Citrus plays a vital role during Lunar New Year celebrations. Many citrus varieties are considered symbols of abundances and good fortune. They are frequently displayed as decoration and presented as gifts. The round shapes and golden hues of citrus symbolize fullness and wealth.

The Chinese word for mandarin sounds similar to the word for “gold,” and mandarins around the home at New Year are thus said to bring riches into your life. Leaf-on and stemmed mandarins are popular to use as decorations to represent long life and fertility. The Chinese word for orange sounds similar to the Chinese word for “success.” The Chinese word for pomelo sounds like “to have” and “again.” Eating pomelos is thought to bring continuous prosperity. The traditional saying is the more you eat, the more wealth it will bring.

The Lunar New Year falls on January 25^th, but citrus will be in high demand well into the new year. Make sure your store is stocked up on all “lucky” varieties!

Valentine’s Day Displays

When it comes to planning your Valentine’s Day displays, bringing in florals is an obvious choice. Flowers are typically a centerpiece for this internationally recognized holiday, but there are other items you can go big on to bolster sales. Berries are always a huge hit for Valentine’s Day—and luckily for us, blackberries, blueberries, raspberries, and strawberries are all in good supply! Provide shoppers with a great selection and have multiple displays of berries located throughout the department and the store. Since packaged berries are a great impulse buy, be strategic and display berries in the customer’s line of sight. Specialty citrus is another great item to promote for Valentine’s Day. Blood Oranges, Cara Caras, and Kumquats are a few of the popular citruses in season and they look great when they are displayed with berries.  Here are a few suggestions to make the most out of your Valentine’s Day displays:

• Merchandise berries at registers and check-out areas to maximize sales.
• Cross-merchandise Champagne or sparkling wine with citrus and strawberries. Keep displays interesting with color contrast and items commonly consumed together.
• Add whipped cream and cheese to refrigerated berry displays.
• Work bouquets of flowers into your produce displays as well as having a grand stand-alone display of flowers in a prominent high traffic area.
• Offer varying sizes of bouquets to fit a various range of budgets. Don’t just focus on the large high-priced holiday bouquets.

New & Exciting!:

• Frost-Kissed Artichoke: As temperatures drop below 32 degrees in growing regions, we will begin to see “frost-kissed” artichokes. The skin of the artichoke will darken slightly, flake, and peel. Once cooked, the brown outer layer will fall off. These taste sweeter than “frost-free” artichokes.

Did you know: frost-kissed artichokes are actually richer in taste because the frost seals in a more intense nutty flavor?

• Asparagus: California-grown asparagus has begun! Add some delicious stalks to your order today.

• Zutano Avocado: Pear shape with thin, glossy green skin. Remains green even when ripe. Low in oil and high in water content. Mild flavor. Silky texture.
• Zhuluan Sour Orange*: Sour orange with a unique flavor. Seedy with tender flesh. Slightly less sour than a Seville orange.
• Dried Persimmon*: 12-pound boxes are now available! Talk to your Account Manager if you’re interested in ordering.
• Honeydew Melon: Availability is expected to be stable until the second week of February.
• Oyster Mushroom*: Black, pink, and yellow oyster mushrooms are now available. Great source of protein and fiber. Add some variety to your ‘shroom inventory and include signage in displays to encourage shoppers that are trying healthy or plant-based diets this month.

Promotable:

• Honeycrisp Apple: Tasting great with sharp pricing!
• Fuerte Avocado*: Perfect for avocado lovers! Smooth, medium-thin green skin that peels easily. Slightly oily with a rich, creamy flavor. These come from 100-year old trees, which makes the fruit very rich and delicious.
• Cabbage: Green cabbage is in strong supply.

• Hedgehog Mushroom*: Tasting great and looking sharp! Pale orange-tan color. Irregular shape with flattened cap and thin stem. Spines hang down from the underside of the cap. Tastes earthy, nutty, peppery, and smoky with a chewy texture.
• Floral*: Get your orders in for Valentine’s Day! Proteas from Wild Ridge Organics are looking beautiful. Tulips from Thomas Farm are in great supply.
• Navel Orange: Tasting great. Very sharp pricing.

• Kishu Tangerine*: One of the best tasting tangerines. Golf-ball sized with easy-to-peel, glossy, fragrant skin. Seedless, juicy, and sweet.
• Orlando Tangerine*: A cross between a Duncan grapefruit and Dancy mandarin. Tender and mildly sweet. Super juicy.
• Meyer Lemon: A cross between a lemon and mandarin orange. Rind is a deep brilliant yellow color. Tastes floral and sweet with low acid.

• Sugar Plum Cherry Tomato*: In great supply.

*Staff Pick

Limited:

• Arugula: Availability continues to be limited due to inclement weather and production issues. Shortages expected to continue until the end of January.
• Baby Broccoli: Remains limited with high prices.
• Kumquat: Meiwa and Nagami kumquats are gapping. The cold weather has been preventing the fruit from coloring up.
• Valencia Orange: In limited supply and may gap.
• Chanterelle Mushroom: Gapping.
• Tomato on the Vine: Very limited with high prices.
• Zucchini: Availability is limited with very high prices.

Done for the Season:

• Huckleberry Potato

Download January 24 2020 Produce Notes