January’s Best Seasonal Fruits & Gifts
Did you know blackberries are one of the fifty most nutrient-dense foods we can consume for better health? They are loaded with antioxidants, ellagic and quercetin, and may be eaten raw or cooked. Blackberries are quite versatile, pairing well with fruits as well as leafy vegetables, nuts, and grains. Produce known to be good sources of Vitamin C can make the nutrients in blackberries more bioavailable.
Melissa’s Jumbo Blackberries (available conventional or organic) are known for their season-long, consistently sweet flavor and larger size. Toss them into a fresh, crisp salad with Butterscotch™ Pears and supremes of Pummelo, some toasted nuts, and a drizzle of vinaigrette. Blackberries also make tasty gratins or cobblers bursting with berry flavor and a dollop of fresh whipped cream or coconut cream drizzle. Make blackberry sauce for rich and cured meats or poultry. Add a sprinkle of cinnamon for heart health and reducing inflammation. Melissa’s Jumbo Blackberries are also tasty and low-prep, so go ahead and drop a few washed blackberries into your smoothies, morning juice mix, or simply snack on a handful. By the way, they’re also tasty on vanilla bean ice cream!
Select plump, dry blackberries with no signs of mold or softness. Water is your enemy unless it is for rinsing off the berries. Do not rinse berries until ready to use or consume. Gently empty berries into a colander or your hand and allow a stream of water to run over them, removing any dust or errant leaves. Softly pat dry with a paper towel and serve. If you’re lucky enough to have a lot on hand and want to freeze for later, simply rinse, leave on a towel to remove settled water, then freeze in a single layer and transfer to a container. They are best used cooked as they can turn soft. Melissa’s Jumbo Blackberries are available from November thru May—Grown in Mexico.
DELUXE LUNAR NEW YEAR GIFT BOX
Midnight, January 29, 2025, is the first day of Lunar New Year celebrations. It is the Year of the Snake until February 16, 2026. Those born under this sign are known to be deep thinkers and great speakers, but also stubborn and overconfident. Well, ya can’t be everything! Whether you’re a deep thinker or just want to celebrate the Lunar New Year, why not enhance the occasion with a beautiful gift filled with Lunar New Year treats from Melissa’s? This gift box contains harbingers of luck, romance, prosperity, and other symbolic foods and sweet treats. Please refer to our product page for order guidelines for this specific item; restrictions apply. GUNG HAY FAT CHOY!!
This large, juicy, low-calorie, and mildly sweet apple pear checks many boxes as a winning winter fruit. Butterscotch™ Pear, named for its skin color, requires much manual care to produce thin, edible, smooth skin. Once a bud begins to appear, each and every bud is hand-wrapped in a paper bag for the fruit to grow, protected from sunburn and damage from birds until harvest, and then hand-packed into recyclable cushion socks.
Did you know there is a difference between Asian and European pear varieties? The main difference is the sugar content. Although both are sweet and juicy, the apple pear has less natural sugar, so it is lower in calories but just as refreshing. Also, European pears have the classic pear shape: narrow on top and curving into a bell-bottomed shape. The flesh of apple pears is firm and crisp, much like an apple, rather than soft or grainy.
Select Butterscotch™ Pears that are heavy for their size with no bruises or soft spots. They may be left on the kitchen counter but are best stored in their socks in the crisper drawer for up to one week. Wash only before consuming; do not freeze. Butterscotch™ Pears hold their shape when cooked and are tasty in a baked pear crisp, sliced thin for grazing boards, poached in wine, or grated and added to winter slaws or stuffings. Of course, they make great car snacks, too, but don’t forget the napkins! Available now through March. Grown in South Korea.
A traditional gift item and ingredient during Lunar New Year festivities. This globe of citrus is rather misleading. Appearing much like a green volleyball or kid-sized basketball, but when its thick rind is peeled away, the flesh is about the size of a grapefruit. The flesh is a pretty, natural pink color encased in a thicker-than-usual membrane. The membrane may seem bothersome, but once peeled away, it encases all the anticipated juiciness and tangy-tart flavor expected from a quality piece of fruit.
