About Karen Beverlin, The Produce Hunter

Karen Beverlin is the Vice President of Specialty Sales for The Produce Hunter. The Produce Hunter curates the Farmers’ Markets, and works with small, local family farmers committed to sustainable agriculture, responsible production, and propagation and promotion of fruit and vegetables with exceptional flavor. Follow her as she finds the best of the Santa Monica Farmers Market every week with on Instagram (@fpproducehunter).

FM Sweet Mix Pepper *L*S*

This Pepper mix has various varieties and colors such as Toro De Oro, Lipstick, Pimento, and Bell with colors of red, orange, yellow, and purple. They have thick walls making for a great crunch when eaten raw. The sizes range from medium to large sized Peppers, some being round and others being elongated and pointed…

FM Espelette Pepper *L*S*

This pepper is celebrated annually at the Espelette Pepper Festival in the Basque region of France. The peppers are harvested in September and hung across balconies to dry out and simultaneously decorate the town for the festival in early October. Espelette Peppers are a deep red and when dried turn to a maroon- red color….

FM Young Ginger *L*

Young Ginger is the original Ginger used to make “Gari”, pickled Ginger featured with sushi dishes. It has the same shape as traditional Ginger but it is much less fibrous and offers plump texture with juicy flavor. Young Ginger is mild and able to be eaten raw. When thinly sliced the color is almost translucent…

FM Pineapple Quince *L*S*

Our FM Pineapple Quince is grown on a small family farm in California’s Central Valley. It’s harvested the day before we pick it up, and we think the flavor and fragrance is excellent. The Pineapple Quince is related to the Apple and the Pear; the whitish -yellow flesh changes to pink when cooked. The flavors…

FM Olive *L*S*O*

Our farmers grow Manzanilla and Mission Olives, two varieties often grown in California. The variety we have on hand will change throughout the fall, depending on which variety our farmer harvests. The Manzanillas are the green Olives traditionally stuffed with Pimento, the Spanish word for pepper, but can also be cured and stuffed with many…

Keiffer Lime *L*S*

We’ re all familiar with Keiffer Lime Leaves, but the fruit of the same tree, the Keiffer Lime, has a very brief season. The juice of the Keiffer Lime has the same fragrance as the famous leaves, but the rind has its own special fragrance. Zest the Keiffer Lime carefully to avoid the pith, and…

FM Kumquat Nagami *L*S*O*

One of the only members of the citrus family that is entirely edible, the Kumquat’ s skin is sweet and its juicy flesh has a zesty, somewhat tart, orange flavor with hints of tangerine. The ultimate heirloom fruit, Kumquat growing practices have been documented in China as early as 1178 A.D. The word Kumquat comes…

FM Meiwa Kumquat *L*S*O*

Please allow us to quote from Alan Susser’ s The Great Citrus Book: “ Meiwa is the best kumquat for fresh, out-of-hand eating, where the rind is consumed along with the flesh… The Meiwa is large, round, and plump with a lemon-hued, tart-tasting flesh. Its golden orange rind is smooth and tender and is rich…

FM Melogold Grapefruit *L*S*

Released in 1986, the Melogold Grapefruit is actually a cross between a true Pummelo and a Marsh Grapefruit. This could be why the fruit is especially juicy with flavor that is a balanced blend of tart and sweet without any bitterness. The pale-yellow to white flesh produces easily segmented large, sweet sections that are tender,…

FM Meyer Lemons *L*S*

Botanists believe the Meyer Lemon is a hybrid, a cross between a regular lemon and either an orange or a mandarin. They’ re sometimes smaller than a regular lemon, rounder in shape, with a thin, soft, and smooth rind which ranges from greenish when slightly immature to a rich yellow-orange when fully ripe. The rind…

FM Moro Blood Oranges *L*S*

The Blood Orange is a hybrid that first appeared in Europe around 1850. Common throughout Italy, Moro is the most commonly produced variety, and is easily distinguished by the rich burgundy color of its juice. A medium-sized fruit, the Moro has a relatively long, early harvest from December through April. The rind is orange, and…

FM Murcott Tangerine Bald *L*S*

It is the consensus of Florida horticulturists that the Murcott Mandarin variety is a tangor of unknown origin resulting from the breeding program of the U.S. Department of Agriculture. According to Robert Willard Hodgson in Horticultural Varieties of Citrus, ‘ The oldest known budded tree, from which the present commercial acreage largely if not entirely…

FM Murcott Tangerine Stem & Leaf *L*S*

It is the consensus of Florida horticulturists that the MURCOTT MANDARIN variety is a tangor of unknown origin resulting from the breeding program of the U.S. Department of Agriculture. According to Robert Willard Hodgson in Horticultural Varieties of Citrus, ‘ The oldest known budded tree, from which the present commercial acreage largely if not entirely…

FM Page Tangerine Bald *L*S*

Page Mandarin are a medium size citrus fruit, with medium-thin, leathery rind that is moderately adherent but easily peelable. Their skins’ surface is smooth to moderately pebbled, and their color is reddish-orange at maturity. The Page’ s flesh is deep orange, tender and juicy, and the flavor rich and sweet (this variety is considered one…

Pink Lemons

When life gives you Pink Lemons, make pink lemonade! Variegated Pink Lemons are a beautiful yellow and pink on the outside but slice through the skin and you’ll find a gorgeous pink flesh with a familiar, tart lemon taste and fresh scent (In a blind tasting, our staff could not tell the difference between the…