Get Ready for a Festive December
December is such a festive month of fruit color, holidays or no holidays, and with 2025 fast approaching and an early Lunar New Year, you’ll want to start thinking about dishes, drinks, and noshes for those occasions, too!
NEW ITEM! MELISSA’S HOT HONEY JALAPEÑO OR HABANERO
Spicy condiments are all the rage for drizzling or dipping anything edible, from crackers and cheese to fruits, meats, tofu, and desserts. And what could be more habit-forming than something sweet AND spicy? Try Melissa’s new Hot Honey in Jalapeño or Habanero to serve alongside your next grazing board. It’s absolutely fabulous with dried meats, cheeses, coconut shrimp, teriyaki sauce (in place of sugar), barbecue sauce, with a squeeze of fresh citrus as a glaze, with freshly baked cornbread with butter or quick breads, or get your day started well with a drizzle in your tea or coffee?? Shelf stable and available at your local grocer in the produce section. If you do not see this new item, ask for it! Available year-round. Product of USA.
FINGER LIMES
Native to Australian rainforest areas, finger limes are relatively new to the general public. Also known as caviar limes, this short, tubular fruit resembles two-inch little stubby fingers, and the surprise is the pink-to-light green beads inside that resemble caviar. The beads, when crushed, exude a burst of bright lime flavor. Finger lime beads pair especially well with raw oysters and seafood (cooked or raw) but also liven up poultry, tofu, dressings, guacamoles, rim cocktail glasses, dishes featuring dairy, or fresh-cut fruit.
Each finger lime peel can range in color from almost black to green with a slight pink blush. The color of the peel is no indicator of the interior bead color. The interior beads will range in color from light green to almost pink. Grown in USA-CA.
COCKTAIL GRAPEFRUITS
Not all grapefruit is sour, and Cocktail Grapefruit is certainly not sour! This grapefruit is a hybrid of mandarin and pomelo citrus, yielding a rich, sweet, orangey flavor with a hint of grapefruit and no bitterness (unless you juice the white pith of the fruit). The only downfall of this tasty fruit is that it has an inordinate number of seeds, making it meant for juicing rather than segmenting or halving as one would other grapefruits. Juiced Cocktail Grapefruit makes fabulous mimosas for Christmas brunch and New Year celebrations, marinade for fish, chicken, and seafood, sorbet or granita…you get the picture. Available through December. Product of USA-CA.
DEKOPON MANDARINS
Nice and rotund, with a knob on its stem end, the Dekopon mandarin is easy to peel, yielding juicy and tender segments with a low acid profile. Developed in Japan, this hybrid of mandarin orange is named for its appearance as well as its parentage. ‘Deko’ is the Japanese word meaning ‘bump’, and the word ‘pon’ refers to the parentage of Ponkan citrus. Dekopon citrus are delicious and best eaten out of hand for a snack or lunch, but are also tasty in fresh fruit salads or green salads. As it is a lighter-tasting fruit, we do not recommend pairing it with rich meats or seafood. Available late December through March. Grown in USA and Australia.
CARA CARA ORANGES
Named for the Venezuelan Hacienda, Cara Cara, this ‘red’ blood orange with salmon-colored segments yields a sweet profile and a raspberry finish. There is no need to worry about finicky seeds as one would with many blood orange varieties; this orange is a naval variety. Best enjoyed at room temperature, simply peeled and segmented, out of hand or included on fruit platters or cheese grazing boards. Select Cara Cara oranges that are heavy for their size, firm with no cuts, soft spots, or mold. They may be left at room temperature in a fruit bowl or tray, or refrigerated up to one week. Available December through April. Product of USA, Australia, and Chile.
