Think grapefruit and pomelo are the same? Think again! While both are big, juicy citrus fruits chock-full of vitamin C and nutrients, they differ in flavor, size, and sweetness. Knowing the differences can help you pick the perfect fruit for snacking, salads, or your favorite recipes. 

How they grow: When pomelos hang on the tree, they frequently hang alone. Grapefruit grow in clusters, so much so that they can resemble grapes on a vine. Fun Fact: This is how grapefruits got their name! 

Origins: The pomelo is an ancient and separate species, while the grapefruit is a hybrid, resulting from crossing a sweet orange with a pomelo. 

Peel: Pomelos have a thicker rind than grapefruit, thus much more spongy white pith. 

Shape: While grapefruit is round, pomelos are generally shaped more like a pear or teardrop. 

Size: Grapefruit is big within the citrus family, but pomelos are even larger – in fact, pomelos are the largest of all citrus fruits. 

Taste: While pomelo and grapefruit both have a flavor that ranges from sweet to tangy or bittersweet, the taste of a pomelo is noticeably sweeter and often has subtle flavor overtones. 

Texture: Grapefruit tends to be the juiciest of all citrus fruits. Pomelo generally has less juice than grapefruit proportionally.  Pomelo fans (of which there are many) find the denser, chewy consistency very satisfying. 

Grapefruit and pomelo are tasting their best right now at the peak of the season. With several varieties available for both fruits, you can’t go wrong!

Weather Watch

Photo: Mercury News

Rain, Rain, Go Away!

Recent heavy rain up and down California has impacted key growing regions including Sacramento and the Sierra foothills, along the Central Coast, inland in the Central Valley, and down into Southern California and the desert. With excessive rain comes muddy and flooded fields, slowing down harvest operations. This has impacted crops across the board including arugula, avocado, broccoli, Brussel sprouts, carrot, citrus, bunched greens, lettuce, spinach and strawberry.  

Buck Brand’s orchards in Porterville are seeing serious challenges from the recent rains. The clay soil in the area takes longer to dry out.  

Expect tighter supply, residual quality issues from the rain and unpredictable pricing as weather improves and growers work to get everything back on track.  

Thank you to our customers for your efforts to work less than perfect looking product during this patch of winter weather! 

New & Exciting! 

Cherimoya: Our beloved Las Palmalitas Ranch ‘moyas are back! Small crop this year, but they are in the house! 

Citrus

• Cocktail Grapefruit (right): Sweet, low-acid citrus with juicy, tender flesh, making it a refreshing choice for snacking, salads, and fresh-squeezed juice. 
• Honey Tangerine: Rich, honey-like sweetness with just enough acidity to keep them bright and balanced. 
• Melogold Grapefruit: A recent cross between grapefruit and pomelo, this large juicy fruit has with smooth thin yellow skin, and exceptionally mild sweet flavor. 
• Minneola Tangerine: Seasonal citrus favorite, known for its distinctive bell shape, easy-to-peel skin, and bright, complex flavor that perfectly balances sweetness with a hint of tartness. 
• Page Mandarin: Deep orange, slightly reddish skin, very juicy flesh, and a rich, aromatic flavor that’s sweet and complex. Very few seeds and easy to peel! 

Fuerte Avocado (left): Considered an heirloom, California-grown Fuerte are extremely rich, with an incredible nutty flavor. This distinctive long-necked fruit comes from 100-year old trees and may not be in production for much longer. The Fuerte is THE avocado of choice for veteran growers and buyers in-the-know!  Get them while you can, you won’t be disappointed! 

Floral: Sweet William and Calendula straight packs now available. Sweet William features fragrant, tightly clustered blooms in rich pink, red, white, and purple tones, while Calendula offers bright, daisy-like flowers in warm yellow and orange with a long bloom time and gentle fragrance. 

Red Flame Grape: Sweet red seedless grapes coming by boat from Peru to liven up winter displays! Berries are BIG and dark red. (Remember: transport by sea is environmentally friendly.) 

Sweet Medley Peppers: Colorful sweet mini peppers in a convenient, bulk 20-pound case. 

Promotable 

Blueberry:  Snowchaser blueberries from California’s Central Coast are in season now. An early-season favorite, they’re known for their large size, deep blue color, and crisp texture. These winter berries deliver sweet-tangy flavor that are perfect for snacking, smoothies or adding to your favorite desserts.      

Butternut Squash: Still abundant right now with excellent volume and consistent quality. Butternut has a classic sweet, and nutty flavor that makes it extremely versatile for roasting, soups, and hearty winter dishes. 

Green & Red Cabbage: Cabbage is in peak season; quality is strong and pricing is ripe for promotion. Supply is plentiful from Fresno grower, Rundle Family Farms, a VV exclusive.  

Mixed Heirloom Tomato: Enjoy a vibrant medley of heirloom tomatoes with rich, full flavor, even in the heart of winter. Grown in Mexico, where the milder winter climate is ideal for growing tomatoes. Prices are coming down! 

Ruby Grapefruit: Beloved for its beautiful pinkish-red flesh and juicy, sweet, and tangy flavor, this variety is one of the most popular grapefruits in the USA. Strong and steady supply from B&J Ranch, an exclusive VV grower in California’s Coachella Valley. Great promotable item for shoppers looking to kick start healthy eating for the year!   Staff favorite! 

Zucchini: Readily available; quality is strong and prices are sharp! 

Limited 

Arugula

Brussels Sprouts: Bad harvest conditions due to rain; quality is impacted.

Burdock Root

Celery Root

French Breakfast Radish 

Hass Avocado from Las Palmalitas Ranch: Almost at the end of the old crop.

Kumquat: Meiwa and Nagami are gapping

Makrut Lime Leaf

Passionfruit: Gapping until weather improves.

Persian Cucumber: Limited and high priced.

Spring Onion: Limited but available

Strawberry: Very limited due to rain and cold weather.

White Turnip
 

Done for the Season 

Orlando Tangelo

Rambutan from Ecuador

Red and Yellow Onion from Veliz Organic Farm

Snapdragon Straight Pack Flowers