Your Produce Man - Produce News

YOUR PRODUCE MAN'S "FRESH TIPS"
February 1st, 2002

Our last PRODUCE MAN PUZZZZLE dealt with citrus: What citrus is used by medical schools to teach how to properly use a needle on patients? This one was easy for many people who have actually had advanced 1st Aid, EMT training, and of course nursing, lab technicians and doctors. They’ve had to get out this citrus and puncture it with a needle, as if they were puncturing the human skin to draw blood or to administer a drug. What citrus is it? The Navel Orange. The resistance of the Navel Orange peel is the closest thing to the resistance of human skin. For all of us who have had blood drawn and we didn’t even feel the poke of the needle, thank-you Navel Orange! With the Super Bowl this weekend, this week’s PUZZZZLE deals with Avocados: The Super Bowl is the #2 event for Avocado usage in the U.S. What is the #1 event for Avocado usage in the U.S.? See next week’s "Fresh Tips" for the answer.

Growers are accelerating harvest to prevent freeze damage to
Navel Oranges.

--NAVEL ORANGES: The San Joaquin Valley produces about 85% of the nation’s Navel Oranges. Very cold temperatures throughout the valley has sent pickers into the orchards, accelerating harvest in some growing regions, and has caused some growers to use freeze-protection measures in some groves. During the middle part of January, there has been about a two-week cold snap, with some of the coldest temperatures dipping to the mid-20s. Most freezing temperatures in the orange growing region ranged between 24 to 30 degrees. This persistent arctic cold blast is averaging about 7 degrees below normal. Freezing temperatures with any citrus, can cause "dry cell" in the fruit. You see, citrus is made up of thousands of tiny water balloons.

When water freezes, it expands. If it expands too much, the balloon will burst. During this time of the season, Navel Oranges are bursting with juice content. Basically, these water balloons are as full as they can be, making these oranges even more susceptible to "dry cell." Some of the freeze-protection measures used by growers include windmills in the orchards or helicopters hovering over the orchards. The wind movement can help raise orchard temperatures as much as 5 degrees. Other protection measures include smudge pots or even sprinkling the trees and fruit with water. Water freezes at 32 degrees. The theory is that the ice formed on the fruit will stay at only 32 degrees and not go lower, which would cause freeze damage to the fruit. Usually, it takes temperatures at around 27 degrees for several hours to cause damage. Temperatures have been getting that low for up to 6 hours in some orchards. The high sugar content in the Navel Oranges will help minimize some freeze damage. Sugar in fruit kind of acts like anti-freeze. Lemons are also grown in the San Joaquin Valley. Since lemons don’t have much sugar content at all, freezing temperatures will cause "dry cell" damage rather quickly.

St. Louis Ram’s
Kurt Warner

SEARCHING FOR THE UNDENIABLY BEST GUACAMOLE

On Super Bowl Sunday, 13.2 million pounds or 26 million avocados will be consumed, mostly in the form of guacamole. That's enough dip to cover the Louisiana Superdome football field, end zone to end zone, waist deep in guacamole (approximately 40 inches). This year's Super Bowl marks the second largest consumption day of avocados for the year

-- Cinco de Mayo is first overall. Here’s a Cajun spiced Guacamole recipe, just in time for the Super Bowl.

Ingredients
2 California avocados, about 1 pound
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice 1/2 cup finely diced red bell pepper
1/2 cup small cherry tomatoes (quartered)
1/4 cup thinly sliced green onion
3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1/2 teaspoon chopped, fresh thyme leaves
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper

Instructions
Coarsely mash (DO NOT PUREE) avocados; stir in lemon juice. Fold in remaining ingredients. Guacamole is best made as close to serving as possible. For short-term storage, seal in an airtight container with a piece of plastic wrap against the surface of the guacamole.

--KIWIFRUIT: February 2 is Groundhog Day, making it the perfect day to promote Kiwifruit. Punxsutawney Phil rises from his burrow to check the weather. Will summer come early, or will we have 6 more weeks of winter. This day is also California Kiwifruit Day.

Why not? The groundhog and Kiwifruit are both cute, cuddly, brown and furry. Because of hail during early fruit set, California’s crop is almost half of normal, which is why prices have been a bit higher than normal. The fruit, however, has been some of the nicest for size, fruit color, sugar content and flavor. Be sure to properly ripen your Kiwifruit before you use it. Don’t ripen in the open air. Kiwifruit could simply dehydrate before it ripens. Keep them enclosed to ripen, and keep them at room temperature, in your backroom. Kiwifruit is the most nutrient-dense fruit on earth, loaded with Vit. C, Potassium and lots of anti-oxidants. By the way, since February brings Chinese New Year, here’s a little Kiwifruit history. It originated In China and was originally known as "Yang Tao" and then "Chinese Gooseberry." Try this great Yin/Yang California Kiwifruit Cheesecake recipe, just in time for your Chinese New Year menu.