AMBROSIA APPLES, USDA ORGANIC OR CONVENTIONAL
A natural cross of Golden Delicious and Jonagold apple varieties, Ambrosia variety apple was discovered in a Canadian orchard several years ago and continues to be popular as an out-of-hand snacking as well as cooking apple. This lower acid apple has tender but not mealy or mushy flesh. Just the right amount of tart to balance its sweet profile, Ambrosia apples make the perfect apple sauce or apple butter as it is slow to oxidize and needs little to no lemon or added sugar. Wash all fresh fruit well. Leaving apple skin on, cut into pieces for Americanized ambrosia salad, including fresh Cara Cara orange segments, Pinkglow® Pineapple chunks, Shine Muscat K-Grapes, grated or finely sliced Melissa’s fresh coconut, marshmallows, and a bit of Greek yogurt gently folded together, then topped with crumbled Clean Snax ®of choice. Guild the lily with hydrated dried cranberries or cherries. YUM! Chill well and serve the same day, storing leftovers up to two days. Do not freeze.
Select Ambrosia apples that are firm with no bruises or cuts. Store, unwashed, at room temperature in a cool area, up to five days, or refrigerate up to one month. Wash before preparation or use. Most nutritious eaten with the peel. Available now to January. Grown in Canada or USA
XL HUNNYZ® APPLES
Who doesn’t like a crisp, crunchy, juicy apple with a sweet tang? Hunnyz® apple is a new, non-GMO variety grown in Washington. It is a natural cross of Honeycrisp and Crimson Crisp Apples. Extra-large in size, each apple from Melissa’s is nearly 14 ounces and over 3 1/2 inches in diameter. WOW!! Now is the season to serve this apple in slices for a grazing board, in a fruited salad or slaw, as the apple in your holiday recipe for pie baking, fritter frying, and weekend pancakes. But really, they are tasty just sliced into rounds and topped with nut butter, crushed Clean Snax® or eaten alone.
Select Hunnyz® Apples that are firm with no bruises or cut skin. Store at room temperature in a cool, ventilated area for up to one week, or refrigerate with no wrapper for up to one month. Wash well before use. Most nutritious eaten with the peel. Available Now to April. Grown in USA.
STRAWBERRY PAPAYA
Why not add a bit of tropical fruit to take one’s mind off the winter cold? Strawberry Papaya is a more firm-fleshed papaya, smaller in size but packed with flavor and attractive pink-orange flesh. Of course, Strawberry Papaya also has those striking black, edible, peppery seeds. Papain, a natural digestive enzyme often used in meat tenderizers and digestive chews, is derived from papaya seeds, making the flesh a good after-meal treat. Papaya is also a source of folate for vascular health, vitamin C, and is considered one of the top fifty most nutrient-dense fruits to consume. Strawberry Papaya pairs well with fresh seafood, greens, tofu, other tropical fruits, and is tasty in smoothies or served in chunks with a pick on a grazing platter.
Select Strawberry Papaya that yields to slight pressure, like an avocado, with no soft spots or mold. Papaya can ripen at room temperature in a paper bag, checking fruit daily, or refrigerate ripened fruit for 3-5 days. Freezing is not recommended but is often done once cut and seeded for smoothies. Available year-round. Grown in Brazil.
DRIED FRUITS, SPICES, AND MULLING SPICE
The holiday season is a time for major baking and cooking, usually including dried fruits as an ingredient for their sweeter flavor profile and chewy texture. Did you know that, often, dried fruits have higher iron content and are a positive source of fiber? Tasty tossed into salads with toasted nuts, hydrated and added into glazes, garnishing baked goods and roasted meats. Make dessert tamales or hand pies! They are also a classic inclusion in homemade trail and snack mixes or hiking and camping snacks, so tuck a few packages into someone’s stocking. When hydrating dried fruit, this is also an opportunity to ‘spike’ them with a little rum, bourbon, or whisky, but be mindful of who your tasters will be. Melissa’s has a large assortment of dried fruits, from dried pineapple, mango, and papaya spears, to traditional rainier cherries, tart cherries, blueberries, strawberries, and apples. Be creative and make some customarily sweet goods a bit savory with dried rosemary, thyme, anise, etc. By the way, travel to the wine and liquor section of your local grocer where you may find Melissa’s whole nutmeg for grating over eggnog or adding to your gratin, custard, or cookies, or Melissa’s Mulling Spice to add to one gallon of apple juice (possibly spiked) or wine of choice. Remove spices after steeping for up to one hour. P.S. It is also fun to flavor game or salted meat glazes (ham, duck, etc.).
