Opal Apples

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Westlake Weekly Update 9.23.20 

Featured Item: Opal Apples

Apple season is here, and we’re all dying for our favorites to hit the markets.  One such gem is the Opal apple.  Descended from the Golden Delicious and Topaz apple, it kind of has its parents beat in color and taste.  Sorry to say, but the yellow skin of the Opal is more vibrant than the “OG” Golden Delicious and has a  better flavor balanced than the Topaz.  No disrespect to the parents…they still have their place in our hearts. But, the Opal apple basically inherited the best traits from each of its parents.  Don’t we all wish that for our own offspring?

Opal apples are bright-colored with beautiful brown flecks around the stem.  They have an incredible crunch when you bite into them.  The flavor is sweet but not overwhelmingly so.  There’s a perfect balance of acidity to keep the sweetness in check.  The flesh is slightly floral-scented and juicy!  They are sure to become one of your favorites this season!

And, I haven’t even gotten to the best part!  Opal apples are slow to oxidize!  That means they are naturally non-browning apples.  Gone are the days of trying to rubberband your cut apples or squeezing lemon juice over them in a baggie to keep them from turning brown and less visually appetizing.  Opal apples can be cut and stored without losing the bright white flesh of the apple’s interior.  It’s a game-changer when it comes to lunches.  Go crazy and cut those apples the night ahead for your little one’s snack or your afternoon salad.  These apples will stay just as crisp and fresh as you like it!

Opal apples are exclusively grown conventionally and organically in Prescott, Washington.  We will start packing these apples on October 1st.  The season is expected to run through May.  But don’t let that stop you from grabbing some now. When these babies are gone, they’re gone

CITRUS:

This week in citrus, we have Navel oranges available from our growers in Chile and Australia.  The fruit is arriving with excellent quality and flavor.  The demand has remained strong on imported navels.  We expect a strong finish to the season as the last of the arrivals come in.  

New crop California navel oranges are due to start by the end of October. The 2020-2021 Navel orange forecast shows at 84 million cartons.  Despite being down 5% from last year, we anticipate a good start to the California citrus season.

Don’t forget Cara Caras from our growers in Australia.  This fruit is one of the nicest varieties out of this area and can fill some of your shelf space.  Call us for great opportunity buys.  Valencia oranges continue to be in high demand.  The fruit is an excellent quality in the juice and flavor department.  The demand is exceeding supply on the 113s.  We have some availability of 88s and larger.  Pack outs at this time of year are running 40/60s fancy to choice.  

They’re here, and they’re a hit!  Honey tangerines have started in a big way.  The fruit this year did not disappoint.  It has arrived very nicely, with excellent sugar and juice content.  The peak size is on the 60s, followed by the 70’s and 50s.  We have a good supply of “low seed honeys” available.  The opportunity is there for some great promotions in October. 

Fallglo tangerines from Florida are due to start harvest this week.  They are one of the larger varieties of tangerines, with a deep orange easy to peel rind.  The first shipments after de-greening will be next week.  The peak size being 120s, followed by the 100s and 150s.  These sweet tangerine varieties are packed in 36 lb cartons.  They are a wonderful option for tangerine sales out here in the west!  

Our bulk W. Murcotts and Tango mandarins are finishing up.  We expect to go through the end of next week.  Our last container is arriving this week.  Please give us a ring for remaining availability.  We expect the first California mandarins (Satsumas and Clementines) are due to start by the end of October.  The imported bagged mandarins have been looking and tasting great.  There has been additional supply arriving from our growers in Australia and Chile, just as demand increased last week.  We still have a good supply of 2lb and 3lb bags available.

Minneola tangelos are coming to the end of their season.  We are so thankful to our growers in Peru and Australia for providing us with an exemplary product we were able to offer.

Our growers in Chile are winding down with lemons, but lemons have started harvesting out of the California desert and Arizona.  The peak size continues on the smaller side of

 the newest crop.  Mexican lemons are also available and looking good!  We have good availability on lemons from our various growing regions.  

California grapefruit demand continues to exceed supply on the Ruby variety.  The season will come to a quick end this week.  Sadly, some of our growers lost supply due to the extremely high temperatures we experienced.  Stay tuned as some groves are being accessed and will finalize any further availability.

Florida will begin harvest this week.  Our supply will peak on the 48s and 40s.  Please call us for your overall source of Florida grapefruit on the west coast.  

Texas Rio Star grapefruit is just three weeks away!  Stay tuned for more information on this popular variety!

 BERRIES:

Eat more berries!  They are high in fiber and loaded with antioxidants, plus they make your skin look better!  Just as you should eat them daily, you’re going to have to call for the day to day updates.  Don’t worry…we love hearing from you!  
We have bright flavorful raspberries available, as well as strawberries, blackberries, and blueberries.  The strawberries are limited due to conditions up north, with a slight increase in price.  Domestic Blueberries have been in light supply due to overall production. But, blackberries are becoming readily available as Mexico gets their season started.

TROPICALS:

The current production of Keitt Mangoes out of Mexico has slowed down, but Brazilian Tommy mangoes will start to fill the US.  Call for sizes and availability!

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