Select fruit that is heavy for its size and has shiny skin, avoiding blemishes and soft spots. Store at room temperature for 2-4 days or refrigerate for up to one week. Wash before use. The peel may be candied. Available December through March. Grown in the USA.
Pummelos are one of nature’s larger fruits. Now, let’s experience one of nature’s smaller tree fruits, Kishu mandarins. Smaller tree citrus such as Kishu and kumquats resemble gold coins during Lunar New Year, so be certain to include them in any LNY gift giving. Usually about the size of a quarter or walnut, this sweet mandarin is very easy to peel (known as a zip peel) and can be a ‘one pop’ snack. They are the perfect snack for children because of both characteristics and well, because they are just so darn cute! But we are all kids at heart and may not even share with the little ones, making them a fun way for healthy snacking overall. Using a catchphrase from television, “Betcha can’t eat just one!”
Select Kishu with shiny peels and no mold or scars. Kishus’ peel can appear taut or puffy depending on the time of the season. Store at room temperature for 1-2 days, or refrigerate for up to one week. Available through February. USA California grown.
Kumquats are thought-provoking small citrus very popular during Lunar New Year, but generally available year-round. Thought-provoking because citrus characteristically has a tart, aromatic peel and sweet flesh, but kumquats have a sweet peel and tart and tangy flesh. To have the full effect of this experience, wash the fruit and pat it dry, then roll the fruit between your thumb and forefinger to release some of its bright citrus essential oil. Next, pop the fruit into your mouth and enjoy the inside-out fruit experience!
Kumquats may be eaten out of hand, sliced into wheels for salads, pickled or candied or canned for drinks, jellies, and sauces, or simply skewered whole for dipping into chocolate or whipped cream as a dessert grazing option. Kumquat jam is tasty on a cheesecake or served with roasted game, meat, or fowl. Select fruit that is firm with no signs of spoil, mold, or soft spots. Best stored unwashed and refrigerated for up to one week. Unfortunately, kumquats do not freeze well, so eat them with reckless abandon and receive lots of good luck during this Lunar New Year! Available year-round. We source kumquats from California or Chile, depending on the season.
The New Year is a time for most people to ‘reset’ their health and lifestyle. If these are part of your New Year’s resolution, Melissa’s can help! Check out our USDA Certified fruit and vegetable offerings, from Green Juice and Keto boxes to our Organic Family Box, brimming with 17 pounds of fresh produce and a full line of certified organic fresh fruits and vegetables. There is even a box in which we collaborated with the American Institute for Cancer Research (AICR) on plant-based diets. The purchase of this specific box will provide 25% of its proceeds to benefit AICR—available year-round, pending weather.
It’s wintertime and the peak season for citrus—not just basic lemons and limes. Health enthusiasts say we should eat with the seasons, so this is the time of year to consume citrus for their qualities that benefit immunity and anti-inflammation and experience their different flavors. Go wild and try different citrus varieties, from heirloom navels, blood oranges, and Cara Cara oranges to Satsuma tangerines and Kishu mandarins. Cocktail grapefruit for manual juicing (don’t mind the seeds), pummelos, pink grapefruits, pink lemons, finger limes, and the list goes on.
Papaya is considered an exotic fruit, but its natural enzymes, papain, have been used in foodstuffs for decades. Yup. Decades. Some might remember a white bottle with a bright red lid filled with a white substance that you’d sprinkle on tough cuts of meat. It is a substance that tenderizes meats (breaks down tough proteins), making it easier to chew. Red papaya contains papain, but the bright red-orange flesh of the fruit is not mushy, nor does the fruit have a moldy scent. It has a texture similar to melon and flavor, well, like papaya! Sweet, with a slightly floral fragrance, and great for digestion, this tropical fruit pairs well with other fresh fruits, from apples and bananas to dragon fruit, avocado, and pineapple. Serve a mango-papaya salsa over fresh baked fish or shrimp, barbecued tofu or meats, in a spinach salad tossed with honey vinaigrette or added to your morning smoothie or yogurt. Seed the fruit and use it as a vessel for fruit salads dressed with a lightly sweet vinaigrette. Thickly sliced firm papaya may be grilled, or cube the fruit and serve sprinkled with Melissa’s Chile Lime powder for a tangy zing! Papaya’s edible dark black seeds are the primary source of papain and have a peppery taste.
