Produce notes from Allen......61 local items!

Items ending:

• Organic Black Grapes-the season for southern hemisphere organic grapes is over. Mexican and California seasons begin mid-May.
• Nappa Cabbage will gap for a few weeks
• Organic Green Beans are scarce so we brought in conventional.  When Organic Green Bean supplies become more abundant, we will discontinue the loose conventional and the pre-bagged organic.
• The new crop of Sweet Organic Onions out of Texas has already ended for now.  We will wait for the next new crop sweet organic onion.

"New crop" refers to the first harvests of the year.  Unless they are imported from the southern hemisphere, the Potatoes and Onions we eat all winter and spring have been stored since last fall.  The new crop items this week are:

• Sweet Vidalia Onions from Georgia
• 3 pound bags of Onions
• Organic Red Potato

Coming Monday (we hope!):

• Red Bananas return
• Organic Florida Blueberries
• Organic Peaches from Mexico
• If we are lucky, maybe a couple of hours supply of Hawaiian Ginger

From Chesapeake Organics:

• Mustards
• Green and Red Kale
• Scallions
• Spinach
• Organic Florida Corn

"Mandarin" is the family of citrus that includes Tangerines, Clementines, Satsumas and some of the hybrids that include Mandarins in their parentage.  A hybrid of a Tangerine and Orange is known as a Tangor.  Some hybrids occur in nature, as did the Temple Orange, discovered in Jamaica in the 1890's.  As we near the end of the Mandarin season we offer:

Mandarin Murcott of unknown parentage but likely a hybrid of the Honey Tangerine and a Sweet Orange.  The Honey Tangerine used to be known as the Honey Murcott, but that name was shortened and the name "Murcott" lives on in the Mandarin.  This late season offering is very sweet, not that juicy, and rich in flavor.

 

Orri Mandarin comes from Israel and is a cross between a Temple Orange and a fancy Tangerine.  It is easy to peel, very sweet and juicy.  Small orange citrus that are easy to peel, sweet and juicy are often packed in 5 pound boxes and sold as clementines, but we know better and call them Orri Mandarins. 

 

Allen Zimmerman - Produce Buyer - General Coordinator