Market Outlook

Lettuce: 

The Iceberg market is steady at lower levels with good supplies out of Yuma.  Expect to see epidermal peel and blistering along the ribs due to several days of freeze in the fields.

Leaf: 

Leaf market is steady but with a stronger feel and good supplies out of Yuma.  The freeze that has affected quality on lettuce will be having a similar effect on leaf.

Broccoli:

Broccoli market is steady with good quality.

Cauliflower:

The cauliflower market is steady with good quality.

Carrots:

Carrot market is on the rise do to availability, quality is still very good.

Celery:

The Celery market is higher with holiday pull beginning and with good supplies out of Oxnard. Quality has been very good.

Strawberries: 

We have been in full swing now with Florida berries.  Quality is getting better. Cost is strong.

Potatoes:

The market on cartons has spiked a bit this week and will continue to inch up over the holiday and into the New Year.

Onions:

The market on Onions has gone up slightly and will continue to remain very strong into January.

Citrus:

The Lemon and Orange market is stronger due to very cold weather in the growing region. Shippers are struggling to come up with small fruit.  113’s and 138’s are particularly tough to find.

Cucumbers:

The Cucumber market has tightened up this week with some cool nights in the South.  Availability will be tight for next week.

Peppers:

Pepper market has not changed much this week, quality has been good.

Tomatoes:

Tomato market is steady with good supplies.

 

Shippers are advising us that we will see some epidermal peel and freeze damage on lettuce and leaf items in the weeks to come.

 

Feature of the Week

This week Primo is featuring grapefruit.Tart and tangy with an underlying sweetness, grapefruit has a juiciness that rivals that of the ever popular orange and sparkles with many of the same health promoting benefits. Grapefruit comes in white, pink, and red varieties. Pink and red grapefruit gets its rosy blush from lycopene, the same antioxidant found in tomatoes. Choose fruit that’s heavy for its size, with smooth, rather than bumpy skin. These are good indicators that the grapefruit will be juicy.

Recipe of the Week

Grapefruit-and-Mint Mojito

Ingredients

 1/3 cup granulated sugar

 1/2 cup water

 1/2 cup packed fresh mint leaves, plus sprigs for garnish

 1 ruby-red grapefruit

 3/4 cup white rum

 3 cups ice

 1 cup seltzer

Directions

Step 1

Bring sugar and water to a boil in a small saucepan. Remove from heat, and add mint leaves. Let steep 10 minutes. Strain through a fine sieve into a small bowl, and discard mint. Let cool.

Step 2

Using a vegetable peeler, remove zest from grapefruit in long, wide strips. Place in a large glass, and add rum. Cover, and let stand for 30 minutes. Strain through a fine sieve intoa large glass measure, and discard zest.

Step 3

Cut away remaining pith from grapefruit. Cut between membranes to release segments. For each drink, place 2 to 3 segments in a glass. Top with 3/4 cup ice. Stir 3 tablespoons infused rum, 2 tablespoons mint syrup, and 1/4 cup seltzer in a glass measure, and pour over ice. Garnish with mint sprigs.

 

Fun Facts of the Week

• Grapefruits are a great source of vitamin C. One-half of a grapefruit provides all the vitamin C your body needs for the day.
• The grapefruit was originally called the forbidden fruit
• Grapefruit is usually eaten with a spoon, but it can be cut into wedges and eaten like an orange
• A half of a grapefruit contains 6 grams of fiber, making it one of the highest fiber fruits