Produce Marketing Association's Delicious Fruit Choices

Fruit is a plant's sweetest gift to humanity. And at the yearly Produce Marketing Association (PMA) Fresh Summit Convention & Expo growers from all over the world come together to show off their fruit and vegetable produce. But the Fresh Summit is not limited to just showcasing produce. It is also about bringing together people from all aspects of the produce industry from the tiniest seed producer to the largest logistics company.

PMA Fresh Summit, Orlando, Fla.
Copyright 2017 by Helen A Lockey

During my most recent year of attendance, in Orlando, I came across several fascinating fruits: HBF International Kiwi Berries, SunBelle biodynamic cranberries, Zespri SunGold Kiwifruit and Frutiryes Golden Berries. Some were grown in North America and some were grown in South America.

HBF International Kiwi Berry, PMA Fresh Summit, Orlando Fla.,
Copyright 2017 by Helen A Lockey

The first delicious fruit starts with HBF International Kiwi Berries grown by Hurst's Family Farm, based in Oregon. These fruit, grow on vines, look exactly the same inside as kiwifruit except they are the size of concord table grapes and like grapes they can be eaten whole, skin and all because they have a fur-less skin. Their skin ranges in color from green to one with pink blush on green. When I had them they had been dipped in chocolate. I have found them sold at Whole Foods Markets.

SunBelle GreenBelle Biodynamic Organic Certified non-GMO
cranberries, PMA Fresh Summit, Orlando
Copyright 2017 by Helen A Lockey

Next are GreenBelle Biodynamic Organic certified cranberries by SunBelle . These sustainably grown and harvested fruit were real treat to discover especially when I researched what it meant to grow biodynamic produce (beyond organic standards). They were deliciously tart.

Zespri's SunGold Kiwi, non-GMO and certified organic,
PMA Fresh Summit, Orlando
Copyright 2017 by Helen A Lockey

Another impressive fruit, grown by Zespri, was a non-GMO SunGold Kiwifruit certified organic. When I lived in Australia I would kiwi fruit whenever I could, they were delicious. But when I came to live in Florida I could not find a single fruit I enjoyed to eat until I got to try the golden ones at the PMA Fresh Summit. They were sweet and refreshing and did not leave my tongue tingling like their greener cousins. These are sold at COSTCO stores.

Golden Berry, a.k.a Cape Gooseberry, PMA Fresh Summit,
Orlando. Copywright 2017 by Helen A Lockey

Then last but by no means least came Golden Berries (Physalis peruviana) also known as Cape Gooseberry. These fruit are in the same plant family as tomatillo, the fruit with an outer papery skin. But Golden Berries are smaller and more delicious, at least according to me. They are grown in Columbia by Frutireyes and other countries, and imported by various companies including SunBelle .

The real delicious property, to me, about golden berry happens when they are dried. They become the tart kings and queens of fruit and pair beautifully with chocolate and ice cream, yum. I found them at Publix Supermarkets and Whole Foods.

PMA Fresh Summit is all about several days of educational seminars, produce trends predictions presentations, parties and exposition floor booth visits that leave participants leave getting a better idea of what is happening in the worldwide produce industry.

I look forward to seeing what the PMA Fresh Summit Convention & Expo has in store for next year's event.