We Solve Your Produce Needs.
Volume 34, Week 9
Peanuts are found
almost everywhere in
the American
food
culture
finding their
way into everything
from snacks at baseball
game or cocktail party to
the daily “brown bag”
peanut butter and
jelly sandwich.
Monday, February 29, 2016
PEANUT POWER
Contrary to what their
name implies, peanuts
technically are not nuts.
They are, in botanical
fact, legumes and are
related to other foods in
the legume family including
chickpeas and other beans.
While there are many
varieties of peanuts,
the
ones
most
commonly found in the
marketplace are the
Virginia, Spanish and
Valencia.
Their high protein
content and nutritional
profile allow peanuts to
be processed into a
variety of different
forms: butter, oil, flour,
and flakes.
peas,
lentils,
Peanuts grow in a very fascinating manner. They
actually start out as an above ground flower that, due
to its heavy weight, bends towards the ground. The
flower eventually burrows underground, which is
where the peanut actually matures.
The veined brown shell or pod of the peanut
contains two or three peanut kernels. Each ovalshaped kernel or seed is comprised of two off-white
lobes that are covered by a brownish-red skin.
Peanuts go by various names throughout the world.
"Goober" or "goober pea" is one of the most popular.
Goober is derived from nguba, the name for peanut
in the Bantu language spoken in parts of Africa.
Peanuts have a hardy, buttery and "nutty" taste.
Ways to enjoy peanuts
as a healthy food choice: roasted in salads, in
vegetable dishes, as a butter for veggie stick
snacking or in dips, sauces and glazes, boiled as a
snack, and into peanut oil for dressings and sauces.
The best boiled peanuts (a southern tradition) are
those made from raw or green peanuts, harvested
from June early through September. Other times of
year, use dried, not roasted peanuts. Typically, dried
peanuts are found in the produce section of the
supermarket or at farmers' markets.
Whether the goal is weight loss or better overall
health, there are some convincing arguments for
including peanuts in the daily diet. The high flavor
profile in recipes from Asian and Indian to Southern
and Latin cuisine makes peanut power memorable.
Peanuts are nutrient dense offering heart healthy
plant-based protein and other essentials.
P.O. Box 308, Sacramento, CA 95812 • Phone 916.441.6431 • Fax 916.441.2483 • www.generalproduce.com
FRUITS
Let’s Play Ball! As baseball season gets underway, look to promote local team
favorites with Hampton Farms (In-shell) Roasted Peanuts. We’ll offer both Bay
Area teams: San Francisco Giants & Oakland A’s in 18 count / 12 oz. cases.
America loves baseball & Americans love peanuts.
Berries: Southern Chile is coming off of peak
production but still shipping ample amounts of fruit to
the US to cover demand. Volume deals are available
with promotable pricing, especially on the east coast.
Central Mexico is also coming off of peak production
but Baja Mexico is increasing and will peak around
April. We have good supplies of blueberries with good
quality overall.
Strawberry availability has
improved with favorable
weather
in
California.
Oxnard
is
producing
steadily and Santa Maria
new crop is coming on
quickly as well. Some
summer planted strawberries are still being picked in
Santa Maria and there’s split-level pricing for old and
new crop. Salinas and Watsonville have also seen favorable weather and some ranches are already getting
ripe red fruit in very small quantities for local sales not yet producing for commercial volumes. Many
Mexican growers have backed off volume being sent
to the US. With post-Valentine’s Day market and demand decline, they are keeping more of their fruit in
country for the national market or diverting older fields
to freezer or juicing.
Raspberry supplies are still limited supplies. Central
Mexico is seeing some of the affects from freezes that
occurred in January. Fruit is smaller with some missshaped and splits in the berries. Oxnard is producing
some smaller volumes as well as Baja but Central
Mexico is the main production region for the majority
of our suppliers in this season. With more limited
production and more quality issues present,
availability will continue to be a challenge over the
next several weeks. Blackberry production from
Central Mexico has been steady. Overall, we have
good availability with Mexican fruit being transferred
into the US. Some delays with transfer trucks have
caused hang-ups at the coolers. Demand has been
moderate. Quality has been good
overall with a few issues reported
on older lots of blackberries. Volume should begin to increase
moderately through April.
Citrus: Clear and warm weather
has all California houses packing
navels this week. Eating excellent
and
fruit
looks
beautiful. Size peaking on
72’s/56’s/88’s. We are seeing
fruit size up, and a dropping
in percentage of small size
fruit 113’s/138’s. Demand is
stronger on the 113s/138s
and markets are firming and
beginning to be very active on
these sizes.
The Central Valley and the
Ventura lemon crops are going and both are peaking on
140’s and smaller size fruit. Larger sized fruit is tight
now that the Desert crop has finished their season.
Demand remains very strong.
