Your Produce Man - Produce News

Our last PRODUCE MAN PUZZZZLE dealt with citrus: Who planted the first citrus tree in California? The widespread popularity of California citrus varieties and their penetration of markets everywhere can be directly traced to a wandering Kentucky trapper and a middle-aged couple from Maine. The trapper, William Wolfskill, first settled in what is now Los Angeles in 1841. He planted hundreds of orange and lemon seedlings on two acres at Central Avenue and East Fifth Street, later the site of the Southern Pacific Central Station. But a century before, in 1769, at the Mission San Diego, Father Serra planted the first citrus tree in California, one of the many "Mission Fruits" brought to California by Father Serra and other missionaries. We are enjoying wintertime citrus so this week’s PUZZZZLE still deals with citrus: The Murcott Tangerine is the sweetest tangerine grown on earth. It’s grown in Florida but marketed under a different name. What Tangerine is it? See next week’s "Fresh Tips" for the answer.

In cooperation with the FDA, Your Produce Man encourages the foodservice industry to follow these voluntary guidelines to help prevent a bioterrorism threat:

FREEZING TEMPERATURES:
More than any other weather condition, freezing temperatures cause more damage to crops in the United States. Last year at this time, Mother Nature turned a cold shoulder to growers in Florida sending some of the coldest temperatures in a decade, damaging citrus and vegetable. Recent cold temperatures in California will actually have a positive affect on crops. Most of the frosty temperatures have been in the San Joaquin Valley, and will help many crops from Asparagus to Nuts, Grapes to Stonefruit. These are crops that need "chilling hours" or "chilling units." Kind of like a battery storing energy for later use. In mild winters, when chilling hours are minimal, fruit trees like cherries and peaches, just don’t have the energy to put out a lot of foliage and blossoms, which will impact supplies later that summer. Deciduous fruits and nuts stop growing in late summer or fall, drop their leaves, and are dormant during the winter, then resume growth in the spring. This relationship between plant and environment is important to the survival of the plant. As winter approaches, the already developed buds go dormant in response to both shorter days and cooler temperatures. This dormancy (actually called "endodormancy") or sleeping stage protects these buds from oncoming cold weather. Once buds have entered dormancy, they will be tolerant to temperatures much below freezing and will not grow in response to mid-winter warm spells. These buds remain dormant until they have accumulated sufficient chilling units. When enough chilling accumulates, the buds are ready to grow in response to warm temperatures. As long as there have been enough chilling hours, the flower and leaf buds develop normally. Chilling temperatures above freezing terminate dormancy. If the buds do not receive sufficient chilling temperatures during winter to completely release dormancy, trees will develop one or more of the physiological symptoms associated with insufficient chilling: 1) delayed foliation, 2) reduced fruit set and increased buttoning and, 3) reduced fruit quality. Chilling hours are defined as that period of time between 32º F and 45º F. Plants are assigned a certain chilling requirement based on the amount of cold needed to cause 50 percent of the buds to break and flower in the spring. Most blueberries have a chilling requirement of 400-600 hours. Stonefruit chilling requirements are based on a criteria for variety selection and range from a low of 400 to a high of 1250 hours. Asparagus grows from a "crown root." This root also needs chilling hours so that it is ready for the Spring’s production of Asparagus spears. The longer the chilling hours, the more energy is stored up for later growth. And that leads to better crops of Asparagus, peaches, plums, nectarines, cherries, apricots, apples, pears, nuts and grapes. Bring on the cold.

Late Night with David Letterman is celebrating its 20th anniversary this year. In honor of David, I have come up with our own TOP 10 list, from the produce home office in Salinas, California.