Best if Used By 04/19/10

Eat This Now for Tuesday April 13th, 2010 features: Red Grapes, Mini Watermelons, Grape Tomatoes, Chard Greens, and Cantaloupes.

1. Red Grapes

Two weeks ago Eat This Now featured Green Seedless Grapes.  Now there is a flush of Red Seedless Grapes from Chile, the Crimson variety to be precise.  Like what happened with Green Grapes, the supplies of Crimsons started backing up because supermarkets had removed Red Grapes from their ad promotions following logistics issues from the late February earthquake in Chile.  Though with all of these Crimsons arriving now, look for reduced prices on Chilean Red Seedless Grapes where you shop for the next few weeks.

Crimsons are a late season variety of Red Seedless Grape that is oblong and usually has dark plum coloring at the bottom and a just little light green by the stem.  Lately Crimsons have been sweet-tart and mildly crunchy, still totally snack-worthy.  Give them a try if the bags are dry and you think they’re worth the price.

About a week before that earthquake some good friends of mine that import fresh produce took a trip to visit the Chilean growers they work with.  Check out this cool video of their Grape, Pear and Apple field tours.

2. Mini Watermelons

Can’t wait for summer to arrive?  Get a preview taste with Mini Seedless Watermelons right now, also called Personal Watermelons.  These babies can range from 3lb to 6lb, have a thin rind and are just right for you to gobble as a snack or to share with a few others for dessert.  The very sweetest Mini Watermelons are from Mexico, while melons out of Central America are OK to good at this time.

3. Grape Tomatoes

Grape Tomatoes were another casualty of the January Florida Freeze.  With their small size they are among the first of the new tomato plantings in Florida to ripen up.  Get ready, ’cause they’re back!  These little snacking ‘maters are going to be plentiful now through May.  If you have the choice, go USA; Florida-grown Grape Tomatoes are running crunchier and richer in flavor than product from Mexico.

4. Chard Greens

Vibrant. Bold. Impressive.  If you’re a healthy-food aficionado then you’re probably already in the know about Swiss Chard Greens and all of their health benefits.

If you’re into delicious food and fresh cooking then you need to find a good recipe that features Green, Red or Rainbow Chards.  Flat-out-gorgeous quality on Organic Chards is coming out of Florida and California.  The best Conventional Chards right now are from Texas.

5. Cantaloupes

“What’s Best Right Now” can mean a lot of things, but in this case ‘best’ describes value more than flavor.  Cantaloupes from Central American countries have been expensive and limited the past month or so due to some crop losses caused by an insect issue.  The good news is that volumes are rebounding and prices are falling fast.  Look for ads and in-stores specials the next couple weeks.  These ‘lopes won’t blow your hair back from the flavor and sweetness side, but you’ll likely find decent piece of fruit at a decent price.  Stay tuned – we’ll keep you posted on when the best-tasting domestic Cantaloupes are in.

Forward this to a friend if you think they’ll like it – Here’s to fresh produce!

The Produce Geek,
Jonathan K. Steffy

Impending Short Supply of Florida Tomatoes

Tomatoes (Round, Roma, Grape, Cherry):
Go buy some tomatoes this week while they are still nice and affordable.  In about a week and well into February regular Round, Roma (Plum), Grape and Cherry Tomatoes will be in extremely short supply, weak quality condition and very high in price – especially Round Tomatoes (also called Vine Ripe, Slicing or Beefstake Tomatoes).

Here’s why:

There was a stretch of extemely cold weather last week in Florida that continued through the weekend, with temperatures dropping into the mid 20s in many growing areas.  Florida and Mexico are the two primary regions that supply field-grown tomatoes to the US and Canada in the winter months.  But because of the prolonged cold, Florida’s volume and quality will be crimped dramatically for what would normally be in stores at the end of the month and beyond.  There isplenty of very high quality fruit that’s already been harvested and is in the supply chain right now.  It will get gobbled up quickly on this skyrocketing market.  You should take advantage this week and Eat Tomatoes Now, before things get dicey.

