Satsuma tangerines are a seedless and easy-peeling citrus of Chinese origin. The most common name given to the Satsuma is Unshu mikan, of Japanese origin. Jesuits first brought the fruit from Asia to North America in the 18^th century. The fruit became much more common in the late 19^th century when they were brought to the United States by the way of Japan.

Satsumas are one of the sweetest citrus varieties. Their thick, red-orange peel is rich in aromatic oils and is known as “zipper skin” because it peels away easily with just a few tears. Their flesh is fragrant, juicy, segmented, and nearly void of seeds. They keep well at room temperature, but should be refrigerated for longer storage. Make sure to handle Satsumas carefully, as their loosely attached skin bruises easily and affects its flesh and quality. Add some sweet Satsumas to your order today!

Cleaning Between the Holidays

Sales tend to be a bit slower for the few weeks after Thanksgiving. This provides you with the perfect opportunity to schedule time to clean. Break down your tables and displays, and tackle some deep cleaning before the Christmas holiday rush starts.

• Change Table Dressings: If you use black matting or some other material underneath your product to protect your tables, now is a good time to change that out. Chances are you have a few sweet potatoes, butternuts, or onions that have broken down and left a little mess. Pull apart the display to clean, sweep, and change the out the old table dressing to prevent unpleasant odors and flying visitors.
• Sweep Under Tables: Don’t forget to sweep under dry tables for produce that may have dropped. This space often gets neglected because it is not as readily visible.
• Clean the Cold Case: Although we tend to focus on the wet rack for daily cleaning, sometimes the dry areas get a little less attention because they are not generally as messy. Over time, the case gets covered with stray green beans and cranberries and overloaded with mushrooms, which means lots and lots of spores. The dry cold case could definitely use a good vacuuming and a wipe down on the inside of the case.
• Clean the Cooler: Hopefully, cleaning the cooler is part of your routine when receiving a new load. But it’s especially a good idea to do a thorough deep clean after having your cooler and backroom stuffed with product to get you through Thanksgiving. Move your racks around and scrub the floors. Rent a power washer and clean the racks. Racks in the cooler can get dirty over time and a power washer can make them like new again.

These are just a few important cleaning tasks you and your crew can take on between the holidays. Use the slow time to make your department shine!

New & Exciting!:

• Cinnamon Spice Apple: Taste a hint of cinnamon in every bite of these heirloom apples! Medium-sized. Red skin brushed with yellow. Heat-tolerant. Great for fresh eating, cider, and cooked applications.
• King David Apple*: Heirloom. Small to medium in size. Slightly flattened shape. Waxy skin is green or yellow with dark red to orange blushing and striping. Flesh is pale yellow with a medium to fine-grained texture. Tastes juicy, crisp, and aromatic with a sweet and tart flavor.

• Bacon Avocado*: Oval-shaped with smooth, thin dark green skin. Buttery and creamy texture. Grown in California.
• Carrot: Bunched carrots from our exclusive grower Road 20 Farm are now in!
• Meyer Lemon: In good supply. Smaller in size with thinner rind than regular lemons. Deep, brilliant yellow color. Pulp is low in acid, aromatic, floral and sweet.

• Gold Tropikiwi: Smooth bronze skin with light green to golden yellow flesh. Skin is edible and fuzz-free. Lower in acid than green kiwi. Tastes sweet and tropical.
• Sweet Potato*: New crop. Japanese and Jewel in great supply from new local grower Sea to Sky Farm.

• Floral*: Protea from Wild Ridge Organics are now available!

Did you know Proteas are considered to be among the oldest families of flowering plants on the planet? They date back approximately 300 million years!

Promotable:

• Golden Delicious Apple: In good supply and tasting great.
• Bacon Avocado: After the holiday, folks will need their avocado toast again!
• Berry: Import blueberries and raspberries are in strong supply with sharp pricing.
• Beets: In great supply of all colors and sizes in bagged varieties. Bunched beets from our exclusive grower Road 20 Farm are steady.
• Broccoli: In steady supply with sharp pricing.
• Brussels Sprouts*: Locally grown, in strong supply, and perfect for the holidays! Sharp pricing.
• Valencia Orange: Juice-grade fruit is very strong and in good supply.
• Onion: Yellow, red, and white all in great supply. Talk to your Account Manager for pallet deals!
• Specialty Mushrooms: Chanterelle, Hedgehog, and Matsutake mushrooms are all in good supply.
• Pear: Bosc and Starkrimson have great pricing.
• Green Bell Pepper: California-grown in good supply.
• Chilies: Poblanos and jalapeños from local exclusive grower, Route One Farms, are in steady supply. Chile supply out of Mexico is steady.
• Dairy*: Eggnog is here and perfect for the holiday season. Pre-order only from Straus Family Creamery and Alexandre Family Farm.

*Staff Pick

Limited:

• Blackberry: Extremely limited. Mexico-grown fruit in the coming weeks.
• Cucumber: Limited in supply with high prices.
• Romaine Hearts: Extremely limited.
• Honeydew: Gapping due to growers having crop failure.
• Red Bell Pepper: Locally-grown supply is becoming limited with prices going up. Mexico-grown prices are high.
• Zucchini: Mediums and fancy are limited. Prices are high.
• Yellow Squash: Extremely limited.
• Roma Tomato: Extremely limited.

Done for the Season:

• MacArthur Avocado
• Corn
• Mutsu Apple

Download Nov 22 2019 Produce Notes