Seasonal Picks from Melissa’s
END OF SEASON MANGO VARIETAL – ORGANIC GREEN KEITT
One of the best tasting mangos, in my opinion, and other staffers at Melissa’s is the Green Keitt Mango. Bonus points for seeking Melissa’s Certified Organic Green Keitt Mango. In this instance, green is not an indicator of ripeness. The ivy green skin will remain green even when ripe, so a slight give at the beak or nose of the fruit and a slight overall aroma indicate ripeness. You’ll find this mango to have creamy, smooth flesh with rich mango flavor, rarely tart. Consider this the mango to purée, slice thinly to line a baking pan before baking, trim a cheesecake or whipped cream cake. Fabulous in Thai coconut rice pudding or as a snack dressed with Melissa’s Costa Azul sauce or Melissa’s Chile Lime Seasoning. This variety is also a great substitute for peaches in any capacity but run to your local grocer or order online before the season ends! Available September through October. Product of California.
LAST CHANCE OF THE SEASON – CALIFORNIA FIGS
California Fresh Fig varieties are winding down. It’s been a great year, and Melissa’s is grateful to provide the bounty of these California beauties and other varieties. Pick up these plump and luscious fruits before they’re gone until next year! Don’t fret, however, if you plan to bake or still want figs on your grazing boards. Dried Black Mission, Greek String, and gold fig varieties will be available. Select fresh figs that appear plump with fresh stems, with no signs of mold. They may ripen to semi-soft at room temperature. Then refrigerate unwashed in a single layer. Wash, trim, and use within two days. Available through October. Product of CA, Madera
BLACK MISSION FIG: The Black Mission Fig is believed to be the Franciscana variety, originally cultivated in Spain and introduced to California by Franciscan monks in the late 1700s. Named for the mission gardens where they thrived, Black Mission Figs are known for their deep purple-black skin and luscious pink-to-fuchsia flesh, offering rich sweetness and a jammy texture.
BROWN TURKEY FIG: Believed to have originated in France or Turkey- therefore the name; this fig is popular to grow due to its hardiness in colder climates and is self-pollinating. Regardless of where it is grown, Brown Tukey Figs are generally large with brown skin and pink flesh. All figs are wonderful to eat raw out-of-hand, but Brown Turkey is very good to serve raw stuffed with soft cheese and wrapped with salted meats such as prosciutto because of their large seed cavity.
FREAKY FRUITS® EXPERIENCE KIT
It’s that time for all things mysterious, ghosts, and goblins in a fun way! Time to experience a few exotic fruits in Melissa’s Freaky Fruits® Experience Kit and recipes from our product web page, using the fruit from the kit includes rambutans, kiwano melon, dragon fruits, and pomegranates. If you’re more daring, why not add to the order blood oranges, finger limes, passion fruit, and pomegranates! Available throughout October.
BLOOD ORANGES
October is the perfect time of year to begin citrus season with blood oranges! Just the word ‘blood’ conjures vampires, Dracula, and spooky fun with produce! So named for their naturally red juice, blood oranges have a hint of raspberry-orange flavor with a slight sweet-tang. Their peels’ essential oils add zing to baked goods and aroma to cocktails. Classic dessert and entreé are blood orange panna cotta or sorbet and roasted duck with blood orange pan sauce. But for Halloween, why not call it a Blood Orange Elixir drink or Bird Massacre? Truly, this fruit makes a wonderful citrus curd for pie filling, sorbet, icing for quick breads and homey cakes, a colorful addition to ambrosia or other fruit salads, and a darn good simple syrup for margaritas, martinis, mocktails, and other ‘spirited’ drinks!
Select citrus that seems heavy for its size, yields to a very slight squeeze- no soft fruit- and has no cuts, gashes, or soft spots. Blood Oranges may be stored at room temperature up to one week or refrigerated in a plastic bag up to three. To freeze, remove washed fruit zest with a vegetable peeler for later use in baked goods, mixed drinks, or smoothies/juicing. Juice the fruit and freeze it up to six months into ice cubes or a manageable volume for later use in sauces, smoothies, or drinks. Available now through March. Product of Australia.
POMEGRANATES
A must-have for October gatherings as pomegranates are festive in color and are an ancient fruit, along with its pal, the fig. Pomegranate’s juicy, plump arils or seeds are a symbol of fertility, prosperity, or a harbinger of the coming Autumn harvest. Deep jewel-toned fuchsia-to-pink in color, these sweet-tart seeds are big-time antioxidants. Add them to ice cubes, juice for morning smoothies, add to pan sauces, stuffings, or rice or grains for pops of color, make jelly, sorbet, or add to melted chocolate as a sweet treat!
