LOS ALAMITOS, CA - Frieda’s Specialty Produce has set out to show consumers that the meat industry does not have dibs on backyard barbecues.
“We find a significant change in American barbecue habits,” Karen Caplan, President and CEO of Frieda’s Specialty Produce, said in a press release. “Shoppers are grilling more vegetables in the summer, and now they are starting to grill more fruits as well. One of the food trends this year is making vegetables the main course, and summer grilling season sets the perfect stage for that.”
This isn’t a small audience to target, either. According to the release, recent studies show that 87 percent of American households have outdoor barbecues, believing that the grill is a healthier way to prepare meals. The company reportedly wants to push these steps in bringing produce to a new audience into full on leaps by highlighting grill-friendly fruits and veggies. Some of the items Frieda’s recommends with grill lines seared into them are:
- Shishito Peppers
- Baby Bok Choy
- Belgian Endive
- Eggplant
- Fava Beans
- Fingerling
- Baby Potatoes
- Artichokes
- Colored Cauliflowers for cauliflower “steaks”
- Starfruit (caramelized)
- Zululand Queen Baby Pineapples (caramelized)
Caplan also added that the company has already started to see retailers promote grilling in different spots of the country. “Grilling Season” officially begins Memorial Day weekend, May 25, continuing throughout the summer with popular barbecuing holidays like Father’s Day (June 21), Fourth of July weekend, and ties off on September 7th with Labor Day weekend.
