-
NEW!
• Clemenule Mandarins
• Minneolas
• Feijoa
• Passion Fruit
• Pummelos -
COMING SOON
• Buck Pummelos
• Tangos early next week
• Blood Oranges by early January -
BACK IN STOCK
• California Bacon Avocados
-
TIGHT INVENTORY
• Artichokes
• Leaf Lettuce
• Fennel
• Organicgirl: butter, little gems, romaine having quality issues with cooler weather out of the desert
• Crimini Mushrooms
• Mixed Heirlooms
• Yellow Squash -
GAPPING
• Thai Basil
• Celery 24ct
• Frisee and Escarole
• Kohlrabi
• Iceberg -
WINDING DOWN
• Melons (Mexico)
-
FINISHED
• Chestnuts
• Green and Black Grapes
• Fuyu Persimmons
• Pomegranates
• Mini Seedless Watermelon
BUYER’S NOTES
Updated December 18, 2022
FRUIT
fruit update
Trucking and weather out of the Pacific Northwest on Apples and Pears will be challenging as we head into Christmas and New Year’s weekends. California Grape season almost made it to Christmas. Imports will start up in January. Forbidden Blueberries out of Lompoc and Santa Maria are arriving Monday in promotable volumes! Look for large, firm blueberries with outstanding flavor! Speak with your Earl’s Sales Rep about promotional opportunities.
California Winter Citrus season is seeing more varieties come on and the colder nights bring out the deep color on the skin and sugars in the flesh. Satsumas are so easy to peel and have more synephrine, a natural decongestant, than any other mandarin. Eating five Satsumas equals the effect of a Sudafed tablet. Clementines are small, seedless and easy to peel. Cara Cara Navels’ interior flesh is reddish pink, often as dark as Star Ruby Grapefruit. They have a more complex flavor than regular navel oranges and a lower acidity that resembles Cranberries, Strawberries and Raspberries. Minneola Tangelos are a cross between a Dancy Tangerine and an ancestral variety of grapefruit called Pommelo. Chandler Pummelos can be as big as a volleyball with a thick rind that needs to be carefully peeled away to reveal the sweet, crisp pink flesh inside. The sweet flavor is well worth the effort it takes to get to the fruit.
Coming this week … Sweet, easy-peeling and irresistible, Clemenules
from Fruit World. Download Earl’s Citrus Guide and follow the flavor.
Cranberries: Can be frozen in their packaging for up to a year.
Feijoa
Passion Fruit
APPLES
We are now fully into domestic apples with lots of delicious Club Apples to choose from. Crisp, juicy, sweet tart. The Cosmic Crisp Club Apple is a large, juicy apple with a remarkably firm and crisp texture. We think it snaps when you bite into it! The Cosmic Crisp is a rich red that almost sparkles with starburst like lenticels. Eat fresh out of hand and holds up well when baked or cooked.
SugarBee Club Apples have high sugar levels at harvest. They have a good snap in every bite. Flesh is a creamy white with red blush skin. It is a good storage apple. Excellent for cider apple, eating fresh out of hand and holds up well when baked or cooked.
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. Club varieties are licensed for growing and marketing by a plant breeder or corporate entity which owns the legal rights to that variety. Licensees are growers and marketers depending on the license system. Find out the Benefits of Club Apples.
avocados
Bacon Avocados have smooth bright green skin and creamy pale green flesh. Their mild flavor is delicious on avocado toast or in a winter citrus salad. Be careful when cutting this avocado into slices as the skin is very thin and delicate. We recommend peeling back the skin and then slicing the avocado.
bananas
Temperatures are dropping down into the 20’s in many areas. Bananas are extremely susceptible to fluctuating temperatures. Please take a moment to review Earl’s Banana Handling and Receiving Guide and let your Earl’s Sales Rep know if you have any questions.
berries
Blackberries: Lots of delicious fruit out of Mexico.
Blueberries: Some California fruit along with product out of Mexico.
Strawberries: Prices remain high with limited fruit coming out of California and Mexico. CWP California fruit is grown in hoop houses. Baja will be starting up any day now.
Raspberries: Good flavor from Fresh Kampo (Mexico).
citrus
Valencias prices will soften a bit more as we get into December. Stock up on Satsumas now! The season historically runs through the very beginning of January.
Lime prices continue to creep up throughout December. Read all about new citrus varieties and download Earl’s Citrus Guide under the Fruit Market update.
fall
Fuyu Persimmons and Pomegranates are done. Pomegranate Arils are back and make prepping delicious meals for the holidays easier!
grapes
Domestic done until beginning of January when imports start up.
kiwi
In good supply from California through January.
melons
Mini Seedless Watermelon (Mexico) are done until January.
pears
Golden Bosc Pears are sweeter and more flavorful earlier in the ripening process than other pear varieties. As a result, the complex flavor, honey-sweetness, and juiciness of Bosc can be enjoyed before their flesh has fully softened. They are ideal for use in baking, broiling or poaching. They retain their shape and texture better than other varieties, and their flavor is less likely to be overwhelmed by the use of strong spices like cinnamon, clove or nutmeg. Red D’Anjou add that holiday pop of color with a mild, sweet flavor and smooth texture. Also make an excellent centerpiece.
tropicals
Feijoas and Passion Fruit from Swift Subtropicals in San Luis Obispo: The Feijoa, sometimes known as the Pineapple Guava, is a lime-green, egg-shaped fruit with a soft, succulent flesh similar in texture to a pear with flavors of pineapple and banana. Originally a native of South America, the fruit is now grown in California and New Zealand. The fragrance is intoxicating. Cut them in half and scoop out the fruit. Can also be used to bake breads, cakes and other wonderful treats.
