• NEW!

    • Dried Apricots (Turkey)
    • African Shaddock Pummelo (Monday)
    • Melogold Grapefruit (Monday)
    • Nagami Kumquats
    • Mandarinquats
    • TDE and Algerian Mandarins (Monday)
    • Tango Mandarins
    • Crespo Ataulfo Mango (Mexico)
    • Mini Seedless Watermelon (Mexico)

    Download Earl’s Winter Citrus Guide.

  • COMING SOON

    • Red Grapes (later this week)
    • Import Bartlett (by early March)
    • Gold Nugget Mandarins

  • BACK IN STOCK

    • Dole Pineapples

  • TIGHT INVENTORY

    • Artichokes
    • Anna’s Napa Cabbage
    • Thai Coconuts
    • Red and Medley FIngerlings
    • Little Gems

  • GAPPING

    • Sunchokes

  • WINDING DOWN

    • Burdock (WA)
    • Daisy Mandarins
    • Clementines
    • California Kiwis
    • Asian Pears

  • FINISHED

    • Bacon Avocados
    • Pom Arils
    • Montecucco Gold Beets and Parsnips

BUYER’S NOTES

Updated January 29, 2023

FRUIT

fruit update

The Big Game is February 12th!  Look for Fair Trade Equal Exchange Avocados and other essentials to be on Earl’s Weekly Specials this week! 

As we get into warmer weather with a break from the rain, new varieties of Citrus are rolling in. Learn why citrus varietals have been delayed this season as well as having limited volume in our vegucation blog below.

Fruit World Blood Oranges will continue through February. Really great flavor and color with tart and raspberry flavors.  Minneolas are super juicy and eating great out of hand. New this week! TDE, Tango, and Algerian Mandarins, and Buck Nagami Kumquats and Mandarinquats. Learn more under the citrus section below and make sure to download our Earl’s Citrus Guide. Star Ruby and Rio Red Grapefruit have great flavor and volume. Cara Cara Pink Navels have a few more weeks with excellent flavor.

Getting to the end of the California Kiwi season with smaller sizing with a seamless transition to Italian product. Asian Pears winding down. Grab Shin Lis while they are available.

 
 

Melogold Grapefruit

Apples

SugarBee Club Apple back in good volume along with Opal, Envy and Jazz Club Apples. Stay tuned for a gorgeous high color Gala Apple limited opportunity on an 88ct WXFP out of Washington this week.

Avocados

Good volume for THE BIG GAME with aggressive pricing. Stay tuned for more information on all the essentials for the match on February 12th. The rain is ending the Bacon Avocado season early.

Bananas

Earl’s carries Fair Trade Bananas year-round. Download Earl’s Banana Ripening and Handling guide.

Berries 

Blackberries: Supply is good out of Mexico.

Blueberries: California CWP Blueberries available 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 are sweet with a hint of tart flavor.

 

Fair Trade Avocados for The Big Game February 12th

Citrus

TDE Mandarins are a triple cross between a Temple Tangor, a Dancy Mandarin and an Encore Mandarin. They have a deep orange exterior color with a very sweet, rich color.

African Shaddock Pummelos have a medium thick rind and low acidity, giving them their sweet tart flavor.

Melogold Grapefruits are sweet with a mellow low acid flavor, a thinner rind and a deeper gold rind than their sibling, the Oroblanco.

Valencias (Mexico) have good flavor and a value juicing option.

Benzler Lisbon Lemons are exceptionally pretty.

Marsalisi Lemons from Side Hill have outstanding color and flavor. On Earl’s Weekly Specials.

Blood Oranges have tightened up with smaller sizes. 

Cara Cara Navels will go through February with great flavor.

Limes historically are tight at this time of year with high prices.

Fall

Pom Arils are done until Peru start up in a few weeks.

 

African Shaddock Pummelos

Grapes

Sweet Globe Green Seedless Grapes (Peru) have excellent crunch and flavor. Red Seedless Grapes (Peru) coming soon.

Kiwi

California is coming to an end with imports from Italy coming this week.

Melons

Mini Mix Watermelons have good flavor and texture out of Mexico.

Pears

Asian Pears winding down. Grab Shin Lis while they are available.

Tropicals

Ataulfos (Mexico) are smooth and buttery and eating great. Kent (Perus) round mangos have pretty blushed flesh with minimal fibers. Thai Coconuts have tightened up. Dole Pineapples are back. Covilli Oaxacan Pineapples are in good supply.

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.  The frost is not affecting the quality.

Looking down the road: As growers transition back to the Salinas/Watsonville growing region in the spring, we will most likely will see some gaps due to the rainstorms in December/January, creating a space of scarcity.  Stay tuned for updates.

