Fresh Talker

Spring (ahead) is here! When we set our clocks ahead this weekend, it’s proof that spring is just about here, even though below-normal temperatures persist (as I write this it is actually SNOWING). This cool pattern is not exclusive to the Northwest. We are seeing cooler, wet weather patterns up and down the entire West Coast. We’ve even seen freezing temperatures in Arizona and Mexico. What does all this mean? This volatility in the weather right now has an immediate – and potentially a future — effect. …
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‘Tis the season for challenges when it comes to fresh produce. A couple of heavy rain events in California and Arizona have created challenges in row-crop vegetables like lettuce, spinach, broccoli, cauliflower, cilantro and more.  Also affected significantly are packaged salads. When so much rain falls so fast, flooded fields make it virtually impossible to harvest until the water recedes. Two other crops hit hard by rain at this time of year are California strawberries and organic satsumas. For the berries, significant rain means growers must strip off all the …
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To get ready to fill all your holiday needs, we’ve been reviewing our notes, conducting our research and making adjustments where needed. I do believe we’re as ready as we can be to help you put together your special celebration with family and friends. Strike Gold with Your Mashed Potatoes …
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The warm dry days of July and August along with the relatively warm nights well into September has slowed the apple season to a crawl. Apples need cool night-time temps to put the final touch on their color and crispness. Now that we’re trending toward a more normal weather pattern, we’re seeing more varieties of this new crop of Washington apples.  We have had Gala apples for a couple of weeks. Golden Delicious and Honeycrisp apples both arrived this week. Reports are for a big Honeycrisp crop this year and the market is starting off with costs well below last year. So look for …
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The downhill side of summer is marked by the ending of the Northwest cherry season.  We are there, sadly, as we still have a few Sweet Red Cherries in the markets this morning, but I’d be surprised if we make it through the weekend. At least it was a banner year! As we move into the second half of August, a few late-summer items are over the top when it comes to great eating experiences. First on the list are jumbo-size Keitt mangos. Personally I think it’s the best mango of the year. The fruit is large with a thin pit and offers up a thick, creamy flesh. The tropical flavor is …
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August already? But … wasn’t the Fourth of July only a minute ago? August brings an end to the local berry season from Sterino Farms in Puyallup. We’ll see a few blackberries over the next few weeks and a trickle of currants for another week or so. We’ll have an abundance of Northwest blueberries, but the wind down has begun already and the end is in sight. I’m also hoping for a few more strawberries out of Oregon, but I’m not holding my breath because the recent heat wave has forced us to …
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Berries are still going strong, but time is running out on a couple popular varieties we get from Sterino Farms in Puyallup. Tayberries already are finished, and gold raspberries are winding down fast. Red raspberries have about 10 days left, but the supply shrinks with each passing day. Currants and gooseberries should be plentiful through the end of the month. As for blackberries, they will be plentiful through August and possibly into September. We will move through several blackberry varieties over the next several weeks. So far, it’s been another great year for Sterino …
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We’re gloriously knee-deep in berries! It was a rough start for locally grown strawberries last week. But we quickly moved into sunny, warm weather over the weekend and it really brought out the sugar and flavor. Sadly, local strawberries already are winding down. Northwest blueberries will be arriving …
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Summer officially arrives June 21 – but unofficially, many of us feel like it’s already here, even if the weather can’t decide. The warm summer-like weather we experienced at the end of May led us to think locally grown strawberries from Skagit Valley’s Hayton Farms might be here by June 5 or …
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