MONTEREY, Calif. — Pure Flavor was touting its greenhouse-grown Solara Mini Melons at the International Fresh Produce Association’s Foodservice Conference Expo on July 29.
“We’ve been working the last seven years on different varieties and trying to figure out which ones would fit right for us in the greenhouse,” said Matt Mastronardi, executive vice president for Pure Hothouse Foods/Pure Flavor. “We narrowed it down to a couple of different varieties, and the mini-galia was the first one to come to market.”
The company ramped up Mexican greenhouse-grown volume of the melon variety in the spring this year, he said, and will continue to expand into the fall with other melon varieties expected to be available.
The Solara Mini Melon is excellent for both retail and foodservice outlets, Mastronardi said.
“It is great for consumers who want a smaller, personal-size melon with no waste,” he said. The Solara Mini Melon also features consistent size and flavor all year round, plus food safety advantages compared with field-grown product. Expected retail pricing is in the $2.99 to $3.99 per unit, he said.
On the foodservice side, Mastronardi said the Solara Mini Melon is great for restaurants, which could easily use the halved melon as part of a dessert with yogurt or other ingredients.
Mastronardi said that Pure Flavor also is trialing greenhouse-grown berries in Canada and will look to expand commercial volume in 2023.
