after Labor Day. Euro Cukes have dried up out of Mexico and will come back mid-week.
eggplant
Eggplant class is robust! Japanese from Full Belly joins Sunrise Farms Striped Graffiti and Purple Dancer (pink, mild Italian varietal with non-bitter flesh). Orient Express from Coke Farm (long and slender with thin purple skin and light flavor, it is a favorite for Asian dishes).
ginger
New crop!
tumeric
River Road (Hawaii).
greens
Local greens from Tomatero, Sun Valley, Lakeside and Sunrise!
Tomatero Chard should return this week. Red Chard is tight. Green and Lacinato is abundant from Tomatero and Sun Valley.
herbs
Tomatero Basil season is slowing down and easily affected by the heat (more under market update). Bunched Dill from Calo is back. Cilantro prices are ticking up.
lettuce
Sunrise Salanova - green, red and mixed pack - is gorgeous. Red and Green Butter from Cal-O has excellent quality. Romaine Heart market tightened due to quality issues with higher prices. Keep an eye out for tip burn due to the heat wave.
leeks
Ralph’s (WA) has long white shanks. Tomatero (Watsonville) is strong and steady.
mushrooms
Heat wave in Canada a few weeks ago continues to affect supply on Crimini Jumbos and Criminis and White loose packs.
bell peppers
All colors out of Mexico and Canada with more coming on out of California. Sunrise pretty Purple Bell Peppers along with a trickle of Choice Peppers.
sweet/hot peppers
Sweet Corno di Toro (Bull Horn) Peppers are perfect for grilling, roasting and stuffing. Anaheim, Jalapeno, Serrano, Padron, Poblano and Shishito are in good supply. Lots of Local Hot Peppers, Padrons and Shishitos. New from Sunrise, Shishito cello bags! Download our Hot Pepper Guide.
onions
Terra Firma is done with Red Onions and Yellow shortly after that. Nature’s Bounty will be it for California and then transitioning to PWN Anderson Product.
potatoes
Still rolling with Calo California Gold. Bouchey Russets (PNW) are in a good spot through the end of the year. Bouchey Bulk Fingerlings (PNW) Monday! Sunrise New Fingerling Potatoes are back with Amarosa, Purple and Rainbow. Bouchey Fingerlings are available in bagged and bulk - Medley, Purple, Amarosa and Red French.
roots
Montecucco (PNW is one of the best root growers in the country. Parsnips, Rutabaga, Red and Gold Beets rolling full steam by mid-October! Anna’s Fall Crops in a few weeks: Baby Bok Choy, Radishes and Daikon.
spinach
Bunched Spinach from Lakeside continues to gap. Oceanside will be filling in.
summer squash
Tomatero has moved into a flush of Zucchini with aggressive pricing.
sweet potatoes
Smooth transition into fresh new crop and we are seeing volumes improve. Fresh crop Sweet Potatoes will not be as sweet as the storage crop, as the starches have not yet turned to sugar.
tomatoes
California Heirloom Tomatoes have outstanding flavor. Tutti Frutti Mixed Heirlooms are sharp. Grower Chris Cadwell will continue to have abundant supply on heirlooms through September and October, weather dependent. We are keeping an eye on the Labor Day week heat wave. Stay tuned for updates.
Momotaros have a perfect balance of sweet and tangy, it's no wonder this variety is one of the most common fresh market tomatoes in Japan. It has a dark pink color with a delicate flesh, perfect for slicing onto sandwiches or into salads.
Dry Farmed Early Girls from Ambrosio have a sweet concentrated flavor. A bounty of Cherry Tomato Varietals from local growers - Durst, Anna’s and Comanche Creek!
tomatillos
Beautiful Green Tomatillos from Coke.
winter squash
Tutti Frutti Winter Squash Bins are here! The shift from late summer to Fall is starting. Tutti Frutti leads the way with Acorn, Buttercup, Butternut, Carnival, Delicata, Kabocha, Red Kuri and Spaghetti! NEW the coveted Honeynut, sweet and nutty when roasted with a hint of caramel. And don’t miss the stunning orange Kabocha from Sunrise Farms (Buellton). Dwelley Hard Squash in 1-2 weeks.
FOLLOW THE FLAVOR @EARLSORGANIC ON INSTAGRAM
VEGUCATION CORNER
