Reedley, Calif.-based Fruit World, a family-owned, flavor-focused grower-shipper of organic and conventional fruit, is reporting an exceptional citrus growing season, including a variety of specialty citrus.
The season’s varieties include conventional and organic mandarins, as well as organic Cara Cara, Blood, and Navel oranges, organic Minneolas, and their year-round mainstay, organic lemons. They are also pleased to announce the transition of even more acreage towards organic certification.
“We’re in mandarin season now through May, with our highest volumes in early spring. Our Stem & Leaf Mandarins are now available in a new 4-pack clamshell under our Lucky Dragon label. We’ve found this new pack style to be exceptionally popular right now, with consumer demand for packaging options that limit additional direct handling of their produce at retail. Plus, the label adds a fun and bold element to the package,” said Bianca Kaprielian, Fruit World co-founder and CEO. “Our juicy Page mandarins, with their deep orange color and high flavor, are also available now through the end of January. Not many shippers offer Page mandarins, as they’re not typically considered easy-peel. But that changes as they ripen, and the reward is definitely worth the wait.”
Anticipation is a common theme at Fruit World. The company is known for its insistence on maximum flavor and delivering fruit at just the right time.
“We’re unique in how we time the availability of some of our citrus like Cara Caras and Blood Oranges,” said CJ Buxman, Fruit World co-founder and an organic citrus grower. “We start our season a little later so their flavor is at its strongest and sweetest when we ship. That palate-pleasing intensity is why our customers come back to Fruit World again and again.” Fruit World will start shipping Cara Caras in mid-January, with Blood Oranges close behind in late January, both available through April. The company’s year-round organic lemon program will also see promotable volumes from January through April.
Contributing to the company’s citrus production this season will be Heirloom Navel Oranges from Sky Ranch, one of Kaprielian’s family ranches. Sky Ranch’s Heirloom Navel acreage is transitioning to organic, and while this year’s crop will be sold as conventional, it will follow all organic standards. “Soil at the ranch has high mineral content, leading to extraordinarily flavorful citrus,” said Kaprielian. “The Heirloom Navels are a phenomenal variety to begin with, and the rich mineral concentrations really highlight the sweet flavor of the fruit. We are in our first year of our organic transition and look forward to being fully transitioned in three years.”
For more information or to place an order, call (559) 650-0334, or visit fruitworldco.com to learn more about the Fruit World story.
