Produce News for June 1, 2009

STRAWBERRIES (Monday, June 1): Hey, this week it’s the first moon, the first full moon of June. You know what they actually call it? They actually call it the Strawberry Moon. The Native Americans in New England in the early part of our country, it was always the first moon, full moon of June, because that’s when the strawberries ripened. So that’s why they call it Strawberry Moon. A couple things right now. First of all, take a look at these two strawberries. The one right here – look how dull those look. They do not have a shine, but take a look at these other berries. Come right on over here. Take a look at these. Look how much these shine. These are fresh succulent strawberries. Now, this time of year we have a lot of graduations and weddings. At my wedding we ha of course chocolate dipped strawberries. So here’s what you need to do for the perfect chocolate dipped strawberry. Okay. Take the strawberries out 30 minutes before you’re going to dip them. Let them stay out at room temperature and let the berry get to room temperature. Now you’re going to have a picture perfect dipped strawberry. I’m Michael Marks…Your Produce Man.

PEACHES AND NECTARINES (Tuesday, June 2): Oh, my goodness! Take a look at this. I want you to come really close. Come on. Come really close to these. Yeah, take a look at those. In fact, oh, if you could just smell them. These smell so good – some of the first of the season peaches and nectarines…white flesh peaches as well. In fact, let me cut one of these open and see how it looks inside. Oh, man! It just slices through there like butter, and look at the juice content in there! That is a beautiful white flesh peach. And I’ll tell you something. You know how long these took me to ripen before I brought them here today? A week. Some of the early crop seasons of peaches and nectarines, please be patient with them. Let them ripen. Do not set them out in the open air to ripen. Put them in a brown paper bag or in a fruit ripening bowl, but keep them enclosed. In about a week, oh, they’re going to be like this - dripping down your arm. I’m Michael Marks…Your Produce Man. (Takes Bite) Mmmm.Oh, my goodness! Take a look at this. I want you to come really close. Come on. Come really close to these. Yeah, take a look at those. In fact, oh, if you could just smell them. These smell so good – some of the first of the season peaches and nectarines…white flesh peaches as well. In fact, let me cut one of these open and see how it looks inside. Oh, man! It just slices through there like butter, and look at the juice content in there! That is a beautiful white flesh peach. And I’ll tell you something. You know how long these took me to ripen before I brought them here today? A week. Some of the early crop seasons of peaches and nectarines, please be patient with them. Let them ripen. Do not set them out in the open air to ripen. Put them in a brown paper bag or in a fruit ripening bowl, but keep them enclosed. In about a week, oh, they’re going to be like this - dripping down your arm. I’m Michael Marks…Your Produce Man. (Takes Bite) Mmmm.

BING CHERRIES (Wednesday, June 3): You know, this week in 1955 the $64,000 question debued on television, so here is my $64,000 question. How is the new crop of Bing cherries? Here they are. Take a look at these. There are a couple things I first of all want you to see. First of all, did you notice how shiny they are? Oh, that is a beautiful sign. Next thing, take a look at all these stems. Look how velvety and shiny the stems are. That tells you that these are very, very fresh. So this is the first of the season, and barring any rain right now, that is not good because if we get any rain in California right now, that will cause these beautiful Bing cherries to split, so we dn’t want any rain. So watch the weather. But, oh, man, these are so good. Should I tell you how good these are? Let me pop this into my mouth and I will tell you. (Takes Bite) Yes, that is good! I’m Michael Marks…Your Produce Man. (Takes Bite) Mmmm.

MELONS (Thursday, June 4): You know, I love this time of year. June - the start of picnic season and barbecuing season, of course graduation parties, and maybe some parties for weddings. You know, people, family, and friends getting together. Of course a lot of people want to serve the fruit of the season. Of course just now starting some beautiful canteloupe coming this time of year, but since you’re having a lot of parties, you know, I don’t want peope getting sick at your party, so you need to remomember that melons like a lot of other fruit, especially melons, they grow on the ground. They grow in dirt, okay? So it’s muey importante, it’s very important that all your melons – watermelon, cantelope, honeydew – all your melons, you have to make sure you wash those melons before you cut them. Why before? Well, if there’s any dirt or bacteria on the shell of this cantaloupe, guess what happens if I do not wash it. Guess what happens? Yeah, that dirt or bacteria goes right down in the flesh. So please, this time of year, all year long, wash your melons. I’m Michael Marks…Your Produce Man.

BLUEBERRIES (Friday, June 5): You’ve got to see how huge they are. Oh, my goodness! You know, new crop blueberries…You know the start of the season in the United States always starts in Florida. Then it moves up to George and the Carolinas and over on the West Coast, it’s California and then it moves on up into the Northwest, and always at the beginning of the season, and we are still considered at the beginning of the season, the berries are some of the largest. Take a look at how huge those berries are, and that is very, very typical. Now, it’s not just the variety, but it’s also the first picking. When they go through the vines the very first time, and they’ll go through these blueberry vines probably up to four times during the season picking the berries, and the very first pick, the very first berries that are ripe are always the largest berries. So why is that important? Well, if you want blueberries in the wintertime for your pancakes, your blueberries, your smoothies, your yogurt, I always tell people freeze these berries. Because they’re larger, they freeze easier and better. I’m Michael Marks…Your Produce Man.