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.

This week: Growing areas are in transition, and rainy weather is messing up crops from California to Florida to Chile. Details below!

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!

Transition is the story this week, with winter growing regions shifting to spring and summer regions.

• The iceberg lettuce transition to Huron has begun, which is great news. The market remains very strong due to supply, but quality remains less than stellar. Expect light weights, some discoloration, and high prices.
• Romaine, red, and green leaf lettuce are also in transition. Quality continues to be fair, and the market is tight—higher prices for marginal product!
• Spring mix, that wonderful baby salad mixture, is having problems with the wet weather. Reports of mold and crop rot in the fields have caused shortages as well as prices that have climbed to $5 for a 3 lb box.
• The cauliflower supply will be tight as the transition is underway. Quality reports suggest good color and nice size.
• Broccoli from California looks great, but the prices do not. Light supplies in the growing regions have pushed the costs up significantly. Florida continues to gap in supply, due to cool rains, making demand on California even greater.
• California strawberries had a difficult week . Rain in growing areas will affect the quality this week: expect more bruising than normal and lighter colored berries. If the volume from the California pickings does not increase, we will see higher prices for Mothers Day.
• Tomatoes are having problems with the rain. Florida production has been hurt by heavy rains and wind. Expect gaps in supply. Currently, Mexican tomatoes are looking great, and we expect to see more fruit arriving in the next few weeks. For good tomatoes, expect to pay between $1.50 and $2.00 a pound. Considering the journey, not a bad price.
• Cherry tomatoes: forget about it! Poor growing conditions. Grape tomatoes are looking good.
• Avocado prices have jumped by $5 for both Mexican and California. Because of the Easter holiday, no product was shipped from Mexico, which created a shortage.
• Florida citrus has been interrupted by the rain, as pickers were not able to work. Grapefruit will continue to be limited due to lower crop yields this year. Remember the hurricanes.
• California citrus has also been impacted by rain. Minneola tangerines were almost impossible to find (they are more delicate than navels). Shippers don’t expect to harvest again until sometime next week. Lemons are in the same situation. The outside skin is not perfect, but remember—it is the inside that counts.
• Chile has also been experiencing heavy rains, which have impacted the grape harvest. There are reports of some crop damage, raising prices on what was already picked and available in local warehouses. Looks like the end of the party for reasonable prices on a quality product. Mexico and California grapes will begin harvests during the first weeks of May

Have a fruitful week! You should find what you want!