-
NEW!
• Bacon Avocados
• Sunrise Choko Bok Choy
• Buck Limequat
• Crespo Dried Mango-Retail and Bulk Packs -
COMING SOON
• Cosmic Crisp Club Apple
• Pomelos -
BACK IN STOCK
• Kabocha Squash
• Bunched Red Radish -
TIGHT INVENTORY
• Yellow Squash
• Asparagus
• Leaf Lettuce
• Crimini Mushrooms
• Mixed Heirloom Tomatoes -
GAPPING
• Thai Basil
-
WINDING DOWN
• California Red Grapes
• Bartlett Pears
• Mini Watermelons -
FINISHED
• Braeburns
• Peruvian Blueberries
• California Green Grapes
BUYER’S NOTES
Updated December 4, 2022
FRUIT
Winter Transition
It is that time of year when many California growers transition their wet veg operation - think Lettuces, Leafy Greens, Broccoli and Cauliflower, from the cooler areas of the Central Coast and Salinas Valley down to the warmer regions in the California desert, Imperial Valley and Yuma, Arizona. The desert regions include Coachella, Thermal and Mecca north of the Salton Sea and south of Palm Springs. The Imperial Valley extends from the southern area of Coachella, past the Salton Sea and all the way down to the border of Mexico. Warm veg is now mostly coming out of Baja California and northern Mexico - think Zucchini, Green Beans, Hot Peppers, Colored Bells, Cucumbers and Tomatoes.
As we approach the winter solstice on December 21st it is getting colder, and days are becoming shorter. Fewer hours of sun slow down the growth of everything. Fewer hours in the day to harvest can lead to light volumes. Also, during winter the entire United States is pulling vegetables from the same area, which limits the quantities available and can lead to higher prices.
Covilli Organics Warm Veg Mexican Crop Update: We have a good supply of Covilli Green Beans, Zucchini, Jalapeno and Acorn Squash. Heirloom Tomatoes are tight due to the recent rain, but we expect volume to increase in the next few weeks. Stay tuned for produce updates throughout the winter months.
Lettuce Update: Iceberg, Red and Green Leaf, Red and Green Butter and Romaine Lettuce continue to be tight as growers transition down to the desert and cold weather slows down production. Lettuce prices will be high through December, and we won’t see any real relief on pricing until January. Great substitute options include Pete’s Living Butter Lettuce, Little Gems, Salanova, organicgirl Salad Mixes and Loose Spring Mix.
Side Hill Satsumas
Arkansas Black Apples
New! Crespo Dried Mangos-Retail and Bulk Packs
APPLES
Packers can’t keep up with the demand with Fujis, having to be flexible on sizing! Braeburns are finished, but Club Apples are in a great spot. For heirlooms, grab your Arkansas Blacks from Cuyama while you can!
AVOCADOS
A hiccup in Avocado transport led to a small gap last week. Not expecting any issues this week. New! 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: Tomatero is still seeing solid production out of Watsonville, along with Mexican producers Greenbelle and Dovex.
Blueberries: Peruvian product at the end of its season, arriving to the warehouse without any legs. Looking to source from Mexico moving forward. Still waiting for the “Snow Chaser” variety of Forbidden blues to increase production!
Strawberries: Starting to see some production out of Mexico, supply still hit or miss for now. Expect more relief mid- to end- of December, as we move into our Winter Berry program.
Raspberries: Moving forward with Fresh Kampo and Sunbelle Raspberries, seeing excellent quality.
citrus
Grapefruit: Plenty of Rio Reds and Star Rubys.
Valencias: Solid choice supply out of Mexico.
Navels: RVO and Benzler out of Atwood provide the best eating experience! Caras should be available in 2-4 weeks.
California Lemons: Lots of great product. Meyers available from Marsalisi for another week or two, with plenty from Side Hill.
New from Buck! Limequat - a cross between a key lime and kumquat. It has a sweet tasting skin and bittersweet pulp with a flavor similar to limes. Eat them whole like a kumquat or use the skins to flavor deserts and drinks.
Mandarins: Side Hill Satsumas coming into their full flush! Incredible flavor, easy to peel, the perfect snack. Cuties looking to start this week or next, depending on quality!
Pomelos: Coming soon! Mid-December to early January.
grapes
Green Grapes came to an abrupt end as expected, with Red Grapes holding on a bit longer. Hoping to see some Import Green Grapes from Peru in the next few weeks.
kiwi
Homegrown California Mammoth Kiwis (Porterville) are available in 20/1# (3-4 kiwis per clamshell) and Volume Fill. An eye-catching piece of fruit perfect to highlight next to your bulk display. Meet the Mammoth Kiwi growers in the field.
melons
Cantaloupes saw some gaps last week, but Honeydew starting up. Mini Watermelons towards the end of their season, finished in the next week or two.
nuts
Don’t miss our nut category with Bulk Almonds, Bulk Halves/Pieces and Whole Walnuts and Bagged Pistachios in shell. Sweet and meaty, Chestnuts are a winter favorite. Click here for tips to cooking and eating chestnuts.
pears
Classic pear varieties: Bartlett, Bosc, and D’Anjou. Bartletts are just about done for retail quality.
tropicals
Back into Tommy Atkins supply from Ecuador.
