LOS ALAMITOS, CA - As another winter appears on the horizon, so does another year of increasing demand for specialty citrus varieties. For those retailers, wholesalers, and foodservice operator looking to juice up peak-season specialty citrus sales, Frieda’s is here to provide tips to add variety to fall-winter produce displays and menus.
“This year is a good year for specialty citrus,” explains Karen Caplan, President and CEO of Frieda’s Specialty Produce. “We have great supply of exciting varieties like deliciously sweet lemonade lemons and cocktail grapefruits, and top-sellers like kumquats and Meyer lemons.”
Cravings for specialty citrus also are bubbling up in the foodservice side of the industry as well. Items like lemon desserts and gourmet lemonades are increasingly popular on menus, according to the National Restaurant Association’s “What’s Hot in 2016” report. And with the always innovative mixology scene and rising tiki cocktail culture, colorful, flavorful citrus is always at the forefront.
“Shoppers and diners want something outside of just typical fall-winter fruits of apples and ordinary oranges during the cold months. Specialty citrus fills that need,” added Caplan. “You can have a big, beautiful, fragrant display of winter citrus that draws in shoppers, and merchandise it along with juicing companions like ginger and turmeric, or even beer and wine pairing suggestions, for citrus-centric dishes.”
The company says one great way to “Ap-peel” to shoppers looking for top sellers like kumquats, key limes, Meyer lemons, pink lemons, and seedless lemons, is to offer grab-and-go convenience with Frieda’s branded pouches.
Interested in providing your consumers with any of these varieties? Frieda’s suggests calling one of its account managers and asking for Buddha’s hand citrons, Ugli®/uniq fruits, calamondins, T’orange lemons, minneolas, centennial kumquats, limequats, mandarinquats, organic vaniglia oranges, and any of the other above varieties.