The lime market is coming down on all sizes. Demand
is good on all sizes across the board but supplies
have bumped up over previous levels. The peak sizes
are 110’s and 150’s currently with fewer small sized
limes being harvested. This is the time of year where
overall supplies are low and will remain at lower levels
until the first or second week of May. The overall long
term upward market trend will likely continue with the
lower supplies through to first part of May. Quality is
excellent overall. Stem and leaf Murcotts will go a
couple more weeks. Cuties and Halos are still moving
good numbers.
Grapes: The red seedless grape
market has adjusted down as supplies
have increased over the last week.
Volume is still weighted heavily to the
medium and medium large fruit. Consequently, the larger code fruit is commanding a premium in the market
place. Quality continues to be an issue
due to rain damage and humidity in
Chile. We are seeing splits, wet and sticky berries and
some early decay. Most of the issues are showing up
in the early Flames with the new crop Crimsons
maintaining a premium in price due to superior quality.
Green seedless are about steady with only average
demand and adequate supplies. Sizing continues to
be skewed towards the large and extra large fruit.
Quality is generally reported as good.
Tomatoes: The market is steady and lower on some
items like Romas and grape tomatoes. Large rounds
are holding but steady.
VEGETABLES
Broccoli, Cauliflower & Celery: The Salinas Valley
is ramping up on broccoli supplies this week
with
unseasonably warm weather bringing on
harvests ahead of schedule. This market looks to
remain unchanged well into next week. Quality is
generally good in all growing regions. The
cauliflower market is steady with good supplies
and very light demand. Select shippers are quoting
stronger on 9’s and 12’s as they have gotten ahead of
supplies and sizing for them is now running to 16’s.
Quality is good from all regions. Celery quality has
been strong in all the growing regions. Very slight
bowing and sometimes light color have been
occasional lot reports.
Lettuces: The iceberg market is unchanged.
Suppliers continue to offer bulk deals as supplies get
stronger. Warm temperatures have accelerated
growth on this commodity. Same defects continue;
mechanical damage, puffiness, slight mildew and
misshapen heads. Expect lighter supplies by the middle of next week.
Aside from some slight mechanical damage and
twisting, the romaine has been strong in quality.
Warm temperatures have created a growth spurt for
romaine, also. Green, red and butter lettuces also
show strong quality. Expect heavy supplies all week
for all leaf items. Fringe and tip burn is likely to be
reported next week due to the warm temperatures in
the growing regions.
Mixed
Vegetables:
Weather in growing area is
warming and size is coming
back slowly on the carrot
crops coming out of the
Coachella
and
Imperial
Valleys of California. Carrots
are still small, but growing
and yields are showing some improvement on Jumbo
size. Supplies of medium size and baby peeled carrots
are both good.
Better weather is increasing eggplant production.
Condition and quality are improving also. More
number one product being offered and less scaring
and misshapen globes. Sizing is improving with better
color and finish. Warmer weather has also improved
production and quality on both yellow and Italian
squash. All sizes and grades are available. Excellent
color on Italian. Yellow is showing scaring on some
lots. Hard Squash is steady supply with good
demand. Mostly medium sizes with some large.
Green onion supplies have improved but many
shippers continue to struggle with sizing and
inconsistent supplies. Quality overall is better and
generally good.
Potatoes:
Washington
russet
demand is very good on all packs
and sizes with slightly firmer markets.
Most growers are peaking on 80
counts and smaller, limited supplies
of 70’s and larger. Quality is hit and miss with
condition of “air checking” - looks like a finger nail cut
on the skin of the potatoes. All colored are steady
and continue to peak on A-size. Whites remain strong
due to light supplies. The quality has ranged from
good to fair. Some red lots have darker color while
others are lighter. Reds and golds from Washington
should finish by the end of March.
BOILED PEANUT HUMMUS
Ingredients:
1 cup shelled boiled peanuts
2 TBSP tahini
2 TBSP fresh lemon juice
1 TBSP chopped fresh parsley
1 teaspoon minced fresh garlic
1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
Pinch of ground red pepper 2
TBSP olive oil
Garnishes: olive oil, shelled boiled peanuts
Pita rounds / pita chips / veggie sticks
METHOD: Process first 7 ingredients in a food processor
until coarsely chopped, stopping to scrape down sides. With
processor running, pour olive oil through food chute in a
slow, steady stream, processing until mixture is smooth. Stir
in up to 5 Tbsp. water, 1 Tbsp. at a time, for desired
spreading consistency. Garnish, if desired. Serve with pita
rounds, pita chips or cut veggies.
* Dried peanuts take up to 10 hours to cook, while green
may take only an hour and a half. Store uncooked green
peanuts in the refrigerator up to 4 days. MAKES 1 Cup
Recipe by Chef Hugh Acheson
Here is your personal update
MARKET REPORT
For updated prices and availability contact
GENERAL PRODUCE
916.441.6431
E-Mail: [email protected]
With a peanut or any tree nut allergy, even a tiny amount ingested or inhaled could cause an
allergic reaction. Some obvious places we find nuts are in nut butters and nut breads.
Other hidden places to avoid if you are nut adverse are sauces, gravies and sides.