Last week’s YOUR PRODUCE MAN’S PRODUCE PUZZZZLE still dealt with citrus: What citrus is named after civil government workers? (Here's a hint: It's not government workers in America.) These government officials were usually highly educated, and wore long orange-colored robes. Although the name itself is not Chinese, the name of this citrus came to us from a Portuguese word, which means "counselor," based on the Hindi word that means "man" and "to think." The civil government workers were Chinese, known as…Mandarins. Since winter time is citrus time, this week's YOUR PRODUCE MAN’S PRODUCE PUZZZZLE still deals with citrus: What type of citrus gets its variety names from growing regions? (Here's a hint: The growing regions are all in Florida.) See next week's "Fresh Tips" for the answer.

In less than 10 hours, Hurricane Frances destroyed the famed Florida grapefruit crop.

When a deep freeze hits the Northeast, consumers become more concerned about staying warm rather than buying lettuce and tomatoes.

A heat wave in April and May brought on the peach, plum and nectarine crop very early…which also ended early.

Ann Veneman retired as the first USDA Secretary. In her four years at the post, she was a cheerleader for fresh fruits and vegetables…and the farmers who grew them

TOP STORIES OF 2004 (Monday, Jan. 3): In 2004, the weather was the headline, from freezes to heat to hurricanes. The weather determined what we bought and how much we paid for it. Here were some of the biggest weather-related stories in produce:

• Hurricanes blew through Florida like the Santa Ana winds blow through Southern California. Four major storms caused over $3 billion in agricultural damage, starting with citrus, including grapefruit. Florida grows 2/3 of the nation’s grapefruit, and 80% of the grapefruit blew to the ground from the winds of Charlie, Frances, Ivan and Jeanne. Those storms also delayed the planting of the fall and winter crops of vegetables and tomatoes, which sent prices into record levels for bell peppers, cucumbers, green beans, squash and tomatoes. Growers in Florida are now back to normal production levels, 2 months late.
• The Deep Freeze of New England and the East Coast in January created a glut of many fruits and vegetables. As one of the worst “Noreasters” in years, temperatures dipped so low that unprotected skin would get frostbite in 6 minutes. Besides truckers having a difficult time delivering produce, consumers were more concerned about survival than buying bananas. For almost a month, demand dropped in New York, Philadelphia and Boston, huge population markets for fruits and vegetables. With less lettuce and broccoli heading to Philly and Boston, that meant better supplies for other parts of the nation.
• Record heat in April and May in California caused a lot of disruption in vegetable row crops in Salinas and tree fruits throughout the San Joaquin Valley. In Salinas, it became the hottest April on record, with temperatures averaging 20 degrees warmer than normal. That caused germination problems with early crops and left some fields with very poor yields. It also brought bugs to the lettuce crops, increasing costs of production and product. The April and May heat also pushed peach and nectarine varieties into early production and into a very quick end later in the season.
• Transportation has become increasingly expensive…and short. Earlier in the year, the Mad Cow scare caused over 2,000 refrigerated shipping units to be quarantined in Asia, creating world-wide shortages for importing fruits from the Southern Hemisphere. Increased terrorism rules also put into place in 2004, caused shipping costs to increase by 25%. Then an oil shortage clogged the trucking fuel line, causing some marginal truckers to go out of business, once again leading to shortages.
• Ann Veneman has been the best friend to farmer and consumer. As the first woman to head the USDA, before resigning In November, Veneman spent four years taking fresh vegetabales and fruits to a higher marketing level by expanding world markets and improving food safety. As Nebraska Governor Mike Johanns begins to take the USDA reigns, he comes in on a solid foundation laid by Veneman.

These Korean Pears are very carefully grown, packed and shipped…from Korea to the United States.

The pears are actually wrapped twice during the growth to maturity. These pages from the field manual show the paper bags they are wrapped in when they first blossom and once they reach a larger stage of maturity.

Each pear is carefully wrapped on the tree, protecting the delicate skin from insects and the elements.

Negative imaging more accurately reveals the size of the cavity or core of the pear as compared with that of a domestic pear.

