VALENCIA ORANGE JUCE (Monday, January 14):  This is National Fresh Juice Week.  So, I love orange juice, and this is the juice orange that you want.  It’s actually called…we in the produce industry call this is a juicing orange.  The varietal name is actually called Valencia.  That’s right - from Valencia, Spain, and one of the…oh man, let’s just open up one of these.  These are grown in Texas and in…one of the first things you’re going to notice…it’s also grown in Florida.  One of the first things you notice is the light color.  That is very, very typical for Valencia oranges.  But the juice content and the sugar content on these oranges are unbelieveable which makes them the premier juicing orange around the word.  In fact, this is the main orange grown in Brazil and Florida that you want to juice with.  Hold on.  Let’s find out what the flavor is.  (Takes Bite)  Mmm. Oh!  The sugar content is unbelievable – especially this time of year.  From here on out, you just can’t get any sweeter!  So if you want a juicing orange, go get a Valencia orange.  I’m Michael Marks, Your Produce Man.  (Takes Bite)  Mmm.

TEASE:  Hey, in my next Produce Man report…they may be ugly, but they’re the best juicing orange around – the Valencia.

NAVEL ORANGE JUICE (Tuesday, January 15):  This is National Fresh Squeezed Juice Week, and yesterday I was talking about Valencia oranges, and somebody had written to me about navel oranges.  Well, can’t you juice a navel orange?  Well, you can indeed juice a navel orange, but one of the problems that happens with navel orange juice, it will sour like within 24 hours.  I’m going to show you exactly why.  There’s lots of sugar content, but in a navel orange, there are no seeds.  Now let me cut open this Valencia orange, which is a juicing orange.  Now there are seeds in a juicing orange although I cut it in such a way where you can’t see the seeds, but the seeds are in here.  Now there is a chemical found in oranges that causes the juice to sour.  That chemical is found in the seeds of a Valencia orange, which is why you can juice a Valencia orange and keep the juice like for a week, but in a navel orange that chemical, that exact same chemical, is found in the flesh of a navel orange which is why it sours oranges like overnight.  So you can go ahead and juice the navel oranges, but drink it right away.  I’m Michael Marks…Your Produce Man.    (Takes Bite)  Mmm.

TEASE:  Hey, in my next Produce Man report, why navel orange juice will sour so quickly.  What a bummer!

LEMON JUICE (Wednesday, January 16): This is National Fresh Squeezed Juice Week, and you’re paying a lot of money for lemons right now so you’ve got to get all the juice out that you can.  There are a couple ways to do this.  Number one -  roll it on a hard surface like this.  That way it breaks all of the water balloons that are in there, and that way it’s much easier to squeeze that juice out…much, much easier.  There’s also another way, and this way is actually pretty good too.  You’re going to cut this several ways.  You’re going to cut this side off, and you’re going to squeeze this.  It makes it very easy.  Then you’re going to cut this side off, and you’re going to squeeze it.  And you’re going to cut this side off, and you’re going to squeeze that as well.   You’re going to cut the final cut.  You’re going to squeeze that, and finally, squeeze the center.  By doing that, you’re virtually getting all the juice content of that lemon, and since you’re paying so much money…why are we paying so much money?  Do you remember a year ago, a freeze in California?  Yeah, we’re still paying the price for it with these high prices on lemons, but at least you now know how to get all the juice out.  I’m Michael Marks…Your Produce Man.

TEASE: Hey, in my next Produce Man report…how to get all the juice out of a lemon.    

LEEKS  (Thursday, January 17):  It was called the Nautilus.   It was the very first nuclear powered submarine commissioned this week in 1955.  And did you know there’s only one fruit or vegetable never ever allowed onboard a nuclear submarine?  I’ll give you a couple seconds.  What is it?  Hmmm.  Only one fruit or vegetable never allowed aboard a nuclear powered submarine – leeks are not onboard.  You get it?  It’s a joke, okay!  They can actually put them…you don’t want leaks aboard a submarine.  Leeks this time of year are generally light leeks this time of year.  They are some of the best leeks of the year.  I was looking at some of these.  Take a look at these.  What you’re looking for on a leek is the white part.  Now look at this particular leek.  There’s like a half inch of white.  Take a look at this one.  Oh, you’ve got about two and a half inches of white.  So which one are you going to have?  It’s the white part that you’re going to use for your cooking, your soup, or your potato leek soup, so the leek that has the most white, that’s the one you’re going to get.  I’m Michael Marks…Your Produce Man.

TEASE: Hey, in my next Produce Man report, you looking for a good leek?  I’ve got one here.

TEASE:  Hey, in my next produce man report, the only fruit or vegetable never allowed onboard a nuclear submarine. 

SPINACH (Friday, January 18):  Hey, Popeye debuted in the comic strips this week in 1929.  He may have hated this vegetable, but it’s what gave him his strength.  What was it?  Well, of course it was spinach.  It also happens to be Governor Schwarzenegger’s favorite vegetable on the face of the planet.  The governor of California, he loves spinach…growing up in Austria, this is what he eats.  Now when I’m buying spinach by the bunch like this there’s a couple things I’m looking for.   The first thing I’m looking for is no yellow on the leaves.  That means it’s older or it has heat to it.  The second thing I’m looking for, see how these leaves tend to be a little bit smaller.  On this bunch the leaves tend to be a little bit larger.  The smaller the leaf, the sweeter the spinach.  Now you can buy it like this or you can buy it in a bag like this.  My wife loves this because, of course, you don’t have to wash this.  You rinse them off just to get them ice cold but you don’t have to rinse them off to get the sand or dirt out because they’ve already washed these like three times.  So whatever the case, make sure you eat your spinach.  It is indeed part of a very healthy meal in 2008.  I’m Michael Marks…Your Produce Man.   

TEASE:  Hey, in my next Produce Man report, why I pick spinach with smaller leaves.

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