-
NEW!
• Queen Victoria Asparagus (Mexico) Monday
• Covilli Brussel Sprouts
• Sweet Globe Seedless Green Grapes (Peru)
• Page Mandarins
• Minneolas -
COMING SOON
• Tangos
• Kumquats -
BACK IN STOCK
• Purple B size Potatoes
• Ralph’s Leeks
• Cherry Bomb Peppers -
TIGHT INVENTORY
• Celery
• Red and Green Chards
• Eggplant
• Mixed Heirlooms
• Yellow Squash
• Zucchini -
GAPPING
• Juicing Celery
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WINDING DOWN
• Pomegranate Arils
• California Garlic
• California Kiwis
• PNW Fraserland Potatoes -
FINISHED
• Anna’s Red Napa Cabbage
• Montecucco Gold Beets
• Side Hill Satsumas
BUYER’S NOTES
Updated January 15, 2023
FRUIT
fruit update
The rain continues throughout California, but citrus growers have been able to get into the groves to harvest Blood Oranges, Navels, Cara Caras, Minneolas and Page Mandarins. Tangos coming later this week. Don’t miss our Moro Blood Orange blog and find what determines the blush on the skin and different shades of red flesh. Download Earl’s Citrus guide along with seasonal guides and POS to help promote your displays throughout the year. On the berry front, all Berries are represented. Strawberries have seasonally appropriate flavor and color with more volume picking up out of Baja. CWP Blueberries are in house in 12/6oz and pints. Blackberries and Raspberries are coming out of Mexico.
Blood Oranges
January 22nd starts Lunar New Year
Sweet Globe Green Seedless Grapes from Peru
APPLES
Transportation is moving smoothly out of the Pacific Northwest. EverCrisp is the next Club Apple the first week of February.
avocados
More trucks on the road now that the Mexican border is open again and traffic is clearing up. Excellent volume and sizing expected for Super Bowl Sunday on February 12th.
bananas
berries
Blackberries: Supply is good out of Mexico.
Blueberries: Forbidden Blueberries are back out of Lompoc/Santa Maria. Download Forbidden POS cards on our marketing page to highlight your display. CWP Blueberries now in 12/6oz and pints!
Strawberries: Difficult market. Demand is unpredictable and supply is drying up in some areas. Expect prices to be high and volume tight.
Raspberries: Fresh Kampo excellent supply and very tasty!
citrus
Grapefruit supply is solid. Pulling from the desert and Central Valley. Eating exceptionally well with stable pricing on Rio Red and Star Ruby.
Valencias coming out of Mexico with great flavor.
California Lemons good pricing on 115ct/140ct.
Limes prices remain high and limited.
Blood Oranges are delicious eaten out of hand or juiced. Read more about Moro Blood Oranges under Earl’s Vegucation.
Meyer Lemons: Marsalisi winding down. Will have good supply from Side Hill Citrus.
Tangos coming this week
fall
Pomegranate Arils are winding down. Grab them before they are gone. Arils take out all the prep work! Available in 12/4.4oz cups.
grapes
Peruvian Green Seedless Grapes are firm, crunchy and very tasty! Red Seedless in about 10 days. Season will go for approximately 10 weeks.
kiwi
California Family Farms will go for 3-4 more weeks and then we will move into imports.
pears
Red A’njou, Green A’njou and Golden Bosc for another 6 to 8 weeks and then imports will start up with Bartletts late February. Asian Pears for a few more weeks. Shin Li Asian Pear is an elongated variety with yellow thick skin. Available for one more week.
tropicals
Kents (Peru) eating really good. Promtional opportunities available on 8ct. Tommy Atkins out of Mexico coming in February. Feijoas and Passion Fruit are done.
VEGETABLES
vegetable update
Growers continue to have challenges getting into the muddy fields. They are doing their best staying ahead of the storms to get in and out of the row crop fields. The desert coming on in full force. After weeks of Cauliflower being tight to non-existent, it is back in abundance. Now is the time to take advantage of excellent pricing. Ask about promotional opportunities to build out a bigger display. Celery is sizing up slow and will be very tight until late in the week. Prices should start falling with the desert gearing up to full production by the week of 1/23.
Update from Creekside: “With all the weather reports coming in from California, one might think our great state is completely under water. However, that is not the case! Yes, the coastal areas, the San Joaquin Valley, and the Salinas Valley are experiencing widespread flooding and it is impacting the harvest of citrus and other vegetables we have being grown in those areas, but the Imperial Valley is experiencing perfect weather.”