NEW ITEM! MELISSA’S HOT HONEY JALAPEÑO OR HABANERO
Spicy condiments are all the rage for drizzling or dipping anything edible, from crackers and cheese to fruits, meats, tofu, and desserts. And what could be more habit-forming than something sweet AND spicy? Try Melissa’s new Hot Honey in Jalapeño or Habanero to serve alongside your next grazing board. It’s absolutely fabulous with dried meats, cheeses, coconut shrimp, teriyaki sauce (in place of sugar), barbecue sauce, with a squeeze of fresh citrus as a glaze, with freshly baked cornbread with butter or quick breads, or get your day started well with a drizzle in your tea or coffee?? Shelf stable and available at your local grocer in the produce section. If you do not see this new item, ask for it! Available year-round. Product of USA.
FINGER LIMES
Native to Australian rainforest areas, finger limes are relatively new to the general public. Also known as caviar limes, this short, tubular fruit resembles two-inch little stubby fingers, and the surprise is the pink-to-light green beads inside that resemble caviar. The beads, when crushed, exude a burst of bright lime flavor. Finger lime beads pair especially well with raw oysters and seafood (cooked or raw) but also liven up poultry, tofu, dressings, guacamoles, rim cocktail glasses, dishes featuring dairy, or fresh-cut fruit.
Each finger lime peel can range in color from almost black to green with a slight pink blush. The color of the peel is no indicator of the interior bead color. The interior beads will range in color from light green to almost pink. Grown in USA-CA.
COCKTAIL GRAPEFRUITS
Not all grapefruit is sour, and Cocktail Grapefruit is certainly not sour! This grapefruit is a hybrid of mandarin and pomelo citrus, yielding a rich, sweet, orangey flavor with a hint of grapefruit and no bitterness (unless you juice the white pith of the fruit). The only downfall of this tasty fruit is that it has an inordinate number of seeds, making it meant for juicing rather than segmenting or halving as one would other grapefruits. Juiced Cocktail Grapefruit makes fabulous mimosas for Christmas brunch and New Year celebrations, marinade for fish, chicken, and seafood, sorbet or granita…you get the picture. Available through December. Product of USA-CA.
DEKOPON MANDARINS
Nice and rotund, with a knob on its stem end, the Dekopon mandarin is easy to peel, yielding juicy and tender segments with a low acid profile. Developed in Japan, this hybrid of mandarin orange is named for its appearance as well as its parentage. ‘Deko’ is the Japanese word meaning ‘bump’, and the word ‘pon’ refers to the parentage of Ponkan citrus. Dekopon citrus are delicious and best eaten out of hand for a snack or lunch, but are also tasty in fresh fruit salads or green salads. As it is a lighter-tasting fruit, we do not recommend pairing it with rich meats or seafood. Available late December through March. Grown in USA and Australia.
CARA CARA ORANGES
Named for the Venezuelan Hacienda, Cara Cara, this ‘red’ blood orange with salmon-colored segments yields a sweet profile and a raspberry finish. There is no need to worry about finicky seeds as one would with many blood orange varieties; this orange is a naval variety. Best enjoyed at room temperature, simply peeled and segmented, out of hand or included on fruit platters or cheese grazing boards. Select Cara Cara oranges that are heavy for their size, firm with no cuts, soft spots, or mold. They may be left at room temperature in a fruit bowl or tray, or refrigerated up to one week. Available December through April. Product of USA, Australia, and Chile.
AMBROSIA APPLES, USDA ORGANIC OR CONVENTIONAL
A natural cross of Golden Delicious and Jonagold apple varieties, Ambrosia variety apple was discovered in a Canadian orchard several years ago and continues to be popular as an out-of-hand snacking as well as cooking apple. This lower acid apple has tender but not mealy or mushy flesh. Just the right amount of tart to balance its sweet profile, Ambrosia apples make the perfect apple sauce or apple butter as it is slow to oxidize and needs little to no lemon or added sugar. Wash all fresh fruit well. Leaving apple skin on, cut into pieces for Americanized ambrosia salad, including fresh Cara Cara orange segments, Pinkglow® Pineapple chunks, Shine Muscat K-Grapes, grated or finely sliced Melissa’s fresh coconut, marshmallows, and a bit of Greek yogurt gently folded together, then topped with crumbled Clean Snax ®of choice. Guild the lily with hydrated dried cranberries or cherries. YUM! Chill well and serve the same day, storing leftovers up to two days. Do not freeze.