KOREAN PEARS (Tuesday, Jan. 4): Fairly new to the Western taste buds, the over 100 varieties of Asian Pears grown today came originally from Japan. These firm, yet amazingly juicy pears are grown throughout the West, mainly in the San Joaquin Valley, north into Oregon. They range in size and color from gigantic (2 lbs.) and golden brown to about 7 oz. and yellow. In general, ripe pears are quite firm to the touch, crunchy to the bite and exceedingly juicy! The most recognized Asian Pear here in the West is the 20th Century or Nijisseiki. Unlike other pears, Asian pears are not soft and mushy when they're ripe. Asian pears are firm to the touch but shattering to the taste buds! If picked too soon, they will never develop the sweetness and character for which these fruits are loved. Well, have you heard of a Korean Pear. The skin of the pear has a light brownish-yellow tint while the inner flesh is white. This variety is bred to have an extremely thin skin. This is one of the reasons it must be wrapped when growing. Therefore, when a bite is taken, the taste is a juicy flesh, not a bitter skin. They are crispy when eaten and are sweet in taste. Chilled or cooked, Korean Pears always make a wonderful addition to any meal! The Large Korean is similar to the Shinko in texture but is a bit sweeter and surprisingly, unexpectedly juicy. Nothing quite describes the unique flavor of this pear except to say that it's satisfyingly delicious. Serve slices of Large Koreans after a meal and you will not hear any complaints. Enjoy out of hand; serve with Brie, Camembert or Stilton cheese; add to watercress and spinach salads; use in filling for flans and pear pie; poach in syrup; drizzle thinly cut slices with caramel or chocolate; bake or sauté with toasted slivered almonds or ginger (requires longer cooking time than regular pears). Korean Pears are often individually wrapped in tissue for moisture retention. A sweet aroma is the best indicator of ripeness, not gentle pressure. They'll keep a week or two at room temperature and up to three months refrigerated. Tender loving care goes into each and every one of these magnificent pieces of fruit. When they are still small buds on the tree, each Korean Pear is hand wrapped to ensure a blemish free appearance as the fruit matures. They are crisp in texture and offer a mildly sweet, refreshing flavor when eaten out of hand. Try them in salads, dipped in caramel, or sautéed in a little butter and brown sugar for a quick dessert.

You’ve probably seen this in the store and asked, “What in the world is that?”

The Pomelo can grow as large as a bowling ball.

POMELO (Wednesday, Jan. 5): Eons ago, the citrus family of fruit diverged in three general directions from a point of origin in the shadow of the Himalayan mountains near present-day Bhutan. The line of citrus that branched into Southeast Asia yielded the Pomelo (also spelled pummelo). In another time and place, the Pomelo would sire the grapefruit, which now far overshadows its Southeast Asian granddad in the United States. This granddad to today’s grapefruit is still referred to as “Chinese Grapefruit.” And dozens of southern California farmers are bringing the Pomelo back. Pomelos certainly contribute visual drama to the winter markets. They look like over inflated grapefruits. The Pomelo is the largest of the citrus fruits with a shape that can be fairly round or slightly pointed at one end (the fruit ranges from nearly round to oblate or pear-shaped). They range from cantaloupe-size to as large as a 25-pound watermelon and have very thick, soft rind. The skin is green to yellow and slightly bumpy; flesh color ranges from pink to rose. Most of what you see in stores is about the size of bowling balls. They have a thick peel and even thicker layer of white pith, which accounts for the Pomelo’s appeal to preservers. The flesh is sweeter and chewier than grapefruit. Like grapefruits, they can range from almost seedless to very seedy, from juicy to dry, from sweet to sour. It is sweeter than a grapefruit and can be eaten fresh, although membranes around the segments should be peeled. Pomelos commonly have 16 to 18 segments, compared to most grapefruit that have about 12 segments. Be sure to refrigerate and use quickly. Use as you would grapefruit sections. They are also good for jams, jellies, marmalades and syrups. Most of the customers for Pomelos fall into one of two categories, says Fred Campbell, a Fallbrook grower. There are those who have never seen a Pomelo before and exclaim, "What the heck is that!" And there are Asian customers who know it well, and are often so particular about it that they want it with a stem and leaf attached. What do you do with a Pomelo leaf? The Food of China, by E.N. Anderson, has this suggestion: "Water in which Pomelo skins or leaves have been soaked is commonly used to drive away ghosts and evil spirits." The grapefruit is recognized as a distinct species of citrus. But it was never mentioned in ancient Chinese texts that catalogued other citrus fruits, leading botanists to suspect that it got its start outside of Asia from a cross in the wild between a Pomelo and a sweet orange. Some have gone so far as to peg the union to the Caribbean in the 1750s. (About a century earlier an English seafarer, Captain Shaddock, brought the Pomelo to the West Indies, where it joined the orange, which was introduced by Columbus on his second voyage in 1494.) Grapefruit need long periods of uninterrupted heat to get sweet and stay thin-skinned. So farmers in coastal counties couldn’t grow them—until plant breeders at the University of California’s Citrus Research Center in Riverside came to the rescue with genes from a Pomelo. Out of their efforts to breed a cooler-climate grapefruit, the Oroblanco and Mellowgold were born in 1958. They are siblings from a cross made that year between a Siamese acidless Pomelo from Thailand and a white grapefruit, says Dr. Mikeal Roose, a botanist at the university. They have the eye-catching heft of their Thai parent but have a thinner skin. They are sweeter than straight grapefruit, even when grown in a cool climate. Moreover, since the Pomelo has two sets of chromosomes while the grapefruit has four, the offspring were left with three, which renders them seedless.

Tangerine with stems and leaves.

