FALL PRODUCE TRENDS FOR 2023
Freaky Fruits for Halloween and Other Seasonal Trends to Spice Up Your Fall Table
By Linda Kissam
ON BIG BLEND RADIO: Writer Linda Kissam and Robert Schueller from Melissa’s Produce discuss Fall produce trends. Watch here in the YouTube player or download the podcast on Acast.
The culinary world is ever evolving, and 2023 is no exception. With a blend of health-conscious choices, quirky options, and indulgent delights, so far, 2023 has been a delightful gastronomic journey. But hold on, the year is not over. Fall offerings bring a promise of even more goodness and fun times.
Here are the top food trends for fall 2023. You can find each at most upscale markets near you or by going to Melissa’s Produce online https://www.melissas.com/
Let’s begin with produce that is trending for the upcoming “Freaky Fruits” season that leads up to Halloween.
Dragon fruit (white, red, yellow): A tropical fruit native to Mexico and Central America. Its taste is like a combination of a kiwi and a pear.
Passion fruit: A type of passionflower. It has a tough outer rind and a juicy, seed-filled center.
Kiwano Melon: A spiky, golden-orange shell encases a soft, succulent, seed-filled emerald-green interior.
Blood Orange: A complex flavor that’s reminiscent of navel oranges but is more floral and tarter.
Muscato Grapes (new freaky fruit packaging): Presents with a crisp texture and mouthwatering, juicy interior.
Pomegranates: A sweet, tart fruit with thick, red skin. While the skin is not edible, it holds hundreds of juicy seeds that you can eat plain or sprinkle on salads, oatmeal, hummus, and other foods.
Rambutans: A fruit that can taste tart and sweet.
Cherimoya: A custardy, heart-shaped fruit that has a greenish skin and creamy, white flesh.
Cactus Pears: Very sweet and can be eaten raw, right from the plant. Depending on the level of ripeness, they can range from slightly sweet to syrupy sweet.
Papaya: A yellow-orange fruit with edible seeds. Papaya’s benefits include lowering blood sugar, reducing inflammation, and helping with weight loss.
Jackfruit: Under its thick, bumpy green rind is a stringy yellow flesh that you can eat raw or cooked in a variety of dishes. (Its seeds are also edible.)
Starfruit: A sweet and sour fruit that has the shape of a five-point star. The skin is edible and the flesh has a mild, sour flavor
Buddha’s Hand: The aromatic rind of the Buddha’s Hand infuses perfectly in alcohols like vodka or gin.
Mangosteen: A tropical fruit with sweet juicy white segments of flesh inside a thick reddish-brown rind
Finger Limes: Finger limes are described as citrus caviar because the texture of the pulp resembles caviar. The pulp contains small round vesicles filled with juice that provide a burst of refreshing acidity and flavor with every bite.
Baby Jewel Yams
LIME SLIME PUNCH RECIPE
Melissa’s Freaky Fruit Recipes Servings 6-8
Ingredients
6 tablespoons Melissa’s white chia seeds
2 cups warm water
3 cups limeade
Green food coloring
Directions
- Mix 6 tablespoons of chia seeds into 2 cups of warm water, stirring well to distribute.
- Refrigerate mixture overnight.
- The next day, slowly add three cups of limeade to the mixture, whisking to break up any clumps and incorporate the two liquids.
- Add 2-3 drops of green food coloring to achieve desired color.
Recipe Note: Chia seeds contain natural pectin, making the texture a thicker drink. However, if the texture is too thick, simply add more water or limeade
Be sure to check out the Freaky Fruit® Ghostly gatherings recipes featuring the fruits mentioned above. Each recipe screams Halloween hauntingly delicious fare. Recipes like Zombie Eyeballs, Severed Hand Pies, and Lime Slime Punch are sure to bring zombies, monsters, and ghosts to your table this year.
See: https://www.melissas.com/pages/freaky-fruit
Next up, I think you’ll also love discovering these special seasonal and trendy items, available now for your fall table.
Pink Pumpkins: Pink pumpkins have a much milder flavor than traditional pumpkins — perfect for decorating or in pumpkin purees and pies.
Mini and ornamental pumpkins & gourd: Ornamental Gourds and pumpkins are wonderful, interesting decorations for the holiday season varying in size from 3-5 inches. This small fruit comes in many different variations, colors, sizes, and shapes.
Persimmons: Fuyu, Hachiya, Chocolate Persimmons, and Cinnamon Persimmons: An edible fruit that resembles a large tomato and has very sweet flesh.
Pomegranates: When ripe, an orange-sized fruit with a tough reddish outer skin and sweet red gelatinous flesh containing many seeds.
Green Dragon Apples: A light, sweet, low-acid apple with yellow/ green skin.
PinkGlow Pineapple: Delicious and unique flavor with notes of candy pineapple aromatics; Less sour than a traditional pineapple; Juicier and sweeter.
Quince: A hard, acidic, pear-shaped fruit often used in preserves.
Witch’s Cauldron Kettle Corn: Made with GMO-free popcorn, this sweet treat delights with fluffy pieces of popcorn coated with sugary goodness and a touch of salt.
Carmel Apples: Granny Smith apples, sweetened condensed milk, butter, dark corn syrup, light corn syrup, vanilla extract, and chopped peanuts.
Baby Yams & sweet potatoes: Baby Japanese Yams have a white creamy interior and a red colored skin, with a flavor and texture reminiscent of chestnuts.
Shallots: Like garlic, leeks, and onions, shallots are a flavor-building vegetable in the allium family.
Pearl Onions: Tiny onions that are smaller than boiler onions and contain a sweet, mild flavor. They are available in white, red, and gold varieties.
Brussel Sprouts: Look like miniature cabbages. Tasting similar to regular cabbage, these fresh nutty-flavored sprouts have a solid and dense texture.
White Asparagus: The flavor is milder and more delicate, with a slightly bitter taste, when compared to green asparagus.
Steamed Chestnuts: Chestnuts can be quite bitter or sour when raw. But when you cook or roast it, the taste gets better. Roasted chestnuts are the most common culinary adaptation you would find out there. Roasted chestnut is sweet in the likeness of sweet potato. Unlike other nuts, it doesn’t exactly have a nutty flavor.
Fall 2023 promises a blend of traditional and innovative culinary experiences. Whether you’re a food enthusiast or a casual diner, there’s something for everyone. Step in and explore these trends to discover new favorites.
Linda Kissam ‘Food, Wine & Shopping Diva’ is a professional travel, food, and wine writer based out of Arizona and the Pacific Northwest, who specializes in easy, breezy destination stories sharing her favorite things about the places she visits. Visit www.AllInGoodTaste.info
