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Culture, Featured, News

Little Ataulfos. Big Opportunity.

January 31, 2024

Offering consumers  a side of value along with their #MangoJoy

Our sweet organic Ataulfos are making their way across the USA and into stores. Their natural sugar caramel sweetness, complemented by subtle Mexican spice undertones, is soon to grace the hands of eager Ataulfo aficionados. The potential for sweet culinary creations becomes limitless: from vibrant salsas and fiery hot sauces (Crespo Sinaloa Sauce) to delightful breakfasts, luscious cakes, and decadent desserts. Most will simply eat them and experience the high dose of #MangoJoy that this particular varietal offers, savoring them more so this season onset with the backdrop of the mango-chaos.

We won’t deceive ourselves and overlook the significantly high market prices and their impact on both sales and consumer enthusiasm for mangoes. It’s evident that we are navigating uncharted territory in the realm of mango markets, a situation well-acknowledged by all.

Certainly, I think, we not only have good ideas but also the determination and mango expertise to navigate through the chaos, all with the goal of achieving sweet results for consumers, retailers and our own systems. In these times, it’s crucial for all of us to tap into our creativity, think more openly, and be willing to try new things.

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Featured, News

Season Opener – The Consumer Favorite

January 24, 2024

Ataulfo’s offer up  a mega does of #MangoJoy amidst serious season complexities

The onset of the Mexican mango season is anticipated to bring significant complexity and is expected to persist as such for several months. First up, as always Mexico’s yellow slipper, the Ataulfo mango. A beloved consumer favorite and one of the fastest growing mango varietals in the US market.

As Ataulfo mangoes are picked and packed and transported up Mexico and across the border to retailers nationwide, they navigate through the challenges of a turbulent Peruvian season. Unfortunately, the Peruvian season, impacted severely by merciless El Niño weather during blooming stages, has not yielded any sufficient volume, leaving large empty pipelines throughout the global mango industry. Traditionally, the US market during this period is flooded with lower-priced Peruvian fruit, but the current scenario sees Peruvian growers struggling with volumes and unable to meet even a portion of the worldwide demand, leading to chaos with farmers searching for the highest bidder in markets across Europe, Asia, and the USA.

The challenging Peruvian situation in the US market puts immense pressure on the commencement of the Mexican season. Retailers find themselves not only attempting to bridge the gap but also facing total panic for the upcoming months when mangoes are typically the most promotable fruit. Contracts are in disarray, and a veil of silence shrouds the realities south of the border, contributing to unprecedented market confusion.

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Featured, News, People

Ataulfo Marketing 101

January 24, 2024

 

Shortcutting the promotion of Mexico’s yellow slipper

This is an industry geared post.

Despite the challenges in the early Mexican season, Ataulfo mangoes are poised to bring us our  much-needed #MangoJoy.

As our  Crespo Organic Ataulfo mangoes are about to make their debut,  now is the opportune moment to evaluate your current organic Ataulfo program or consider implementing one. With our expertise, top-quality products, and dedicated support, the Crespo Ataulfo program stands strong even amid the chaotic Peruvian circumstances……..carpe diem.

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Farm, Featured, News

Organic Ataulfos {Slowly Kind Of} Start Now

January 16, 2024

Mexican mango season starts slowly amidst an empty pipeline…..

I’m back from a beach break in Puerto Rico, a much needed respite before another Mexican mango season begins. This break proved to be a wise decision, considering the anticipated complexity of the looming mango season, perhaps even more complex than usual and mostly just at the onset.

In my last crop report, “A Christmas Mango Teaser,” my message was a mix of positive news alongside Roberto’s warning about the strong winds prevailing at that time. Many expected wind damage resulting in some gaps, prompting us to wait before assessing the situation.

Unfortunately, the wind did cause damage by dislodging blooms and even some set fruit, creating numerous small gaps from orchard to orchard. This will impact volumes at the onset and during the initial weeks of the season. Essentially, supplies will be limited for most of February but are expected to increase and stabilize as we progress into March.

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Featured, News, People

Harvesting Food Trends

January 15, 2024

 

A mango-centric exploration of the year’s most anticipated influences

Food trends are often a bit waggish, but the current buzzing trends seem poised for positive impact and that excites me. I think the timing is ripe for all of us in mangoes and produce to take a thoughtful look and see how we can harness them to benefit farmers, farming communities, consumers, and everyone’s bottom lines.

