Good Grief!

The Market Report is a weekly column written by Ken Klein of Klein’s Supermarket in Philadelphia’s Fairmount neighborhood. He writes the column for the Art Museum Area News and kindly allows me to post it here. The report is a fascinating look at the forces that drive the quality and price of our food.

Executive summary:

• Do not be seduced by lucious Chilean peaches.
• Bad weather persists.
• Get good deals on #2 lemons and Minneola tangelos

Read on for the entire report.

The Market Report, by Ken Klein
Klein’s Supermarket, 2401 Pennsylvania Avenue, Philadelphia
Our Hours: M-F 8 AM to 8 PM; Sat. 8 AM to 8 PM; Sunday 9 AM to 1 PM

Greetings Food Lovers!

Weather problems persist
Most of us have seen the weather reports from the western part of the United States. But are you aware that the winter growing regions have received almost four times the amount of normal rainfall this season? And let’s not forget the wide range of temperatures: hot, cold, wet, dry, freezing, and warming. The weather has been a disaster, creating major issues with our food supply.

This situation has persisted for the entire winter growing season. Growers, shippers, and the entire industry are facing major challenges to the availability and shelf life of our fresh food supplies. Especially affected are our salads; suppliers have to peel the outer layers of iceberg and romaine lettuce, causing the product to look pale and small.

Difficult weather also continues in Panama and Costa Rica, where I’ve previously reported problems with the banana and pineapple crops. There has been more rain, causing washed-out roads, destroyed houses, and labor shortages. Dole, our major supplier of bananas, switched to Ecuador, but the production is not capable of providing the quality or volume needed to meet our market.

Produce Talk

• Broccoli from the West coast is a two-tier market this week due to quality issues caused by rain and cold weather. Yuma, Arizona is harvesting top flight product. Prices are going up as the market gets tighter. Normally, conditions in Florida provided a buffer to this kind of situation, but not this year. It’s cold down there!
• Cucumbers and peppers have moved up as the weather is getting worse. Look for another few weeks of higher prices.
• Florida grapefruit continues to rise due to short supplies. Can the party be over? I think so. Temple oranges are winding up, and there continues to be a good supply of honey tangerines, which will be available through the end of April. Growers have begun to ship Valencia oranges (think juice!), and the market jumped up 20% on that.
• California citrus has been affected by the weather all season, which has hindered shipments to the East coast. In fact, most growers are reluctant to ship bagged fruit east of the Mississippi, fearing they will have quality issues on arrival. There are deals out there on small #2 quality* lemons and great deals on #2 quality Minneola tangelos.
• Grapes from Chile—eat them now! Prices are the lowest of the season, and the quality is great.
• Also from Chile is stone fruit. Peaches: stay away. They look beautiful, but they taste horrible. Plums and nectarines: get them now. They are tasting good, and prices will not stay low for long.
• Cantaloupes and honeydews are a gamble at the moment. Don’t expect much, and you might get a surprise.
• Strawberries from Florida are in full swing, and quality is outstanding. They have the color, size, and a “buy me appeal”.

*Government inspectors determine premium fruit based on size as well as skin without blemishes. The #2 quality has scaring on the skin, but the quality is the same inside. Quality without the perfection—just like us!

Have a fruitful week!