Covilli Mixed Heirlooms are in peak volume and flavor. Highlight the best tasting tomatoes on the market! Talk to your Earl’s Sales Rep about volume opportunities. 

We will see some organicgirl Salad Mixes tighten up this week due to the heavy rain and evacuations in the Salinas area.

 
 

Covilli Jalapenos

Asparagus

Back in this week from Queen Victoria in large sizes.

Artichokes

Lakeside gapping through January due to the recent storms. Will see some from Ocean Mist.

Beets and Parsnips

Montecucco Gold Beets and Turnips are done. Montecucco Parsnips another month as we transition from the PNW back to California.

Green Beans

Rain and cooler weather in Mexico slowed down the Covilli Green Bean harvest last week and supply is back to normal this week.

Broccoli

In fantastic volume! Prices will hold for a few weeks.

 

Sweet Nantes Carrots for The Big Game Crudité platters

Sweet Baby Broccoli

In great supply from Josie’s and Tomatero.

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. On Earl’s Weekly Specials!

Carrots

Cal-O Red Carrots are a seasonal offering. Mix up your carrot display with Sunrise Yellow and Purple Carrots. Nantes Carrots are in excellent volume, just in time for crudité platters for The Big Game!

 

Cauliflower in promotable volumes out of the desert

Cauliflower

Will see some Purple from Sun Valley. 

Chicories

Radicchio is tight. Will see some out of Mexico.

Romanesco

Good supply from Lakeside and Organic Treat.

Celery

Josie’s Celery continues to size up smaller due to the cold weather. Will see some bigger sizes from Lakeside. Prices will start to come down with a more dramatic decrease in a few weeks.

Cucumbers

Euro Cucumbers are tight and prices are on the rise. Persians are a bit tight on bags, but plenty of bulk. Euro 1-1/9 bushels is the same as getting 3 cases in 1 at an excellent price. Limited availability!

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. Sunrise starting up with Purple Kohlrabi. 

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. 

Onions

Anderson Shallots and Cipollinis are really sharp.

Bell Peppers

All colors in good supply and Mini Mix Peppers are back.

 

Hot Peppers

Good volume on Anaheims, Poblanos, Jalapenos and Serranos for The Big Game. Cherry Bomb Peppers have returned.

Potatoes

Russet pricing is on the rise with counts getting tight. Promotable volume on Bagged Russets. 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.

Peas

Sporadic Snow, Snap and English Peas (Mexico).

Roots

Burdock for another 3-4 weeks.

 

Summer Squash

Covilli has good volume on all grades.

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. Clusters are tight. 

Winter Squash

Acorn, Butternut, Delicata, Honeynut, Kabocha and Spaghetti in good supply from Covilli and Rico (Mexico).

FOLLOW THE FLAVOR @EARLSORGANIC ON INSTAGRAM

The large Intennza Papaya has a melon-like flavor, fragrant aroma and beautiful salmon red interior. The flesh is firm, but juicy, with one of the least acidic flavors of any papaya variety. When fully ripe, the flesh should turn a deep orange with a
Refreshing Dragon Fruit is a delicious superfood.  It is also known as pitaya, pitahaya, or strawberry pear.  The flesh has edible seeds, and the flavor is slightly sweet and tastes like a cross between a kiwi and a pear. Dragon Fruit come
Happy Valentine’s Day! Strawberries, Raspberries, Blackberries and Blueberries are back with seasonally appropriate quality. It has been cold and rainy. Expect strawberries to have some bruising and white shoulders. Buy a little at a time and b
The TDE Triple Cross Mandarin from Buck is a sweet, rich, and juicy triple threat that pulls from the best characteristics of its notable lineage of Temple Tangor, Dancy, and Encore. The TDE is an easy-to-peel, seedless snack that might just become y
Black Garlic’s flavor is sweet and rich without the bite of fresh garlic. It is a massive umami bomb that can be used for dressing, pasta, marinades, really anything you use garlic for.  12 bags/case. Valentine’s Week Special! At onl
The Big Game is next Sunday, February 9th, the largest demand of the season for avocados! The California season has kicked off and fruit is ripening up nicely with good flavor. The California Hass avocado season can start as early as January/Februar

VEGUCATION CORNER

Featured
WEATHER STRESS DELAYS WINTER CITRUS VARIETALS
WEATHER STRESS DELAYS WINTER CITRUS VARIETALS

The California citrus season has been slow to start and the harvest of mandarin varieties such as the Tango and Page continue to be pushed back. Many years of drought as well as extreme hot weather during the growing season has stressed the trees, crippled crops volume and increased issues such as dry cell.

Read More →