I explore 2024’s most anticipated food trends through mango-colored glasses, drawing insights from writers, researchers, mango enthusiasts, shoppers, marketers, culinary professionals, and mango experts. I aim to uncover the meaning within these trends, demonstrating how produce and mangoes align with them at retail level and across the entire chain. My goal is to help our industry foster deeper significance in our practices, embracing the interconnectedness between the business, the eating and the human elements and, above all, spread more #MangoJoy in 2024.

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Featured, Kitchen

Mango Chutney

December 20, 2023

Your new year-round mango condiment

Chutney is essentially a blend of fruit, vinegar, sugar, and spices cooked down into a textured sauce. It’s one of the oldest condiments. This versatile sweet and spicy Indian version needs a permanent place in your food repertoire. Use it as an accompaniment on cheese boards or better yet on grilled cheese sandwiches. It can also be used to flavor  curries, meats and stews, or as a topping, adding both sweet and spicy elements to any dish. The mango tames the spice but doesn’t hide it. Opt for firmer-fleshed ripe mangoes, such as Tommy Atkins, to maintain their shape after cooking.

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Farm, Featured, Kitchen, News

A Christmas Mango Teaser

December 20, 2023

Generally jolly good orchard news,  a sprinkle of bah humbug
& my best holiday mango recipes

 Roberto Crespo, a member of the #HermanosCrespos “band” or what I consider the lead singer of our south, is currently and like usual, deeply rooted in the soils of Oaxaca and Chiapas preparing for the season start up.  This week he is sharing some encouraging updates direct from our Mexican mango orchards down there, which feels like the best Christmas news ever! He sprinkles a little bah humbug on our festive mood, reporting of some serious wind currently swirling the orchards, noting it could be concerning for fruit supply farther into the season. I will report back with my usual New Year/ New Season Mexican Mango Predictions next week with more details from Roberto.  Consider this just a little teaser of Christmas hope before we all break for the holiday. Today, I want mostly to sprinkle a bit of #MangoJoy on us for the Mexican mango season ahead with the scarcity of positive offshore organic mango news, I thought some flashes of good news would be a nice change.

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Featured, News, Product

NEW! Shelf-Ready Dried Mango – Tear Away Display Case

December 18, 2023

Our tropical, chewy, portable mango snacks get wrapped up as perpetual gifts

Picture this: a hassle-free opening experience that mirrors the excitement of unwrapping a gift, revealing not just Mexico’s sweetest and most prized portable natural indulgence – Crespo Organic Dried Mangoes but the delightful revelation that the shipping box transforms into a perpetual gift as it doubles as a captivating Crespo Organic branded display box. This picture is real, and it’s our new Shelf-Ready Tear-Away display Case!

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Featured, News

Gratitude for Blooms

November 22, 2023

A Thanksgiving Mexican mango crop update & overview

The upcoming two months hold significant importance in relation to weather conditions and their impact on the early Mexican mango crop in Oaxaca and Chiapas. These months will greatly influence our final crop expectations and overall outlook. It is currently too early to make definitive predictions. However, during the two months preceding fruit bloom, set and formation (as discussed in a previous post “MANGO BLOOMS WOW” also available visually on YouTube), our focus intensifies. This period is vital for closely monitoring weather patterns, orchard health, and other developments, marking the initial steps in formulating a clearer understanding of the upcoming season.

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Featured, Kitchen

Mango Milk Candy

October 16, 2023

 

 

Mango dulce de Leche, made with mangoes, made into flan

 Several years ago, under pressure to create new Halloween recipes, I had the brilliant idea (a hypothesis at the time) to make caramel using nothing but mangoes. Since mangoes contain significant natural sugar, why wouldn’t they, in pureed form, caramelize like sugar and water do when heated at a high temperature? Well, they do, and I was right. That fall, “Mango Caramel 3 Ways” was born.

During those fall explorations I created 3 unique caramel recipes, all utilizing mango puree as the base or main ingredient – Salted Mango Caramel, with butter, cream and salt, Faux Mango Caramel– which is technically a vegan sugar-free caramel and one of the healthiest options for caramel lovers, and a Tropical Vegan Mango Dulce de Leche, my twist on the oven made hack that uses a can of sweetened condensed milk and a hot oven to make dulce de leche.

This fall I have new mango caramel recipe for authentic dulce de leche, the one I left out on my original mango caramel experiments.  I left it out partly because it proved to be the most challenging in terms of achieving a result that captures the essence and texture of true dulce de leche. After tinkering with various ideas over the years I finally, with a little encouragement from Mango Hunter Jeff Ray, figured out how to bring it to life.

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