Covilli Pink Dragon Fruit is a delicious super food. Formosa Papayas will be gapping for a bit due to quality issues. Look to the large delicious Intennza for your papaya needs.
tropicals, continued
Ask your Earl’s Sales rep for a sample of Crespo’s New Dried Mangos, a super sweet and chewy snack!
VEGETABLES
Anna’s Red and Green Napa Cabbage
Sun Valley Rainbow Chard
Sunrise Mixed Salanova Lettuce
asparagus
Winter trucking schedule means less pallets coming out of Mexican growing regions. This may mean intermittent gaps until Christmas, when the Caborca region starts.
artichokes
Excellent quality from JAS as available.
bunched beets
Slightly limited, landing some Terra Firma again this week.
green beans
Solid supply with many vendors, after a slower start due to the late summer Hurricane. Expect pricing to come down before Christmas. Excellent snap and flavor from Covilli, and a very successful Thanksgiving! Bagged Beans becoming available, ask your Earl’s Sales Rep for larger quantities.
sweet baby broccoli
Lakeside, Josie’s, and a small amount available from Tomatero.
broccoli
Limited supply out of Salinas as the region winds down, looking to other vendors and growing areas.
bok choy
New! Sunrise Choko Bok Choy has larger heads, similar to a full sized bok choy. Heavy frost in the valley wiped out a good portion of Anna’s Organics Bok Choy. Lakeside looking to be in better shape.
brussels sprouts
Solid supplies, though Bagged Brussels still largely unavailable.
carrots
Tomatero Nantes Carrots are very fresh to supplement Sunrise.
cauliflower
Keeping smaller sizes in stock for a value deal (20ct).
romanesco
A mix of Sun Valley, Lakeside, and Tomatero.
cabbage
Excellent supply & quality from Anna’s through the Winter. Try out their gorgeous Red Napa and get your customers excited about winter salads!
celery
Sizing smaller in the fields after the big pulls for Thanksgiving. Leaning more heavily on 30ct cases.
cucumbers
Fair Trade Divine Slicing Cucumbers are back this week. Good supply on Bulk Persians as well as Euro Cucumbers. Bagged Persians continue to be tight.
eggplant
Globe and Graffiti are available.
greens
Tomatero and Sun Valley will produce gorgeous greens through the winter, though not always able to fill our full supply. Full needs require some label flexibility and we will carefully QC any off labels.
herbs
Great movement over the holiday! No issues to report.
lettuce
Limited harvests and late transitions into the desert. Green and Red Butter available from Lakeside as Cal-O runs into a gap. Leaf Lettuce extremely limited, and we don’t expect to see price breaks anytime soon. Capay (out of Capay Valley) is currently the best option when available. Please give feedback to your Earl’s Sales Rep about what you’d like to see on offer from us.
organicgirl looking to be more consistent and fully transitioned to the desert. Expect intermittent gaps on Little Gems, Butter, Butter Plus, and Romaine – but we’ve definitely turned the corner.
Loose Salad Greens are now coming out of Yuma, which led to a loading hiccup last week. Should be back on track this week.
leeks
Price going up from Ralph’s post-holiday. Will continue to bring them in as a best-quality option.
bell peppers
Price coming down on Red Bells now that we’re in a better spot on availability.
hot peppers
Jalapenos looking fairly tight, but plenty of Anaheims, Serranos, Poblanos. More Covilli Hot Peppers starting up in the next month!
onions
Green Onion pricing holding with good supply from Cal-O. 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
Incredible quality on all Russet, Gold and Reds. Good supply on Tasteful Selection Potatoes.
peas
Bagged Snow Peas available from Del Cabo sporadically. Snaps looking like another month or so until available.
radish
Cal-O a bit delayed in their transition to the desert. Anna’s experiencing frost damage, and we will supplement with Lakeside product.
summer squash
Price starting to creep up, with plenty of supply from Covilli. Yellow Squash on the tight side.
sweet potatoes
tomatoes
1 Layer, Romas, and Clusters looking solid with good pricing on the latter. Covilli Mixed Heirlooms on the tight side due to rain. Look for open pint Cherry Tomatoes from Del Cabo.
winter squash
Kabocha back into supply from Mexico! Plenty of Acorn, Butternut, Delicata, Honeynut (edible thin skin), Orangetti, Spaghetti and Sweet Dumpling.
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