Market Outlook

Lettuce: 

Market is much stronger. The Salinas season is winding down along with much cooler temperatures at night is keeping supplies at lower levels. Overall, we are seeing good quality on inbound.

Leaf: 

Romaine market is up a few dollars again, along with green leaf. Red leaf is mostly steady. Quality has been good overall.

Broccoli:

Broccoli market is very active with limited supplies. Shippers are running into some quality defects in the fields forcing them to walk past some product. We have seen good to very good quality.

Cauliflower:

Market has strengthened considerably. The cooler weather has really had an adverse effect on growing time. Quality has been very good.

Carrots:

Market on carrots has remained steady with good availability out of Michigan.

Celery:

Celery is steady on both Easter and California. Quality has been very good.

Strawberries: 

Supplies continue to remain tight and the market is steady to higher. Quality is fair with most lots showing bruising on inbound. Also reports of the occasional moldy berry.

Potatoes:

We are into new crop Idahos, Norkotah variety. We will see Burbanks start the first or second week of October. Quality has been very good. Cost is adjusting down as new crop potatoes become more plentiful.

Onions:

Market on onions has gotten stronger this week and will remain strong for the next couple of weeks mostly due to freight.

Citrus:

The domestic lemon market has moved up a few dollars again and supplies are extremely short. Many shippers are out and have been for weeks. We are getting pro-rated and having orders pushed back for days. We will likely be looking at pro-rating orders at some point. Smaller size oranges ( 113, 138 ) continue to be tight.

Cucumbers:

Market is steady to lower with good quality.

Peppers:

Market on peppers has gotten stronger this week due to colder nights. Peppers will stay strong.

Tomatoes:

Tomato market on rounds is lower as California has come into better supplies. Romas are much stronger. Grapes tomatoes are coming down in cost, cherries are steady.

Feature of the Week

This week Primo is featuring sweet potatoes! What’s the difference between a Yam and a sweet potato? Scientifically, they are from two different families,a Yam is more firm to the touch, starchier, and drier.  A sweet potato is softer to the touch and the skin color can range from white to yellow, red, purple, or brown and the flesh is softer & moist.

Recipe of the Week

Sweet Potato Pie

Ingredients:

1 (1 pound) sweet potato

1/2 cup butter, softened

1 cup white sugar

1/2 cup milk

2 eggs

1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 (9 inch) unbaked pie crust

Directions:

Boil sweet potato whole in skin for 40 to 50 minutes, or until done. Run cold water over the sweet potato, and remove the skin.

Break apart sweet potato in a bowl. Add butter, and mix well with mixer. Stir in sugar, milk, eggs, nutmeg, cinnamon and vanilla. Beat on medium speed until mixture is smooth. Pour filling into an unbaked pie crust.

Bake at 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) for 55 to 60 minutes, or until knife inserted in center comes out clean. Pie will puff up like a souffle, and then will sink down as it cools.

Fun Facts of the Week

• The sweet potato is not a potato or even a distant cousin. Potatoes are tubers (underground stems) and sweet potatoes are roots.
• Sweet potatoes are a good source of beta carotene, calcium, iron, potassium, copper, manganese, fiber, vitamin E and vitamin C. Once baked, sweet potatoes provide twice the recommended daily allowance of vitamin A.
• Many people call sweet potatoes yams, but yams and sweet potatoes are completely different foods