by Andy Johnston, Produce Category Manager
January is citrus season at the Co-op! It’s the time of year we’re able to offer a wide variety of citrus fruits at the peak of their season. Unlike grapes, cherries, peaches, nectarines, and plums that produce fruit and ripen in the summer months, citrus is a winter fruit. Our distributors work with a number of growers in California’s Central Valley, Coastal, and Desert Regions to bring us the best organically grown citrus available. Many of the orchards supplying the Co-op are small, multigenerational farms growing unique varieties you can’t find anywhere else in the Madison area. Rich Johansen’s organically grown satsuma mandarins come from 60-year-old trees his father and uncle planted, with budwood smuggled into the country from Japan in the 1960s. You won’t find another satsuma mandarin like it. Deer Valley Heights Ranch markets their unique citrus varieties under the “Buck Brand” label. Their moro blood oranges, cara cara navels, Minneola tangelos, and TDE mandarins are absolutely the best, and you’ll only find them at the Co-op! After 30 years of produce, I still get excited when I see these products coming in on the morning deliveries.
Citrus is high in vitamin C, which gives a boost to your immune system! They contain soluble and insoluble fiber to help keep your heart healthy and your digestive system going strong. And they taste great! It’s the perfect fruit to brighten up your mood and beat the winter blues.
Here is a guide to citrus you can find at the Co-op, when you’ll find it, and a brief flavor profile. And remember, the best way to find out what’s good is by asking one of our knowledgeable Produce staff. We are sampling products regularly through their season, and we know what’s really good!
