In the Market Archives

NOVEMBER

Green apples need not feel inferior to their red brethren. In fact, they're better, some insist. Growers of dates who sell directly to consumers are creating new markets for their crop.

OCTOBER

Culinary varieties of pumpkin are finally beginning to step out of the shadow of the barely-edible varieties bred for Jack 'o Lanterns.

SEPTEMBER

Grape varieties with seeds are barely hanging on to their toehold in the U.S. market but they're all the rage in Southeast Asia, not to mention Europe. Coming soon: a pungent seedless muscat.

AUGUST

Unusual hot peppers proliferate in farmers market but shoppers still flock to bells, albeit colored ones. Cucurbits you’d never find in a supermarket, from thin-skinned canteloupe to yard-long cukes.

JULY

Market farmers experiment with a multitude of heirloom tomatoes, from Russian Blacks to Green Grapes, but some prove to be a challenge to grow successfully while other odd-looking varieties repel customers.

JUNE

California-grown sweet onions are often called 'Maui types,' but that is a misnomer.

Iceberg lettuce, disdained by salad mix connoisseurs, deserves a second look, seed companies that sell to market farmers insist. Braising mix is a trendy way to market salad mix greens that are going to seed.

MAY

A long strawberry season amazed visitors to California century ago. These days, the berry harvest is practically year-round.

Why organic berries cost so much.

APRIL

Citrus fruits originated in the shadow of the Himalayan Mountains eons ago, but the far-flung family reunites each winter in California farmers markets.