FAIRCHILD TANGERINE (Thursday, Jan. 6): The Stems & Leaves are here. When I first started working in a produce department in a small town in California, some of my Chinese customers would come in the store, starting in early December, and ask me, “Are the stems and leaves in yet?” When I first heart that questions, I was stumped. But a 3rd generation Chinese American explained that stems and leaves still attached to the Tangerine is a symbol of good luck and prosperity for the new year. So, every year, for New Years, it is common to see Fairchild Tangerines, with stems and leaves still attached, given as gifts. The Fairchild is one of the popular tangerines grown in the United States. The Fairchild tangerine is North America's earliest ripening variety and one of California's most heavily planted varieties. It’s the “first of the season” Tangerine. The Fairchild is thin-skinned with what we call a “zipper skin” that peels easily. They are sweet, juicy but unfortunately, they do contain seeds, so be careful when you are giving them to your kids. Mandarins include a diverse group of citrus fruits that are characterized by bright peel and pulp color, excellent flavor, easy-to-peel rind and segments that separate easily. Because all tangerines are mandarins but not all mandarins are tangerines, mandarins are commonly separated into four groups: Mediterranean, king, satsuma and common tangerines. Tangerines are the most important of the mandarin groups, both because of their widespread culture and because of their use in citrus hybridization. 'Clementine' ('Algerian') originated in Algeria and was introduced to the U.S. in 1909. It has deep reddish orange color and both the rind and segments exhibit slightly more adherence than most mandarins. Fruit of 'Clementine' matures earlier than 'Dancy' and it is usually smaller; the fruit will store on-tree better than most. The Tangerine is symbolic of good luck as the word tangerine has the same sound as the word luck in Chinese. The Fairchild Tangerine has few seeds with a mild, but tangy flavor. Fairchild mandarin is a hybrid of Clementine mandarin and Orlando tangelo. The cross was made by J. R. Furr at the U.S Date and Citrus Station at Indio, California, and the variety was released in 1964. It has proven to be particularly well-suited to the California and Arizona deserts where it provides an early season fruit for the market. Fairchild trees are vigorous with a wide-spreading habit. For best fruit production, a pollinator is necessary. The fruit is medium-sized, oblate in shape, and has a thin, slightly pebbled, dark orange rind. Fairchild is not especially easy to peel and the fruits typically contain many seeds, but the flesh is quite juicy and the flavor is rich and sweet.

TRENDS FOR 2005 (Friday, Jan. 7): As we look into the New Year, what food trends will dominate the culinary and retail landscape? Will Organic continue to grow right along with the consumer’s weight and waist? Let’s take a look at some of these trends:

• Security and Food Safety: The food and beverage industry, the retail industries are extremely vulnerable to terrorists. A security or food safety breach by terrorists would have economic shaking results in the Western world. This threat will continue to dictate public and industry policies in the coming year.
• Global Growth: China is here to stay. Their apples and garlic won’t be the only source of trouble for U.S. growers. This year, Mexican avocados will have year-round access to 47 the United States, except Hawaii, California and Florida. Global markets won’t go away. The global population increases by about 80 million people a year, with 95% of the world’s consumers living outside the U.S. One if five U.S. companies depend on global import/export business. U.S. trade negotiators will have to toughen their stance on allowing U.S. produce better access to foreign markets or we will see U.S. farmland shrivel away under a flood of foreign-grown produce.
• Water is Gold: In California, the first gold rush occurred in 1849. Today, California’s new gold rush…is water. Whoever will control water in California will control the state’s economy and future. To feed America and the world with the best produce, growers need water. If urban growth and extreme environmental protection continue, then farmers will be forced…leave the land.
• A Pharmacy in the Produce Department: Scientists around the country will continue to work in augmenting the anti-oxidant power already contained in fruits and vegetables. Dr. Leonard Pike of Texas A&M has increased the beta carotene level in carrots by five times, and is now working to increase calcium in tomatoes. “The pharmacy in the produce department can help increase the consumer’s life expectancy and quality of life,” Dr. Pike says.
• Healthy Foods: Consumers will continue to seek new options for healthier, more nutritious foods. This trend will be strong in both foodservice and retail industries. Restaurants especially will benefit if they healthy up to the kids menu. Families are seeking more family-healthy restaurants. The growth in Organic produce will continue to be phenomenal as pricing becomes more mainstream with conventional produce.
• Fresh-Cut: Because of the popularity of cooking shows from Martha to Emeril, consumers are turning the ovens and stoves back on. They want to cook from scratch, but the lack of time will continue to fuel the fresh-cut produce industry. This will hold true for the foodservice industry as well. Saving time and labor costs will fuel the need for more utilization of fresh-cut fruits, vegetables and mixes to maintain quality in food prep.
• Taste is King: A Grocery Manufacturers of America study showed that 9-out-of-10 consumers regard taste as the most important factor in food. Taste and flavor will dominate marketing of foods, fruits and vegetables in 2005.
  

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