Best if Used By 1/5/10

Eat This Now for Tuesday December 29, 2009 features: Grape Tomatoes, Red Grapefruit, Organic Mangoes, Hass Avocados, and Cantaloupe.

1.  Grape Tomatoes

What a great concept!  Bite-sized tomatoes shaped like grapes that actually taste like – like real tomatoes.  No cutting.  No chopping.  No preparation.  Just rinse and enjoy: on salads or as a snack.  Grape Tomatoes add color and juiciness to veg trays too.

There is a flush of high quality Conventional and Organic Grape Tomatoes coming from Florida right now following a month long spell of high prices and limited availability.  Advertised at many stores this week and available as in-store specials, Grape Tomatoes are a good buy this week – just in time for your New Years and Bowl Game parties, not to mention your health-related New Year Resolutions.  Flavor can vary based on growing conditions and seed variety even within the same brand, but overall eating quality is good to great on all lots I’ve tried lately.  Remember, never store tomatoes in the refrigerator; room temperature is best to keep them firm and full of flavor.

2.  Red Grapefruit

Feeling the need to detox from all the cookies, pies, buttered _______ (fill in the blank) and salty whatevers this week?  Try Red Grapefruit for breakfast or a snack.  The intensely sweet and tart juicy burst they provide will perk up you system and your taste buds.  Organic and Conventional Red Grapefruit are readily available from Texas, Florida and California.  Look for Rio Star, Rio Red, Ruby Red or Star Ruby varieties for a flesh color and flavor upgrades over standard pink/red grapefruit.  Select fruit that feels heavy for it’s size, a sign of juice content.

3.  Organic Mangoes

Ecuador and Brazil are exporting high volumes of Organic Kent and Tommy Atkins variety Mangoes to the US right now.  Quality has been sharp, especially from Ecuador.  Mangoes are so sweet, so smoothly delicious – no wonder they’re the #1 fruit in the world.  If you can’t find Organically Grown (no pesticides or other synthetic compounds used), Conventional fruit is decent and very affordable this week as well.  Red skin color typically indicates that piece of fruit was exposed to more sunlight than others in many varieties, not the level of ripeness.  Softness is your key indicator of when the mango is ready to eat.

4.  Hass Avocados

From New Years until Super Bowl is the prime time for guacamole, which means big-time usage of Hass Avocados.  Holiday parties, College Bowl Games, NFL Playoffs and The Big Game are all great occasions to celebrate with family and friends with some creamy guacamole.  But Hass Avocados aren’t simply a one-trick-pony.  Add them to salads or sandwiches for a creamy texture and smooth nutty taste that is healthy too.  Chile’s bumper crop of Hass Avocados continues to keep prices low at the stores on fruit from that country and Mexican product, so now is a fantastic time to grab some.  Love ‘em at the restaurant, but need a crash course on selecting and preparing Hass Avocados for yourself?  Check out www.avocadocentral.com for some cool how-to videos.

5.  Cantaloupe

Summer is long gone.  USA is not producing Cantaloupes right now.  Central American grown melons travel a long way to get here and their skin often has a greenish cast to it.  Soooo… why am I recommending Cantaloupes this week?

Glad you asked.  In a word: Value.  Large sized Cantaloupes from Guatemala are plentiful this week, affordable and actually taste like Cantaloupes.  Now I’m not saying they’re as good as summertime local ‘lopes, so don’t bother comparing.  Nevertheless, if you see a big Cantaloupe where you shop on sale at $2.99 or less, it’s worth buying one to enjoy for breakfast, dessert or for a healthy snack.  I’m aware of one chain in the Northeast selling Large Cantaloupes this week at Buy One – Get One Free, another at $.99 each!  Cantaloupes are packed with nutrition, and hey – that latte or fancy-schmancy sports/energy drink costs as much as a fresh Cantaloupe this week.  Choose fresh.

Forward this to a friend if you think they’ll like it – Here’s to fresh produce!

The Produce Geek,
Jonathan K. Steffy