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).

Wild Huckleberry

Wild Huckleberries are quite similar to Blueberries, but have a tougher skin and hard internal seeds. They are small but mighty and every berry packs a flavorful punch. Their flavor is sharper than that of Blueberries, but they can be eaten and cooked in exactly the same ways. Prized for jams, jellies and baking (muffins,…

Wild Strawberry (Fraises des Bois)

(Please note! Wild Strawberries do not travel well! Chefs outside Southern California should plan on using them as an ingredient only. They will NOT arrive in garnish condition!) Wild Strawberries are beloved for their fragrance and flavor. Fruit expert David Karp explained Wild Strawberries in a New York Times article (April 15, 2005): ” A…

FM Bing Cherry

The Bing Cherry is a sweet Cherry, in fact one of the most common variety of sweet Cherry in the United States. These Cherries are large and plump with dark skin. They travel well because of their firm texture and strong skin. They are very sweet with good acid, these Cherries Brix 32.4!

FM Rainier Cherry

The Rainier, a combination of the Bing and Van cherry varieties, is light cream to golden colored with a pink to red blush. The most precious of cherry varieties, its flesh is sweet and delicate with a colorless juice. Like most fresh fruit, Ranier Cherries can be bagged and frozen for several months. Pit and…

Sour (Tart) Cherry

Also known as Tart Cherries and Pie Cherries, Sour Cherries are smaller, softer, and more round than the sweet cherry varieties. Sour Cherries are not quite sweet enough to eat raw, and are most famous as the feature ingredient in Cherry pies and other desserts. They are delicious in main courses, salads, savory sauces, jam,…

FM Bergamot Sour Orange *L*S*

Bergamot is an acidic orange prized for its peel which yields an essential oil, essence of Bergamot, used in production of confections and perfumes. Known in the Mediterranean for centuries and described as early as 1708, Bergamot is thought to be a cross between sour Orange and Citron or Lemon. The peel is responsible for…

Buddha Hand Citron

The citron, like the lemon and lime, is native to NE India, where it was used from early times as a perfume and in medicine. The fruit seems always to have had a curious connection with religion and magic, and a high reputation as medicine, being regarded as an antidote to almost any poison and…

Chandler Pummelo *L*S*

The Chandler Pummelo is a relative new comer to the Pummelo family. Developed by crossing a Siamese Pink Pummelo and a Siamese Sweet Pummelo, this new hybrid blends to the best of both color and flavor. The rind is thick, and bright yellow with an occasional pink blush. The flesh ranges from light to dark…

Cocktail Grapefruit

This special Grapefruit variety was developed by researchers at the University of California, Riverside. They crossed a Thai Pummelo with a Mandarin to produce this yummy hybrid. The fruit is medium to large with a smooth rind with a greenish orange to golden-orange color. Cocktail Grapefruit has apricot-colored flesh which is exceptionally sweet and super…

Cocktail Grapefruit (Triumph)

Cocktail Grapefruit are small to medium (3 to 5 inches in diameter), white-apricot colored flesh, seedy, extra sweet, and very juicy. Grown in San Diego County by an organic farmer, this Cocktail variety is “Triumph”, first propagated in Florida in 1884. The very mellow, low-acid flavor of the Cocktail Grapefruit makes it perfect for juicing….

Dry Satsuma Tangerine *L*

Our grower harvests ripe Satsuma Mandarins, peels them and slices them into 1/4- to 1/2-inch wheels. Then he dries them, and voila! The result is a high sugar, high acid, crispy, crunchy dried fruit that is the single most addictive fruit product we’ve found. Dry Satsuma Mandarins are like citrus popcorn…and once you start eating…

FM Etrog Citron *L*S*

The Citron’s origin is unknown, but it was the first cultivated citrus fruit, with records dating back to 4000 B.C. Citron was a common fruit in the Mediterranean region, and today is cultivated primarily in Sicily, Corsica, Crete, Greece and Israel, as well as a number of Central and South American countries. Etrog Citron (Citrus…

FM Finger Lime *L*S*O*

The Finger Lime is a highly unusual citrus variety, native to Australia and found as bushes or small trees in the rain forests of Queensland and New South Wales, Australia.  The Finger Lime’ s skin color ranges from yellow or brick red to green or purplish black.  When the fruit is cut in half (cut…

Heirloom Bahia Navel Orange *L*S*

Bud lines, rootstocks and terrior all play a role in how Oranges taste. Our farmer’ s Heirloom Bahia Navel Oranges are grown on “ old line” Washington Navel trees, supported by the appropriate sour or sweet rootstock and soil profile. This combination along with sustainable farming practices produces a great tasting piece of fruit. These…

FM Red Pomegranate *L*S*O*

Long considered an autumn fruit, Pomegranates make their entrance in late summer, thanks to the early Granada variety. These early pomegranates are historically a little light in exterior color. Early Wonderfuls will make their appearance by the beginning of September, and by the middle of October, the Wonderful variety will be available and we will…

Rambutan

Rambutans are related to lychees and are sometimes known as " hairy lychees" . Originally from Malaysia but now grown in tropical Central America and Southeast Asia, they are larger than lychees (about 2 inches in diameter) and look quite different, but have a similar texture. The taste is similar too, but slightly sharper. To…