Covilli Jalapenos- Speak with your Earl’s Sales Rep about promotional opportunities
Covilli Green Beans
Covilli Brussels Sprouts
asparagus
Queen Victoria Mexican Asparagus starting up out of Caborca (Monday). Will transition to California Coastal View Produce in February.
artichokes
Lakeside starting up in a small way on 18ct and 24ct.
brussels sprouts
Covilli has a flush of beautiful Brussels. Ask about promotional volume opportunities.
bunched beets
Gold and Red from Cal-O. Montecucco done with Gold Beets.
green beans
Covilli has plenty of volume with good quality.
Broccoli
In fantastic volume! Prices will hold for a few weeks.
sweet baby broccoli
In great supply from Josie’s and Lakeside. Tomatero may be ready with a new field, weather permitting.
broccoli crowns
Plenty of crowns from multiple growers.
cabbage
Anna’s Napa Cabbage arriving once a week due to wet and muddy fields. Green Cabbage prices are dropping as it comes into better volume out of the desert.
carrots
Sunrise and Tomatero have been out of Nantes due to the rain and inability to get into the muddy fields to harvest. Sunrise (Buellton) forecast next week looks clear and harvests should resume as normal. Sun Valley Nantes Carrots on hold until they can get into the muddy fields in Watsonville.
cauliflower
Supply is abundant and promotable! Great quality on all labels out of the desert.
romanesco
Will be hit or miss.
celery
Celery is sizing up slow and will be very tight until late in the week. Juicing Celery is unavailable. Prices should start falling with the desert gearing up to full production by the week of 1/23.
cucumbers
Slicers looking good, however Juicing Cukes are scarce and prices are up. Euros looking better. Persians out of San Diego starting up later this week. Some bulk available, no bags or clams.
eggplant
Globe and Eggplant may be tight.
fennel
Supplies in the desert are looking better.
garlic
Getting to the end of the California season and inventory is winding down and keeping an eye on quality. A few more weeks on Super Colossal and then Colossal through February. Will see an overlap of Argentinean product towards the end of the month with an aggressive price.
greens
Winter Greens nice crisp and robust out of Watsonville with shorter stems. Out of the southern growing regions the bunches are a bit leggier. Quality is high out of both growing regions. Green and Red Chards a little bit more available but demand continues to outpace supply. Rainbow Chards are looking a little better. Dandelions are extremely tight.
herbs
Chives pricing is up. They don’t grow well in colder months and lack of sunlight.
kohlrabi
Green and some Purple.
lettuce
Prices continue to drop, good quality on all varieties and from all shippers.
leeks
Weather dependent, we will see more Ralph’s Leeks (Mt. Vernon, WA)
mushrooms
Sumano Shiitake Mushroom aggressive pricing through January. Good opportunity for a mushroom promotion at a great value.
onions
Yellow Cipollinis winding down in the next few weeks. Shallots plenty to go through February. Green Onions have kicked up with an active market and supply is tightening up.
peas
Another shot of Snap Peas, Snow Peas and English Peas.
bell peppers
Plenty of Red, Yellow and Orange Bell Peppers. Green Bells are scarce.
hot peppers
Anaheims and Poblanos from Covilli are back. Cherry Bombs are back from Atzlan. Covilli is into a flush of Jalapenos. Please speak with your Earl’s Sales Rep about promotional opportunities.
potatoes
Supply getting tighter and quality remains sharp from Fraserland out of Canada. Liv Organics starting up out of Canada great quality on Red and Golds. Purple B size Potatoes Fraserland are stunning! Fingerlings have been sizing up small with nice quality.
roots
One more month for Montecucco Beets, Parsnips and Turnips.
Summer Squash
Covilli Zucchini a little bit here and there. Issues with trucks crossing the border along with labor challenges. Will see some other labels.
Sweet Potato
Pricing is stable with good volume on all labels.
Tomatoes
Covilli coming on strong on Heirloom Tomatoes. Speak with your Earl’s Sales Rep about volume opportunities.
Winter Squash
Covilli packing more Winter Squash varieties.
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VEGUCATION CORNER
Pummelos are the largest fruit in the citrus family and are best recognized by their refreshing, clean citrus fragrance. The Pummelo can be cut open and segmented in 4 easy steps.