Passion Fruit are in peak season with excellent color and flavor. They are ripe and ready to eat when they start to wrinkle. Cut in half, scoop out and eat the pulp and seeds! Passion Fruit is native to Brazil and is known to have calming properties and is used as a sleeping aid, to calm nerves and relief.
Passion Fruit
VEGETABLES
vegetable update
Pre-cut Program: Earl’s pre-cut program is here for all of your holiday needs! Pre-order with a 2-day lead time and make your holiday season a little easier. Order Monday by 12pm for a Wednesday delivery. Download the order form.
Trucking and weather out of the Pacific Northwest and Nevada, particularly on Potatoes and Onions, will be challenging as we head into Christmas and New Year’s weekends. JMB Asparagus is done. Market is taking a breather for weeks and we will be back in after Christmas with Ippolito out of Caborca, Mexico. Coastal View Produce California Asparagus could start as early as February. Covilli’s Green Bean program is peaking with bagged beans, 25# and 15# bulk green beans. Stock up now for Christmas! Sonora, Mexico looks dry and warm with temperatures moving into the 80s this week, perfect for warm veg crops.
Cooler nights are limiting the beginning of the desert season as product is growing slower. Leaf Lettuce is starting up out of the desert in small quantities with good quality. Prices will start to come down towards the end of the week. Romaine Hearts are in good supply out of the desert with prices starting to fall. Iceberg is now gapping until the beginning of the new year as growers are waiting for it to come on in the desert.
Sunrise Choko Bok Choy: Delicate flavor with a big crunch!
Cauliflower: Tutti Frutti 20ct bulk is a great value deal!
Sun Valley Rainbow Chard: The cold weather makes the colors pop!
asparagus
JMB Asparagus is done. Market is taking a breather for weeks and we will be back in after Christmas with Ippolito out of Caborca, Mexico.
artichokes
Market is tight, waiting for Artichokes to size up.
baby bok choy
Cal-O good volume out of Watsonville with stable prices.
bunched beets
Nice Local Beets from Sun Valley and Terra Firma. Beet Greens can handle the weather, are frost tolerant and not hammered with pests.
Sun Valley Romanesco and hoop house Greens starting up right after Christmas and we may see some Red Radish from under hoop houses this week. Sun Valley Nantes Carrots program starting in 2 weeks.
varietal beans
Covilli strong on Green Beans through the holidays with steady pricing.
broccoli
Transition to the desert is complete. Low yields out of Mexico are keeping the market on the tight side and prices continue to be high.
broccoli crowns
Starting up a bit slow out of the desert.
sweet baby broccoli
Coming out of Watsonville with good quality and high prices.
brussels sprouts
Solid supplies, though bagged Brussels still largely unavailable.
cabbage
Anna’s Green Cabbage will gap for about a week and Lakeside Cabbage remains tight due to the transition to the desert.
carrots
Tomatero gapping on bunched Nantes through the week. Plenty from Sunrise.
cauliflower
Remains limited. Cool weather and slow to transition to the desert.
chicories
A big rain storm wiped out Frisee and Escarole from Lakeside. There will be a two week gap until Chicories start up out of the desert.
celery
Very tight and price keeps climbing. 24ct is gapping. Celery is the last to transition to the desert and first harvest will be in January.
cucumbers
Plenty of Divine Fair Trade Slicing Cucumbers, Euros and bagged and bulk Persians.
eggplant
Globe and Graffiti out of Mexico.
fennel
Tomatero into a good block. Cal-O, Lakeside and Braga all gapping until the desert starts up in the next week or so.
garlic
Black Garlic is aged fresh garlic with a smooth, soft texture and a rich, sweet taste. Pack Sizes: Peeled Black Garlic 12/5oz jars and 12/2ct bulbs in a bag.
greens
About to start a steady flow of local crisp, robust winter greens. Tomatero starting soon and Sun Valley about to start their hoop houses.
herbs
Holiday Mix clamshells and shipper- Rosemary, Sage, Savory and Thyme!
Tomatero Cilantro in good supply and Italian parsley is just starting up. Parsley is tight and prices are up until harvesting out to the desert.
lettuce
Supply out of the desert is starting slow with good quality. Iceberg gapping until January. Read full update under Veg Market Update.
leeks
We may see some Ralph’s as well as Lakeside.
mushrooms
Crimini inventory is looking slightly better.
bell peppers
#1 Yellow hard to find. Red and Orange are steady. Green (California) limited with the cold weather. Mexico product is in good supply.
hot peppers
Covilli Hot Peppers trickling in. Storm a few months ago affected all varieties except Jalapenos. Cherry Bombs are a few weeks out.
onions
Peri and Sons Earth Bags are convenient and offer a sustainable and eye-catching option. Red and Yellow Cippolini Onions for all your holiday cooking.
potatoes
Cal-O is winding down on their potato program and soon we will fully be into product out of the Pacific Northwest. 90ct and bagged Russets and Gold and Red Potatoes are at a good value and at promotable pricing for the holidays
red radishes
Limited amount due to sizing. Just starting up out of the desert.
roots
Montecucco will be solid through January.
summer squash
A little on the tight side.
tomatoes
Covilli Mixed Heirlooms will increase in volume as they transition from Baja to Guaymas in 2 weeks. Rainbow Cherry Tomatoes are limited.
winter squash
Dwelley winding down on Butternut, Orangetti and Sweet Dumpling will finish their winter squash deal. Squash out of Mexico will pick up soon.
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