Select Ambrosia apples that are firm with no bruises or cuts. Store, unwashed, at room temperature in a cool area, up to five days, or refrigerate up to one month. Wash before preparation or use. Most nutritious eaten with the peel. Available now to January. Grown in Canada or USA
XL HUNNYZ® APPLES
Who doesn’t like a crisp, crunchy, juicy apple with a sweet tang? Hunnyz® apple is a new, non-GMO variety grown in Washington. It is a natural cross of Honeycrisp and Crimson Crisp Apples. Extra-large in size, each apple from Melissa’s is nearly 14 ounces and over 3 1/2 inches in diameter. WOW!! Now is the season to serve this apple in slices for a grazing board, in a fruited salad or slaw, as the apple in your holiday recipe for pie baking, fritter frying, and weekend pancakes. But really, they are tasty just sliced into rounds and topped with nut butter, crushed Clean Snax® or eaten alone.
Select Hunnyz® Apples that are firm with no bruises or cut skin. Store at room temperature in a cool, ventilated area for up to one week, or refrigerate with no wrapper for up to one month. Wash well before use. Most nutritious eaten with the peel. Available Now to April. Grown in USA.
STRAWBERRY PAPAYA
Why not add a bit of tropical fruit to take one’s mind off the winter cold? Strawberry Papaya is a more firm-fleshed papaya, smaller in size but packed with flavor and attractive pink-orange flesh. Of course, Strawberry Papaya also has those striking black, edible, peppery seeds. Papain, a natural digestive enzyme often used in meat tenderizers and digestive chews, is derived from papaya seeds, making the flesh a good after-meal treat. Papaya is also a source of folate for vascular health, vitamin C, and is considered one of the top fifty most nutrient-dense fruits to consume. Strawberry Papaya pairs well with fresh seafood, greens, tofu, other tropical fruits, and is tasty in smoothies or served in chunks with a pick on a grazing platter.
Select Strawberry Papaya that yields to slight pressure, like an avocado, with no soft spots or mold. Papaya can ripen at room temperature in a paper bag, checking fruit daily, or refrigerate ripened fruit for 3-5 days. Freezing is not recommended but is often done once cut and seeded for smoothies. Available year-round. Grown in Brazil.
DRIED FRUITS, SPICES, AND MULLING SPICE
The holiday season is a time for major baking and cooking, usually including dried fruits as an ingredient for their sweeter flavor profile and chewy texture. Did you know that, often, dried fruits have higher iron content and are a positive source of fiber? Tasty tossed into salads with toasted nuts, hydrated and added into glazes, garnishing baked goods and roasted meats. Make dessert tamales or hand pies! They are also a classic inclusion in homemade trail and snack mixes or hiking and camping snacks, so tuck a few packages into someone’s stocking. When hydrating dried fruit, this is also an opportunity to ‘spike’ them with a little rum, bourbon, or whisky, but be mindful of who your tasters will be. Melissa’s has a large assortment of dried fruits, from dried pineapple, mango, and papaya spears, to traditional rainier cherries, tart cherries, blueberries, strawberries, and apples. Be creative and make some customarily sweet goods a bit savory with dried rosemary, thyme, anise, etc. By the way, travel to the wine and liquor section of your local grocer where you may find Melissa’s whole nutmeg for grating over eggnog or adding to your gratin, custard, or cookies, or Melissa’s Mulling Spice to add to one gallon of apple juice (possibly spiked) or wine of choice. Remove spices after steeping for up to one hour. P.S. It is also fun to flavor game or salted meat glazes (ham, duck, etc.).