As we welcome a new year, it’s important (and exciting) to look at what will be top of mind for shoppers and eaters and how to prepare. Here are our predictions for the top 5 produce trends of 2023.

Convenience is Key – Rising restaurant prices and a resurgence in pandemic safety protocol have encouraged many people to start cooking at home again. The desire for convenience when shopping and cooking is higher than ever. Fresh cut items, salad mixes in a bag, pre-packaged fruits and vegetables, and ready to eat veggies, such as cooked beets, will be in high demand.

Sustainable Packaging – Shoppers today increasingly care about the impact of their purchasing choices on the environment and climate change. According to one study, two-thirds of consumers say they would be willing to pay more for a product that is environmentally friendly – up 2% from the previous year. Produce items in sustainable packaging such as compostable paper totes, pint containers and ‘paper-board’ clamshells will have a place front and center.

Health Remains Top of Mind – As we enter a fourth year of the pandemic, eating healthy and nourishing plant-based foods will be a high priority for many. Nutrient dense superfoods, immune boosting and antioxidant rich fruits and vegetables will become household staples.

Spice it Up – Shoppers are looking for creative ways to incorporate spice into a meal, and experiment with more heat. Specialty peppers like the Cherry Bomb, Serrano, and Habanero pepper have skyrocketed in popularity over the last few years, and are predicted to remain fan favorites.

Knowing Where Food Comes From – Inflation means that people are making tougher decisions about the food they buy. While price is always important in decision-making, shoppers also want to know where their food comes from, and understand how it arrived at their local market. Folks want to connect with the people who grow the food they eat; maintaining farm labels, sharing farmer stories and illustrating how food moves through the supply chain are ways to lead this trend.

We’re excited for 2023 and look forward to serving all your fresh organic needs in the new year.

Merchandising Corner

Juicing in the New Year

As we greet the New Year, health remains a priority for many reasons. This is the time (after the indulgent holidays) when shoppers are trying out new healthy eating habits, such as juicing. Jump on the juice train and make it easier for shoppers to achieve their fresh goals with these quick and simple merchandising tips.

Build Displays: Adding one or two juice-focused displays is a smart way to remind customers of their healthy eating resolutions. Citrus is an obvious choice to display, as its season is peaking. Other juice-worthy fruits and veggies that your customers may have overlooked include ginger, carrots, beets, apples, kale and celery.

Provide Recipes: Customers are looking for new juice ideas. Add a recipe card to inspire and encourage purchases of everything shoppers need to make something delicious.

Light a Fire : Fire Cider is an increasingly popular herbal tonic, which is often made of garlic, ginger, turmeric, jalapenos, lemons, herbs, and cider vinegar. Many of the Fire Cider ingredients are also popular kitchen staples, which means you can essentially double your sales on these items by creating a secondary display to highlight this immune boosting home-made tonic.

Planning for Lunar New Year

On January 22nd, we welcome the Year of the Rabbit on the lunar calendar. Those born in Rabbit years are considered elegant, kind and alert. It is a great opportunity to build some fun displays and educate your customers about this holiday. For the most part, customers will be looking for products that will serve as decoration, gifts and food. Citrus plays a big role in Lunar New Year celebrations, so plan ahead to be well stocked. Learn more about merchandising for the Lunar New Year.

Weather Watch

The big topic of the week is another ‘atmospheric river’ turned ‘bomb cyclone,’ bringing heavy rain, and high-speed winds to northern and central California. Many areas have experienced flooding, damage to buildings and roads, and even some mandatory evacuations. All our citrus growers with fruit coming from the Central Valley and Orland areas including Buck Brand, Twin Girls, Fruit World, Cousins, Valliwide, Wild River, Heath Ranch, and Johansen Ranch are heavily impacted.

Weather issues have delayed trucks crossing the Texas border with Mexican grown imports. This has affected availability of Hass avocado in the short term. Other imported crops, such as tomatoes (all varieties), zucchini and cucumbers are also producing slowly, due to cold southern temperatures.

Produce Resources

Citrus Shelf Talkers

Use these 3″ x 5″ ready-to-print Shelf Talkers to inform your customers and staff about some of the most popular citrus varieties this season!

Citrus Variety Guide

Take a look at our Citrus Guide for flavor notes on all your favorite citrus!

Citrus Variety Chart

Download and print this 1-page Citrus Variety Chart for quick reference throughout the citrus season.

