Holiday Traditions

Christmas tends to develop traditions. Things you do each year that remind you of where you came from, your values, your family. Peddler's Son Produce employees started a tradition 2 years ago to have a toy drive for ChildHelp USA. Many of our employees grew up near our warehouse and wanted to do something that remembered children as well as something that was based in our neighborhood. ChildHelp USA fit the bill.

ChildHelp is dedicated to helping victims of child abuse and neglect. Their focus is on the prevention, intervention and treatment. The toys collected are used for children as they are welcomed into the facility.

Yesterday we had our holiday celebration at the warehouse. Employees brought in their toys and homemade goodies for our potluck. It's always a great event as we are also encouraged to bring our family. One of the things that I noticed was how everyone talks about the toys they brought and why they chose the ones that they did. It seemed to bring back memories of childhood for all. Of course, seeing the employees' children was also special.

So, yes. Holidays bring traditions and here's to some great ones started here at Peddler's Son Produce!

We wish all our employees and customers happy holidays!

Ah nuts!

As part of our on-going efforts to support our sustainability program, we wanted to grow and expand our relationships with local vendors. Today we are happy to welcome Lehi Valley to our product offering. Peddler's Son will now offer a selection of dried fruits and nuts from Lehi Valley. Like Peddler's Son, they're a family owned business here in the Valley - for Lehi it's been over 30 years. We love that they do small batch roasts for all of the nuts and offer salt-free products.

Enough of the talk, here's the lineup.....

Shredded coconuts - Great for baking.
Dried Medium Medjool Dates - The largest and sweetest variety of dates with a softer texture.
Raisins - Thompson Seedless Raisins are sun-sweetened dried grapes.

Blanched Sliced Almonds - Blanched to remove the skin and toasted for a more distinct nutty flavor.
Pinenuts - Add them to meat, fish, salads and vegetables.
Shelled Walnut Halves and Pieces - These are small batch roasted to ensure freshness and are salt-free!
Raw Blanched Peanuts - These are blanched to remove the skin and ready for your baking needs.
Raw Pecan Halves - Mammoth Pecan Halves are small-batch roasted for freshness, but unsalted.

So ignore Jim Davis' quote 'Avoid fruits and nuts. You are what you eat.' and give the new products a try. We'd love to know what you think.

Thanks for the memories Teddy!

Peddler's Son Produce is a family company. Many of our employees have worked here for years and are more than just friends, but family. On Monday, we lost one of our family members, Teddy Sardina. He was one of our first sales people, but most of all a mentor to all.

His dedication and spunky personality will be missed by all of us.

Thank you, Teddy, for showing us the true meaning of life and how to embrace it's end with joy and grace!

What's up with.......

The holiday season is all about the food, so let's catch up with....

Cauliflower and Broccoli - We will still see an extremely strong demand for Cauliflower and Broccoli due to the transition. The price of Cauliflower was absolutely nuts last week and supplies are in a 'demand exceeds' situation, which doesn't happen too often but has happened this week. We will watch and see what develops.

Lettuce - The lettuce situation is still having issues but prices have started to retreat. We're told that by the end of next week, supplies will be stablewhich will also help the situation.

Row Crops - Most of the other row crops are in the same boat as lettuce, cauliflower and broccoli so we should see some relief by the end of this week.

Berries - Berries are still a problem. Supplies are slightly better, but not great. Some shippers are getting slightly more supply, but Driscoll is still cutting orders by 2/3 so it's a problem for them big time.

Citrus - On the Citrus side of things, we are transitioned over to all Navels. The first ones you will see are 88 sizes, and the rest of the sizes will follow over the next two weeks. Lemon prices are still higher on larger sizes and supplies are getting better. Limes are higher. Ruby Red Grapefruit is in and outstanding quality. Buddha Hands, Clementine's, Satsuma Mandarins, Finger limes, and Sweet Limes are all coming within the next week.


Melons - Cantaloupe supplies are extremely limited with only fair quality. Honeydew is peaking to a 5ct.


As always, please call us or your sales executive with any questions.

Safety Tips for Just About Everything for the Holidays

You can never be too safe, right? Around this time of year, we hear about the Butterball Turkey Hotline and what you need to do to keep your turkey safe. Well, there's a lot more on the plate than just turkey so I thought it would be helpful to include some tips for the rest of the dinner plate:

Turkey - It has to come from Butterball since they made the hot line famous.

Produce - Hey, we're a produce company right? Learn how to keep your fruit and veggies free of any contamination.

Eggs - Read it directly from the Egg Safety Center.

Cheese and Dairy Safety Tips Great info on how long items may be refrigerated.

So go out and enjoy a happy and safe holiday!

Online Ordering Turns 2!

Peddler's Son Produce started online ordering for customers 2 years ago. The Gallery Golf Restaurant was the first customer to place their order online. So, I thought I'd talk with Chef Brian and find out more about the Gallery. Here is what he had to say.

Where are you from Chef Brian?

I was raised in New York, but I moved here 20 years ago.


How did you become interested in cooking?

I started as a dishwasher for Conti's Restaurant, here in Tucson, and worked my way up. It was run by a small, crazy Italian family, but they taught me what a good work ethic means.


How did you come to The Gallery?

The Gallery specialized in high-end French cuisine at the time and I was eager to learn more about it. I took a cut in salary and title to come here and find out more about this style of cooking. It didn't last long however, as six months later the members asked to change the menu to more of a meat and potato selection.

What are you most proud of at The Gallery?

The thing that I am most proud of here at The Gallery is the level of teamwork that exists here at the property. There is no line between the front of the house and back of the house. Everyone contributes and is respectful of each other and their work. Personally, I enjoy the fact that I learn from my staff as I teach them what is expected day in and day out.

While we work with the specific tastes the members enjoy, they also let us 'push the envelope' to try some new things and provide new experiences. That makes The Gallery a fun place and allows everyone to take pride in what they do.

Why Peddler's Son Produce?

We were splitting our orders with another company and wanted to see how Peddler's Son would perform. They consistently had better product and worked hard at creating a relationship with us. For example, during the Accenture Match Play tournament, they worked with us to deliver our order at 5am instead of 6 because they'd never be able to make it through the property once the day started. That meant a lot to us, that they were pro-active in making sure we were taken care of.

Why online ordering?

Well, we're in the 2000s and I don't want to be left in the dust! Online ordering is quick, easy and convenient. I can check prices and even do my order while I'm on the phone placing my order with the broadliner!

Chef Brian, thank you so much for your support! We appreciate you taking the time to talk with us and most of all, taking the first step to be our inaugural online customer!

What is the 'best fruit' now?

We are often asked what is the best time to buy fruit or what fruits are in season and taste particularly well. I've found a site that has great information and a listing of 'Fruit Odds' that is automatically updated for each month. Great info to take with you to the grocery store or for planning menus.

How well do you know fruit? Take their Fruit IQ test? I'll need to pass it on to the team and see how they do. We love competition!

What are your thoughts on the best fruit to eat in November?