LONG PROMO:   Hey, next week we begin a new year, and it’s wintertime, so I thought I’d get you some citrus.   Take a look at the world of citrus.  You’ve never seen citrus like this before.  In fact, take a look at this thing.  What is that?  You better joing me…next week, with me, Michael Marks, Your Produce Man.

SHORT PROMO:  Hey, you know what this is.  It’s an orange, but do you know what this is?  It’s in the same family.  I’ll tell you…next week with me, Michael Marks, Your Produce Man.
                                                                                                         
CITRON/BUDDHA’S HAND (Monday, December 31):  Okay, we’re starting a new year so I want to get you used to some other produce items that maybe you haven’t seen before.  Maybe you have seen them and wondered what in the world are they.  So all this week we’re going to be talking about citrus.  That’s right.  It is wintertime.  We need our vitamin C.  So, you all know what this is.  A beautiful orange.  A beautiful navel orange - the most popular eating orange in the world, but do you know what this is?  It kind of looks like that Davy Jones character on…what’s that movie?  Pirates of the Caribbean, that’s right.  This is called citron or Buddha’s hand.  That’s right.  It’s actually called Buddha’s hand.  Now, we don’t really know the full history of it.  We think perhaps some Buddhist monks actually took this from China, and that’s why they called this Buddha’s hand.  Now what in the world do you do with this?  Liquors.  Vermouth.   Yeah, a lot of those are right here. But what do you do with them?  You can use them as a great decoration plus the skin can be candied or you can use it as you would any other lemon peel.  I’m Michael Marks…Your Produce Man.   

TEASE:  Hey, from Pirates of the Caribbean, do you think this is a prop they used for Davy Jones?  No, it’s actually Buddha’s hand.

ORO BLANCO GRAPEFRUIT (Tuesday, January 1): In the world of citrus there is more than just oranges and grapefruit.  Well, here is a type of grapefruit.  It’s called oro blanca, white gold.  “Hey, Martha,” you say.  “Those look green.”  Well, actually of lot of these when they are harvested like this, they are green on the outside.  Let me cut this open through the middle, and it’s totally ripe on the inside.  They can be ripe on the inside even though they are green, and it’s called white gold for a good reason.  Not because it’s really expensive but because they taste…oh they are so good.   In fact, many growers grow these just for themselves.  Now here’s another cool one.  When you cross a mandarin with a pommelo, what do you get?  You get a cocktail grapefruit.  Again, it’s going to be green outside this time of year, but look at it inside.  Oh man, the flavor.  I know, these have some seeds.  You like the flavor of grapefruit but the sweetness of an orange?  You got it right here.  I’m Michael Marks with some more citrus.  I’m…Your Produce Man.  (Takes Bite)  Mmmm.

TEASE: Hey, in my next Produce Man report…yep, they may be green, but oh my goodness, they taste so good. 

KEY LIMES (Wednesday, January 2):  You know, most of you go in the supermarket, you see the citrus section, and you go to the lime section.  This is what you find.  It’s actually called the Persian lime.  Most of these are grown in Mexico.  In fact, about 95% of them are grown in Mexico.  These are very popular mainly because they have a lot of grape juice and there are no seeds in these.  But, if you’re making a key lime pie, what do you use?  Ah ha!  That’s right.  You have to use a key lime.  Now, one thing about key lime…well, actually a couple things about key limes.  First of all they’re a little bit smaller than their Persian cousins.  That’s right.  And this is about the size they get.  They’re grown in Florida.  They’re also grown in Mexico.  In Mexico, nyou know what they’re called?  Mexican limes.  You know what they’re called in Florida?  Key limes.  Same thing.  Right?  One thing about the key lime you will notice when I cut this one in half.  There are seeds inside.   So when you’re juicing this, you have to be careful and make sure you don’t get any seeds in there.   Nothing worse than getting a slice of key lime pie and having seeds in there.  So strain them out.  But that’s the key lime of the key lime pie.  I’m Michael Marks…Your Produce Man.

TEASE: Hey, in my next Produce Man report, you know what these are?  Regular limes.  Ah ha!  How about key limes for key lime pie?

MEYER LEMONS (Thursday, January 3):  You know all this week I’m trying to get you ready for a new year.  We’re in a new year now – 2008, and I wanted to let you see some of the other citrus items.   You know the oranges.   You know the grapefruit.  You know some lemons, maybe some limes, but how about these?  Meyer lemons.  These have been so popular with many chiefs all around the country, and because of that you’re starting to see them in a lot of grocery stores, and I’m so glad for that.  Oh man, just feel that in your hand.  This is like a water balloon in there.  Now what do you do with a Meyer lemon that you can’t do with a regular lemon?   There are so many things you can do with these.  This is probaby one of the best desert lemons on the face of the planet.  If you love cooking with lemons, this is the lemon you want.  Also, lemonade.  Oh ho!  I have a tree of these in my back yard – a Meyer lemon.  It’s the only way to go.  Let me cut this in half for you.  This thing is absolutely loaded with juice.  Look at that juice.  See that color in there?  The orange?  Yeah, they are sweet.  I’m Michael Marks…Your Produce Man.

TEASE:  Hey, in my next Produce Man report, come on get out your best lemonade recipe.  We’ve got Meyer lemons.
  
POMELOS (Friday, January 4):  You know all this week we’ve been getting you ready for the new year (2008 is now upon us), trying to get you to try new items.  We’ve been in the citrus section showing you some of the weird citrus that you are starting to find in the produce section.  Now these we’ve actually seen over the past decade.  I thought I’d save the biggest for last.  These are called pomelos.  They’re spelled a hundred different ways.  This is the granddaddy of grapefruit, also known as Shaddock’s fruit around the world.  That’s because Admiral Shaddock, he was in the Queens navy in England back in the 1800’s, and he took some citrus.  He took these from China and took them to the Caribbean, and that’s why they call them Shaddock’s fruit.  They’re pomelos.  Now let me show you this inside.  You think this is big…you’re going to find a lot of fruit inside?  Oh, by the way, yes, they are green.  They always start out green, but they’re totally ripe.  Let me cut this and show you something.  Oh, take a look at that.  Look at the color.   Now if you love the flavor of grapefruit but not the acid, than the pomelo is what you want.  These are so popular in a lot of the Asian communities.  I’m Michael Marks…Your Produce Man.  [takes bite]  Mmmm.

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