LOS ALAMITOS, CA The bright, vivid colors, refreshing fragrance and sweet taste of fresh citrus fruits have a way of enlivening the spirit during the lackluster days of winter. With the wide variety of citrus fruits now in season, Friedas Specialty Produce encourages produce merchandisers to take advantage of these golden and orange fruits to brighten up winter produce departments.
Above and beyond
In addition to standard navel oranges and lemons, look to specialties like Moro Blood Oranges, Cara Cara Oranges and Meyer Lemons. For true gourmands, specialty Variegated Pink Lemons are seasonally available. Mandarin varieties such as Shasta, Yosemite and Tahoe are popular early season varieties.
Shoppers are more receptive than ever to unique citrus varieties like Meyer Lemons and Blood Oranges, thanks to food writers and bloggers and countless recipes available, said Karen Caplan, President & CEO of Friedas Specialty Produce. Dont be shy about keeping produce displays full and fresh with these deliciously popular specialty varieties.
Grapefruit greatness
If you havent offered your customers the sweet Oroblanco or Melogold yet, now is the time! these golden varieties are actually a grapefruit-Pommelo hybrid, offering a sweet, low-acid flavor with hints of grapefruit. They truly taste like juicy white grapefruit sprinkled with sugar. And of course, you cannot forget the mighty Pommelo, especially around the Chinese New Year on February 14th, 2010. This ancient Asian citrus is often given as a gift or seen as a symbol of fertility and prosperity during the Lunar New Year festivities.
Small but mighty
Kumquats, Mandarinquats, Key Limes, Limequats These grape- to golf ball-sized citrus appeal to consumers curiosity because of their miniature size and vibrant colors. Like grapes, Kumquats and Mandarinquats can be eaten whole, skin and all! Actually, their skin is the sweet part and their flesh is tart. These golden gems are excellent for pureeing into sauces and candying for citrus delicacies. And no Mexican beer (Corona, Pacifico, etc.) would be complete without a squeeze of delicious Key Lime on top (aka Mexican Lime). Key Limes are the perfect accompaniment to Super Bowl party fare.
Attention-grabbers
Nothing captures a shoppers attention like a display of amazing Buddhas Hand Citron! This ancient citrus features yellow, finger-like projections that unfurl like a creepy golden hand. Buddhas Hand look amazing, but they also smell fantastic and will send a sweet floral-citrus fragrance throughout the produce department. This fruit is generally used for its rind to infuse spirits, make candied citron rind or marmalades and sauces.
You cant judge a citrus by its cover and the same goes for the Ugli Fruit, a unique Tangelo from Jamaica. This grapefruit-sized fruit sports an rough, bumpy, greenish-yellow rind, but inside the easy-peel loose skin are huge, seed-free segments of a light, refreshingly sweet citrus like no other. Imagine a giant tangerine with ugly green skin and a light golden-pink flesh, and youve got the Ugli Fruit.
Source: Frieda’s
Frieda’s Inc.
