Melon, Grapes, Vegetables, Berries, Tomatoes Market Report
MARKET REPORT 7/28/09
Tomatoes:
Round tomatoes out of northern Baja are beginning to peak. Prices should continue to fall as long as the weather cooperates. Cherry tomatoes and romas are also hitting peak season right now. Prices are getting cheaper and quality is much improved. Connelly Farms has just begun bringing in some wonderful varieties of mixed heirlooms. Feel free to load up your summer menus with these beautiful and delicious tomatoes.
Melons:
We have reached the very northern growing areas for our summer crop melons. Over the next few months we should see some of the best melons of the year. Both cantaloupe and honeydew have gotten very reasonable in price and are eating very well. Seedless watermelons are up slightly as Phoenix pulls out of the game. All mixed melons are also available. Canary, crenshaw, galia, santa claus, casaba, sharlyn, hammi, and orange honeydews.
Berries:
Mild climate on the coast in Watsonville is keeping this market very reasonable. Most strawberries are arriving fairly ripe with shorter shelf life. Blueberry production is picking back up and most shippers are again packing in full pints. Raspberries and blackberries are up slightly but still fairly priced.
Vegetables:
Bell peppers of all colors are coming into full production in Salinas and Gilroy. Prices on all three will continue to fall over the next few weeks. Italian and yellow squashes are still best buys with excellent quality. Blue lake beans have cleaned up and are back up in price. Time to consider alternatives. Cucumbers and eggplant are both steady. Asparagus is still mildly priced with very good quality.
Northern veggies:
Mild temps up north have most leaf prices backing off slightly. Romaine and romaine hearts remain the shortest with little relief this week. Cauliflower has become very short on the larger sizes. Broccoli and crowns are still a very good buy with excellent quality. Leeks, celery, snow peas, green onions, napa, bok choy, and escarole all are showing good quality with fair pricing. Rapini, broccolini, and brussel sprouts remain very short.
Potatoes & onions:
Northern California has taken over the lions share of the red and Yukon potato markets. Hemet and Temecula should be just about finished. Northern reds are arriving at least a four on the color chart. Yukon bakers are finally being dug up. Hopefully this market will back off in the next few weeks. The first new crop sweet potatoes are coming to market. Most everything is in the medium to small sizes with very few jumbos. Yellow onion production is up for the third straight week. Prices should continue to drop.
Avocadoes:
We are really feeling the pinch of all the lost production this year. California crop is winding down through the month of August. Prices are extremely high with no relief until we see Chile and/or Mexico pick up the slack. That probably wont happen until September as the quality on both of those is just terrible.
Tags: Produce Reports