Select fruit that is heavy for its size, and firm with smooth, taut skin. Avoid gashes, shriveling, or a shrunken appearance. Store at room temperature up to one week or refrigerate up to two weeks. Once seeds have been removed, store them refrigerated in an airtight container or transfer to a freezable container, label, and freeze up to three months. Available now through January. Product of USA.
QUINCE
Also known as Pineapple Quince, this fruit resembles a large yellow apple, is very hard and tannic when raw, but quite luscious when peeled and cooked! Think quince paste, also known as membrillo, it is often included on grazing boards with fresh fruit and cheeses, or on top of cheesecake, or a filling for breakfast pastries. When cooked, its natural high pectin content can be thick, jelly-like in texture with a golden-brown hue; sweet, with a hint of lemon. Or, braised and seasoned with a dash of brandy, quince wedges can be served with duck, quail, or animal meats. Quince jam or spread is also used to fill cookies during holidays. Those who love to can or ‘put up’ prepare quince to make ‘apple sauce’.
Select fruit that is firm and heavy for its size with no soft spots or bruises. When preparing quince, have lemon juice or other complementary acid on hand to retard any oxidation. Quince may also be peeled, cored, and frozen for later use, but will lose its dense texture when cooked. Available now through December. Product of California.
AUTUMN HARVEST® GRAPES
Another tasty grape, but with crunch and a bit smaller in size, are Autumn Harvest® Red Seedless Grapes. They may seem demure after reading about the ‘new pair of shoes’ Red Heart K-Shine Grape, but Autumn Harvest® grapes are a faithful fall-season grape. Use them for snacking, roasting, or grilling; add to fruit, lettuce, meat, or fish salads, pair with seafood, salted meats, and cheese for grazing, add to warmed seasoned rice for spicy dishes, or fold into a butter snack cake. These are also very good to pack as a snack for work, school lunches, post yoga or sports practice. Available through early November. California-grown.
ORGANIC COCONUT SLICES
Coconut is finally receiving its due. So versatile, from electrolyte-rich liquid in young ‘hut’ coconuts to mature brown coconut flesh pressed with hot water to yield coconut milk. You know that ever-popular rich, creamy liquid for cooking curries and mango rice, or shredded for baking pastries. In true form, Melissa’s has taken the work out of removing the white meat and offers Organic Coconut Slices. All you need to do is use it in your cooking or baking- a quick whirl in your food processor will do the trick, or chop/slice by hand on a skid-proof surface. Melissa’s Coconut Slices are a nice, nutritious piece of coconut meat to nibble on. Add a bit of zing to it by squeezing fresh Key Lime juice or shaking a bit of Hatch powder or Chile Lime seasoning. I like to place a variety of mixed tropical fruits- mango, coconut slices, avocado, pineapple, or strawberry papaya into a sundae glass and drizzle with Melissa’s Costa Azul sauce. It’s a refreshing and healthy snack! Melissa’s Organic Coconut Slices and all our organic products are USDA Certified Organic. Keep refrigerated or freeze. Available year-round. Product of Mexico.
SNAX™ LINE
Did you know Melissa’s has a line of “healthier” snacks for on the go or at your desk to satisfy every person’s hankering? Take them wherever you go. They are a healthier way to snack and keep hunger at bay, and make creative add-ins for holiday dishes, homemade desserts, and snack cookies!
CLEAN SNAX®
Our nut-based Clean Snax® features flax and chia seeds mixed with nuts, rice syrup, and a choice of coconut, pepita seeds, Hatch chile, cocoa, peanut butter, or other tasty add-ins. They are lower in sugar and fat than most snacks, gluten-free by ingredient, and many are available in 2-oz packets. All are available as approximately 5-ounce tubs. If you’re lucky enough to have a little extra Clean Snax®, they are great for topping salads or fruit bowls, adding to muffins, cookies, or sprinkling on buttered toast, baked sweet potatoes, or coating fish and chicken!
ORGANIC DATES
Another winner is our Organic Snax™ Dates that are moist, naturally sweet, vegan, and free of added sugar. This high fiber, natural sugar treat is available in the caramelly rich Medjool variety with pits, honeyed and nutty Pitted Deglet Noor just meant for stuffing with a nut or cheese, or go fancy pants and pick up the Organic Coconut Roll and Organic Almond Roll Dates which are chopped dates blended with crunchy almonds or mildly sweet coconut, both making it absolutely easy to add a little something with texture and natural sweetness to one’s backpack or carry on, include in salads, baked goods, or tossing into smoothies! All of Melissa’s Date Snax™ varieties are also great for emergency pantry and travel kits. They store well at cool room temperature and freeze well, up to six months! Available year-round. Product of USA.
