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april highlights
• California Coastal View Produce Asparagus
• Earth Day - April 22nd -
NEW!
• California Betterful Blueberries
• Rhubarb - early week
• California Avocados
• Abate Fetel, Durondeau and Alexander Lucas Dessert Pears -
promotable volume
• California Betterful Blueberries Pints
• Tutti Frutti (Buellton) Sugar Snap Peas
• Covilli Fair Trade Green Beans
• Mexican Queen Victoria Asparagus -
COMING SOON
• Comanche Creek (Chico) Purple and Green Snap Peas, English Peas, Fava Beans and Spring Green Garlic
• Import Abate Fetel Pears
• Cherries and Apricots - early May
• California Coachella Grapes - May
• Watsonville/Salinas Berry season - May -
BACK IN STOCK
• Organicgirl Arugula this week
• Purple Baby Sweet Broccoli
• Sunrise Rainbow and Yellow Carrots
• Horseradish -
TIGHT INVENTORY
• Artichokes - large sizes
• Bunched Spinach
• Celery 30ct
• Red Butter Lettuce -
GAPPING
• Tasteful Selections Bagged Potatoes
• Terra Dolce - Dried Anaheim and New Mexico Chiles
• Red Onions
• Delicata Squash -
WINDING DOWN
• Mexican Avocados
• Mizuna
• Peruvian Import Grape Season -
finished
• Yellow Cipollini Onions
• Burdock
BUYER’S NOTES
Updated March 31, 2024
FRUIT
fruit mARKET update
Warmer weather last week brings us the first of the delicious Betterful Blueberries grown in Richgrove, California in the Central Valley! The large snow chaser varieties have fantastic flavor and a pretty bloom, a sign of freshness. Packed in pints, Betterful Blueberries are in promotable volumes.
The rain did not hit the Central Coast hard and we will also see premium Forbidden Blueberries with firm texture and great flavor as well as a HGO Blueberries, a great California 6oz value option with good flavor.
Blackberries and Raspberries will continue out of Baja until summer. California Strawberry volume is increasing. Look for CWP (Santa Maria) and Tomatero (Watsonville). AG Berries (Arroyo Grande) will start up post rain later this week. Look for volume to pick up in May.
It’s springtime and the Citrus season is winding down. Cara Caras and Navels will wrap up in a few weeks. Mandarins are winding down with high sugar on late season fruit.
We are at the tail end of the California Kiwi season. New Zealand will start in May with Greens followed by Sun Golds.
This is the last of the import Red Seedless Grapes until Coachella starts up in May.
Abate Fetel, Durondeau and Alexander Lucas Dessert Pears are a sweet treat. Abate Fetel sweetness is balanced by a complex floral palate. They should be eaten when they are barely soft to the touch. They are excellent baked in tarts and cakes. Alexander Lucas Pears have crisp white flesh with an incredible aromatic fragrance. When ripe they have a beautiful buttery texture that melts in your mouth. They are best eaten out of hand. Durondeau Pears are a bit tart with a crisp bite and a floral flavor. They are fantastic for cooking and eating out of hand.
We are about a month away from the kick off of Stone Fruit season with Apricots and Cherries starting to pop up around May 1st. It is time to get excited about the change of seasons and start thinking about stone fruit displays. Ask your Earl’s Sales Rep how we can help build beautiful displays and help with cross merchandising ideas.
Apples
As the season shifts, look for varied sizing across multiple classes. In Apples, we have multiple Honeycrisp offerings for price flexibility, as well as 100-count Fujis and Pink Ladys for a value option. Don’t miss the good variety of local California Apples with outstanding flavor from Cuyama including Sweeties, Lady Apples and Crab Crimson Gold.
Avocados
Mexican Avocado season continues to slow down as we near the end. California starting up with larger 48ct. The trees are full of fruit and in order to continue to size and produce, the tree needs to be relieved of their burden to make room for the next more flavorful picking. Read the full blog under Earl’s Vegucation.
Bananas
Earl’s is a banana house! We have six banana ripening rooms in our warehouse on The SF Market. Ask us how we can help build your banana program. Download Earl’s banana ripening, handling and receiving guides on our marketing resource page.
Berries
Blackberries and Raspberries will continue out of Baja until summer.
California Strawberry volume is increasing. Look for CWP (Santa Maria) and Tomatero (Watsonville). AG Berries (Arroyo Grande) will start up post rain later this week.
Blueberries: Warmer weather last week brings us the first of the delicious Betterful Bluberries grown in Richgrove, California in the Central Valley! The large snow chaser varieties have fantastic flavor and a pretty bloom, a sign of freshness. Packed in pints, Betterful Blueberries are in promotable volumes.
The rain did not hit the Central Coast hard and we will also see premium Forbidden Blueberries with firm texture and great flavor as well as a HGO Blueberries, a great California 6oz value option with good flavor.
Citrus
It’s springtime and the Citrus season is winding down.
We are getting to the end of Blood Oranges. Grab them while they are still available.
Cara Caras are sliding away. Cold and rainy weather can bring on quality issues post-harvest such as clear rot.
Navels are coming to their natural end with possibly another few weeks left.
Mandarins are winding down with high sugar on late season fruit.
Marsh Grapefruit are a bullet diamond and will blow your socks off! A super tasty piece of fruit, they are sweet with floral undertones and low tangy acidity. Rio Red Grapefruit are transitioning from San Diego to the Central Valley. California Valencias looking to start the 2nd week of April. The first will start off with low color and more tart than sweet. The sugars will be higher on Mexican Valencias and a better eating piece of fruit.
