LEMONS (Monday, April 19): The world’s biggest fish fry is going on all this week in Paris. Well, Paris, Tennessee, and if you’re going to have fish, you better have some lemon with that fish. Unfortunately, we are starting to see some of the highest prices of the year. That’s actually pretty normal. You see, just as summer demand starts to take off this time of year, domestic supplies are at their lowest point. The Lemon, like other Citrus, is a “winter” fruit.

ONIONS (Monday, April 12): Oh, man! It wasn’t as bad as a few years ago when we had a huge world-wide shortage of onions, and prices were at record highs for six months. Well, this winter prices have been a little bit high as well but not as bad as a few years ago. Still prices have been pretty high…especially on White Onions. At least prices are finally starting to come back down with Texas and now California in harvest. Even so, there are still some “old crop” Onions on the market, so I want you to check your Onions.

PURPLE POTATOES (Monday, April 5): Hey, Barney, you know the dinosaur on PBS, started on TV actually this week, 1992. Barney’s having a birthday of sorts, so I thought it’d be fun to talk about something purple in the produce department…purple potatoes. They are often marketed as a blue Peruvian which tells you it came from Peru. That’s where Potatoes originated, and one of its original colors…just like the carrot…was purple.

HORSERADISH (Monday, March 29): Hey, tonight - sundown – Passover begins, and there are a lot of produce items important for the Passover meal. One of the bitter herbs that’s used in a lot Passover meals, of course, horseradish. It is a reminder of their bitter life as slaves in Egypt under the Pharaohs. Horseradish is one of the uglier vegetables in the produce department or at the farmer’s market. Kind of looks like some bone dug up by an archeologist. Fresh Horseradish is foreign to many people.

NAVEL ORANGES (Monday, March 22): Have you seen the dry cell? Cut a Navel Orange in half and you could find dry cell. Actually, you can feel it when you pick up a Navel Orange. This time of year, the Navel oranges are so super sweet. They are filled with sugar. This time of year, you also start finding Navel Oranges that have a puffier rind on them. These Navel Oranges have been hanging on the tree for many months. It’s normal late in the season for the skin to get puffy. Don’t worry about it. It’s only appearance.