All Good Things Come to an End

As we bid farewell to our summer season, we must also come to grips with the fact that some of our favorite summer fruits and vegetables will soon reach their end. By now, you will have noticed that those beautiful cherry displays that used to welcome you as you walked into our stores are no more. They have been replaced by new-crop Washington Bartlett pears, and very soon, mountains of Michigan Apples and Michigan fresh apple cider will greet you and do their best to welcome you into our stores. We are also in our final weeks of fresh nectarines and peaches, so if these are some of your favorites, don’t hesitate. They can be gone at a moment’s notice. We should, however, maintain a steady supply of Michigan vegetables through the month of September and maybe even into October. Michigan corn, tomatoes, green beans, eggplant, Swiss chard, beets, parsley, and cabbage should be readily available during this time.

New Season Equals New Opportunity

Although it’s almost time to say goodbye to some of our favorite seasonal fruits, it is also time to welcome in new fruits that are sure to excite all of us and help us fill the void left by our departing favorites. I can think of no more anticipated or demanded fall fruit than the now famous Honeycrisp apple. The Honeycrisp apple has taken the industry by storm and is still one of the most in-demand fruits of the year. Our first arrivals are usually in the second week of September and come from Washington state first; later they come from Michigan.

The Michigan crop has seen some poor harvests in the recent past, but we anticipate a great crop this year. Typically, apple trees will overproduce following years with no fruit production. So even though demand is extremely high for Honeycrisp, we are hearing that costs should be slightly reduced this year. As we travel into my favorite Michigan season, stay on the lookout for the changes we are making here at Nino’s. And be sure to take advantage of all of our seasonal opportunities.