California Lemons and Mexican Fair Trade Limes in good supply.
grapes
This is the last of the import Red Seedless Grapes until Coachella starts up in May.
kiwi
We are at the tail end of the California Kiwi season. New Zealand will start in May with Greens followed by Sun Golds.
melons
We may see a gap on Mini Seedless Watermelons the front side of this week.
pears
D’Anjou and Golden Bosc are winding down. Abate Fetel, Durondeau and Alexander Lucas Dessert Pears are a sweet treat.
Abate Fetel sweetness is balanced by a complex floral palate. They should be eaten when they are barely soft to the touch. They are excellent baked in tarts and cakes.
Alexander Lucas Pears have crisp white flesh with an incredible aromatic fragrance. When ripe they have a beautiful buttery texture that melts in your mouth. They are best eaten out of hand.
Durondeau Pears are a bit tart with a crisp bite and a floral flavor. They are fantastic for cooking and eating out of hand.
Durondeau Pears
stone fruit
We are about a month away from the kick off of Stone Fruit season with Apricots and Cherries starting to pop up around May 1st. It is time to get excited about the change of seasons and start thinking about stone fruit displays. Ask your Earl’s Sales Rep how we can help build beautiful displays and help with cross merchandising ideas.
tropicals
Pineapples and Papayas are in good supply. Covilli Oaxacan Pineapples are sharp! Crespo is peaking on larger Ataulfo sizes with a range of sizes coming on in April with promotable volume for Cinco de Mayo.
VEGETABLES
download coastal view produce california asparagus pos cards for your display!
veg mARKET update
Spring time is the season to promote Peas! Tutti Frutti in a good production space on English and Snap Peas.
Fun Fact: One pound of shelled English Peas is approximately 1 cup of peas.
Mexican Asparagus is winding down and soon we will be fully into California. Coastal View Produce volume picked up for the Easter holiday, however cold and rainy weather is back, cooling down the soil and slowing down production a bit. Expect CVP volume to really get going in April.
March is Spring transition time with growers moving their operations back to the northern growing regions. We will see better supply and quality and pricing in the coming weeks. In the meantime Baby Bok Choy is growing slow and not sizing up. Baby Sweet Broccoli is a little more available with some local growers coming on. Josie’s Regenerative Baby Sweet Broccoli is solid. High pricing continues on Lettuce and heads are sizing up small.
Wild Foraged Morels were halted due to wind and rain. We will see some Spring Morels coming out of higher altitude soon.
Onions will be very tight for April, and we will see gaps on Red and White Onions. New crop will be starting up in May out of Coachella Valley. There is no word on when Mexico will start up.
Asparagus
Mexican Asparagus is winding down and soon we will be fully into California. Coastal View Produce volume picked up for the Easter holiday, however cold and rainy weather is back, cooling down the soil and slowing down production a bit.
Downloadable Coastal View Produce POS cards above!
Artichokes
Cold weather is slowing growth down with mainly 24ct sizes being harvested.
bunched beets
Montecucco is done harvesting Gold Beets. Red Beets will continue a little longer.
Fair Trade Green Beans and Brussels Sprouts
In excellent supply from Covilli.
brOCCOLI
Purple Baby Broccoli is back. It is not only pretty but the deep purple color means it is packed with antioxidants.
brussels sprouts
Wonderful supply for the Easter holiday.
SWEET BABY broccoli
Josie’s Regenerative Baby Sweet Broccoli is good looking.
carrots
Sunrise Sweet Bunched Nantes Carrots are plentiful as well as Purple and Yellow.
comanche creek
Comanche Creek (Chico) is starting to come to life soon we will see Green and Purple Sugar Snap Peas.
garlic
Last of the California Garlic. Argentinian Garlic is sharp with pretty white and uniform sized heads. We will transition into Mexico after Argentina and then back into California in the summer.
ginger
Gaps on Mexican Ginger as we wait for Peru to start up. Peruvian Ginger will be flown in the first or second week of April.
greens
Sunrise (Lompoc) is coming on with Collards, Lacinato and Red Leaf Lettuce.
lettuce
Watsonville/Salinas is just starting up with small sizing on lettuce. Sun Valley coming on with a limited offering on red butter.
mushrooms
Wild Foraged Morels were halted due to wind and rain. We will see some Spring Morels coming out of higher altitude soon.
onions
Onions will be very tight for April, and we will see gaps on Red and White Onions. New crop will be starting up in May out of Coachella Valley. There is no word on when Mexico will start up. Yellow Cipollinis are done for the season. Red and White Spring Onions are steady from Coke.
peas
Spring time is the season to promote Peas! Tutti Frutti in a good production space on English and Snap Peas.
Fun Fact: One pound of shelled English Peas is approximately 1 cup of peas.
bell peppers
A little bit of relief on Red Bell Peppers.
hot peppers
Shishitos are a hit or miss.
potatoes
Storage Crop supplies are dwindling. Colorado Potatoes look sharp from Nature’s Bounty - bigger and more consistent. Prices on Russets, Red and Golds will continue to go up until fresh crop starts in April out of the desert on Reds and Golds and Russets in June. Tasteful gapping on Gold, Red and Medley Bagged Potatoes and Nature’s Bounty will help fill the gap until they start back up in April. Tasteful Bagged Fingerling Potatoes are sharp!
sweet potatoes
The super tasty Charleston Sweet Purple Sweet Potato is a close cousin to the orange-colored yam. It has an elongated shape and striking shade of dark purple. The variety not only holds color during the cooking process, it turns an even darker shade of purple! The Charleston Purple has a drier, denser texture and more balanced sweetness than orange-fleshed sweet potatoes.
Charleston Purple Sweet Potato
tomatoes
Mixed Heirlooms are a bit tight as fruit is coloring up in the field. Volume will look much better in two weeks.
winter squash
Delicata is gapping.
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