Select Red Tai Nung Papaya, which is at least half yellow with a slight green cast and no mold spots or cuts. It should have a slight floral fragrance and feel heavy for its size. Store at room temperature until ripe, then refrigerate for up to 3 days. Wash fruit just before preparation, then halve, scoop out seeds, and peel to discard skin. Leftover papaya may be frozen in chunks and puréed in a smoothie or dressing, but it will not be of quality to eat as if it were freshly cut. Available Year Round. Grown in Mexico.
Another fun and popular tropical fruit is pineapple. It is also good for digestion but not for setting or firming gelatin. The digestive enzyme bromelain, found in fresh pineapple, prevents protein from binding. This is why gelatines, hams, or other meats must use canned or cooked pineapple as garnish. Grilling meat or seafood will lessen the effects of mushy protein.
Pineapple is one of nature’s many natural medicines. It is used to tenderize meats and help pharmaceuticals reduce acne and inflammation. It is a symbol of hospitality and is often found as decorative drapery finials, sculptures as trim on fences or decorations in a home or gathering place. All varieties pair well with just about any produce item, adding a bit of sweetness and texture. Select pineapples that are heavy for their size, have fresh green crowns, and are firm with no dark or soft spots. This fruit does not further ripen once harvested and becomes fragrant, left at room temperature for 2-4 days. Refrigerate and cut within 5 days. Unused fruit may be frozen in a single layer, then cooked or pureed. We welcome you to experience any of the below varieties, usually available year-round from Melissa’s:
PRECIOUS HONEYGLOW®
A personal-sized version of the ultra-sweet Honeyglow® pineapple. This smaller pineapple can be hollowed and used as a serving boat for two, or pared and sliced to top yogurt, dress upside down cake, or add to tropical salsa—Grown in Costa Rica.
PINKGLOW® PINEAPPLE
This truly pink-fleshed pineapple is a sight to see and taste! Make it a special gift by ordering from www.melissas.com for the pineapple lover in your life. Lower acid, tasty grilled, baked, or puréed. Grown in Costa Rica
SOUTH AFRICAN BABY PINEAPPLE
This is the little darling of all pineapples, usually the size of one’s palm with long, sharp fronds and a tender, edible core. Novel as a party favor, hollowed as a fruit bowl, appetizer vessel, or two-bite spears. A balance of sweet and tart, two of these dense pineapples make unique individual upside-down cakes for eight—Grown in South Africa.
SEVILLE (SOUR) ORANGE
All oranges originated in Asia, but through trade routes, they were eventually cultivated in Arabia, Western Europe and South America. Sour variety oranges were grown extensively in Seville, Spain and, therefore, became known as Seville Orange. Further, England began to include it in their teas and marmalades. Regions of Yucatan and Southern Mexico use this same fruit for their marinades and seasonings. The natural acid breaks down protein, and the juice adds flavor.
Did you know that nearly all the fruit is used when making marmalade? High levels of pectin abound in the pith and seeds and can be extracted overnight by setting the cheesecloth submerged in the fruit’s own juices. The peel, thinly sliced, gives a slight tang to the marmalade. If you’re not into marmalade, consider candying the peel and freezing the juice for marinade throughout the year. Available January to February, depending on harvest yield—grown in California.
Disclaimer: The nutrition information provided on Melissa's blog posts is for informational purposes only and is not intended as a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always consult your doctor or a qualified healthcare provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition or dietary needs.