New and Exciting

Asparagus: Extra Extra! California-grown asparagus is coming soon. Availability will be limited to start.

Cherimoya: Cherimoyas have a sweet and complex taste that has been described as the best parts of a pear, a berry, and a pineapple, all in one. Native to Ecuador, Columbia and Peru, this yummy fruit is growing in popularity world-wide. To enjoy, cut open the fruit when soft to the touch, and eat it with a spoon! Also known as a ‘custard apple’ the texture is similar to a banana or a soft pear. We also have small sized “baby ‘moya,” a great way to introduce folks to this wonderful fruit without breaking the bank.

Dancy Tangerine: An heirloom going back 150 years, and one of the first tangerines developed in Florida. Dancy is easy to peel, giving way to sweet, rich flavor with hints of spice. Expect some seeds. Don’t forget to stock up on these along with other lucky citrus for the upcoming Lunar New Year on January 22nd.

Fun Fact: The Chinese words for “orange” and “tangerine” are very similar to the words for “luck” and “wealth.”

* Grapefruit (Left): Ruby and Rio Red grapefruit are just coming in from B&J Ranch, an exclusive grower for Veritable Vegetable. Rio Red is one of the most popular grapefruit varieties. It is seedless, super juicy with delicious, sweet-tart flavor. Ruby grapefruit is mostly seedless, with refreshing sweet flavor and a hint of tang. Grapefruit is full of fiber and provide enough vitamin C for a full day!

Page Mandarin: A cross between a clementine and a Minneola tangelo, this medium to small citrus is juicy, seedless, and very sweet.

Pomelo: Chandler and African Shaddock varieties here now! Denser, with less juice than grapefruit, but much sweeter and more nuanced flavor. Pomelos are extremely popular for Lunar New Year, often decorated with colored paper and ribbons and given as good luck gifts.

* Purple Brussels Sprout (Right): Purple Brussels have all the flavor and health benefits of their green counterparts, but with the added bonus of beautiful presentation. They keep their purple hue when cooked, allowing you to make spectacular culinary creations!

Promotable

Bacon Avocado: Delicious and mild flavor with a buttery and creamy texture. Great quantity, with volume deals available.

Ginger: Sharp pricing on the 30-pound case of ginger. Great for juicing and adding zingy flavor to everything from soup to stir fries. Also excellent for aiding in digestion!

* Hard Squash (Left): Strong supply on Acorn, Delicata, and Kabocha squash.

Honey Tangerine: Sweet and juicy, with unique flavor notes of honey and spice. Zesty deals on the 38-Pound carton from B&J Ranch.

Pink Lady Apple: Save big on the Washington Extra Fancy Premium grade 88 Count. Light red skin and a crunchy texture with white flesh that is juicy and crisp. Offers a “fizz-like” burst of flavor.

Red Beet: Don’t let the bad weather beet you down! We have good supply on all root items, with promotable pricing on bunched red beets.

Sugar Plum Cherry Tomato: Bright red, sweet, and bursting with exceptional flavor. Promotable pricing.

* Turmeric (Right): Renowned for its health benefits, turmeric is always popular in the winter when sniffles are at their worst. While this earthy and peppery spice is common in South Asian cuisine, it’s also a popular juicing ingredient.

Yellow onion: Great supply of medium and jumbo Yellow onions.

Limited

Blueberry: South American availability is spotty as we wait for Mexican supply to pick up.

Blood Orange: Gapping until rainy weather lets up.

Bunched Herbs: (wet weather): Chive, Dill, Italian Parsley, Marjoram, Oregano, & Sage.

Cabbage: Green and Red are limited due to slow production in California desert regions.

Cauliflower: Desert production remains slow.

Celery: Still limited with possible gaps in supply. Availability expected to improve in mid-January.

Eggs: A confluence of issues including cold, wet weather have greatly reduced egg supplies.

Kishu Tangerine: Gapping until rain in northern and central California stops.

Leek: Supply remains tight

Lettuce: Iceberg and Gem are still very tight

Raspberry: Very limited; gaps expected

Persian Cucumber

Strawberry: Baja Mexico production is still limited, but expected to improve in January

Tomato: Heirloom, Beef steak, and TOV are all limited due to cold weather in Mexico.

Done for the Season

Cranberry

Pomegranate