Unparalleled Quality,

Commitment to Service,

and Competitive Pricing.

Specialty Items

Locally Sourced

Sustainability

Pro*Act Advantage

Online Ordering

Milk Us for More!

July 21, 2015

***Strawberry Alert***

We continue to see increased quality issues in strawberries as we have now passed through peak production season in California. Warm, humid and long summer days coupled with unseasonably warm, humid overnights are causing the fruit to ripen quickly to full color long before fruit reaches a mature size. Fruit is soft and much more susceptible to bruising while being packed or in transit. Humidity has increased the presence of mildew and the likelihood of mold if exposed to warm temperatures. At the other end of the spectrum is light-colored fruit with white, soft shoulders and green tips where growers are trying to pack ahead of the earlier mentioned quality issues. Growers are diverting much of their fruit into the processor market for freezer and juicing as fruit is not meeting specification for the fresh market. Availability is becoming more limited and quality issues are being reported in all labels industry-wide. Through this challenging period, we encourage you to only order what you're going to use. Additionally, cold-chain management is of utmost importance as exposure to warm temperature will only accelerate any quality issues. Fruit should be kept at 32-34°.

Commodity Updates
Keep up-to-date on how weather and other conditions across the country and the globe affect the quality, availability, and pricing of your fresh fruits and produce.

Raspberries - Volumes are increasing. The California crop is lining up to peak in early August. Quality is good; shelf-life is consistent.

Lemons - Demand exceeds supply due to summertime demand and lighter production as a result of the California drought. Expect lighter supplies though the summer and into the fall.

Looking for more information?

Click here to view all Commodity Updates.

Local Availability

May 2015 was the 3rd warmest and 3rd driest since 1895; drought concerns were looming large. New Jersey farmers weren't used to having to irrigate so much in May and irrigating distracting them from other work and cost them money. June was quite the opposite; it was 4.19" above the 1981-2010 normal and ranked 4th wettest since 1895. Harvesting produce during times of excessive rainfall is tough. Many times farmers will have to choose which crops to harvest during breaks from the rain and choose crops that need to be harvested. Rain can cause some short-term supply and harvest gaps. (Source: NJ Dept of Ag. "Jersey Fresh" report)

Summer Squashes - limited due to past weather-related issues.

Cucumbers - harvesting in light volumes due to weather issues.

Blueberries - finishing up; quality and flavor are excellent.

Peaches - volumes are increasing; quality is excellent. Free-stone varieties will be available soon.

Click here to view our "locally sourced" list.

Recipe Corner

SPICY BASIL EGGPLANT

1 large purple eggplant or 2 Thai or Japanese eggplants.

1 tbsp. oil

2 cloves garlic, chopped

2 chili peppers, or to taste

1 cup water

2 tbsp. fish sauce

1 tbsp. granulated sugar

Leaves from 1 bunch Thai basil or sweet basil

Cut the eggplant into bit-size pieces.

Heat the oil over high or medium-high heat in a wok. Add the garlic and sliced peppers, and stir until the garlic turns golden brown. Stir in the eggplant and add the water, Cover, and cook until the eggplant is done, about 5 to 7 minutes-- you can tell it is cooked if it has turned from white to translucent. If the eggplant is not yet cooked and all the water has been absorbed, add more water and cover until it is done.

Add fish sauce and sugar; and stir. Add basil and cook, stirring, just until it wilts. Serve hot with rice. (Source: ThaiTable.com)

Squeeze More out of Us!

Seashore is more than fruits and veggies. Did you know that we also stock fresh juices.

FRESH FRUIT JUICES!

1720 APPLE CIDER 4/1-GAL.

1740 LEMON JUICE 16/1-QT

1735 LEMON JUICE, KENNESAW 9/64-oz

1741 LIME JUICE 16/1-QT

1736 LIME JUICE, KENNESAW 9/64-oz

1744 ORANGE JUICE, FRESH 4/1-GAL.

1743 ORANGE JUICE, PASTERIZED 8/64-oz

Your feedback is always welcome. Send your questions or comments to: LizG@seashoreeast.com