Los Alamitos, CA (February 2020) – Lent is a perfect time to help shoppers look beyond fish and move produce to the center of their plate by discovering a variety of plant-based foods, including new fruits and vegetables. Nearly 25 percent of Americans observe the holiday, making it a great time to feature an expanded assortment of fruits, vegetables and meat alternatives for meatless Fridays as a way to satisfy shoppers’ desires for something other than meat during this time.
According to a 2019 survey from C+R Research in partnership with Frieda’s, 68 percent of shoppers are planning to add more produce to the meals they serve this spring, and 73 percent say they choose grocery stores with a variety of fruits and vegetables over other stores. That means fresh variety will drive store traffic, giving shoppers new reasons to experiment with fresh flavors.
Creating meatless destinations for your shoppers is key to capitalizing on traditions and consumer trends this Lenten season. “Products like Frieda’s Jackfruit, Stokes Purple® Sweet Potatoes, Soyrizo™ and Colored Cauliflower become the new go-to staples for many homes that observe Lent and abstain from meat on Fridays,” says Alex Berkley, Frieda’s director of sales.
“Recipes like Beer-Braised Fresh Jackfruit Chili, made with fresh jackfruit, and Spiced Stokes Purple® Sweet Potatoes and Chickpeas are a great way to promote variety,” Berkley says. Create displays with these items featuring enticing signage to showcase meal ideas. Eye-catching displays with all-in-one selections in the same place help demonstrate to shoppers that there is more to Lent than fish sticks or fish sandwiches—even shoppers not observing Lent will want to make vegetables the star of their plates this spring!
Call your Frieda’s account manager today to get merchandising support and ideas on how to make your store a Lent destination.
Frieda’s Specialty Produce has been inspiring new food experiences for friends, families and food lovers everywhere since 1962. From kiwifruit and dragon fruit to Stokes Purple® sweet potatoes and habanero peppers, Frieda’s has introduced more than 200 unique fruits and vegetables to the U.S. marketplace. Founded by produce industry trailblazer Dr. Frieda Rapoport Caplan, subject of the 2015 documentary “Fear No Fruit,” the family company is owned and operated by Frieda’s daughters, Karen Caplan and Jackie Caplan Wiggins, in Orange County, California. Find Frieda’s on Facebook, @FriedasProduce and Friedas.com. Inspire. Taste. Love.
We all deal with the passing of a loved one differently. For me, writing has always been cathartic. But when my 96-year-old mother, Frieda Rapoport Caplan, The Queen of Kiwi, passed away on Saturday morning, January 18, I had to take a pause from writing. But, without question, I knew what I would title this post when I had the inner strength to write it: “A Life Well Lived.”
Within hours of an email announcement to our family and close friends of her passing, the Los Angeles Times posted an amazing obituary (LA Times Frieda Caplan) written by our friend, Gustavo Arellano. Typical of my mom, when a first lunch meeting was set up with Gustavo many years ago, they became fast friends. They shared political beliefs, a love of food and were instantly connected. Gustavo’s email undoubtedly was in my mom’s outlook contacts … thus he heard right away.
And how about the CBS Sunday morning segment that was filmed last November and was never shown? Once the producers of the segment got word of Mom’s passing, they immediately found a way to make sure it aired as a tribute on Sunday January 19. It was as if the universe had planned it that way (CBS Sunday Morning Remembering Frieda Caplan).
I started working with my mom on October 3, 1977, right after I graduated from college. So, basically, I spent almost every single day for 42 years working alongside my mom.
But it was outside of business, the time we spent going to conventions and trade shows, that my Mom and I developed an extra special relationship, because we both belonged to the Trusteeship, part of the International Women’s Forum (whose goal is “to link prominent women leaders from diverse fields and industries in Southern California to engage and connect”). For more than 30 years, I would drive both of us to attend events almost monthly. On our drives to these events in Los Angeles, we had a chance to recap our day at work. At the forum’s dinner we rarely sat next to each other so we could meet other people. So, on our drive home, we would talk about who we sat with and what we thought of the program.
I was always a bit jealous of my mom’s conversations, as she seemed to sit next to the MOST interesting women. I finally realized that it wasn’t that mom sat next to more interesting women. It was because she asked the best questions. She was so interested in the other person and finding out what was special about them that she extracted incredible information from each person. And because she was a voracious reader, she was always up on current events.
During our conversations on those drives home, I recall thinking, “I want to be more like her.” I want to be more interested in other people, I want to ask the best questions, I want to make other people feel like they are the most important person in the room. What I also noticed during those evening dinners we attended was that when mom was away from work, and surrounded by all these amazing women, she actually glowed. In fact, I swear that her wrinkles disappeared.
This past Saturday, we had a Celebration of Life for my mom. More than 1,000 people attended from all over the country. Family, growers, customers, employees, former employees, friends, politicians … all had become friends of Frieda. We had 15 speakers and two emcees. Afterward, we shared a veggie-centric lunch, featuring some of the discoveries made possible by The Queen of Kiwi.
We live streamed the program for those who could not attend; it’s available: here.
Many will think that my mom’s legacy would be the more than 200 fruits and vegetables that she is credited with introducing to American consumers: sugar snap peas, purple potatoes, habanero chiles, shallots, fresh ginger, spaghetti squash, sun-dried tomatoes, fresh herbs and hothouse cucumbers, to name a few. And, of course, her most famous: kiwifruit and brown mushrooms!
But I think my mom’s legacy is really her passion about being an active citizen. On the printed program we distributed, we quoted from a speech she gave when she received her Honorary PhD from Cal Poly-San Luis Obispo in 2014:
“Never bad-mouth others, always listen to the whole story. Be a voice in your community. Be politically active, vote, speak up.”
My mom was not just my business partner. My mentor. My biggest promoter. She had become my confidant and best friend. I will miss our afternoon conversations when I called her from my car. I will miss her grilling me on my client or grower meetings or asking me probing questions about a conference I attended.
I will miss how we laughed about my mistakes, and her deep, deep caring about my personal happiness. I am especially glad she knew and approved of the love of my life.
She was the kindest, happiest person I ever knew. And now, in hindsight, I find myself doing the same things that she did in business—questioning the status quo—which years ago I found annoying. Now I find what she did daring and brilliant.
Yes, I want to be more like her.
Karen
Los Alamitos, CA (February 2019)– What do shoppers look for when buying sweet potatoes? Which types do they prefer? Versatility is key and shoppers want a sweet potato that can be used in a variety of dishes such as soups, pies, fries and more — just like Frieda’s Stokes Purple® sweet potatoes.
According to a 2020 survey from C + R Research, 56% of shoppers say that they want to be able to use a sweet potato in both sweet and savory dishes. Additionally, 37% of shoppers say they prefer a purple sweet potato over an orange variety for everyday cooking, likely due to the versatile texture of the potato, which bakes and fries well. Among those who are interested in purchasing a purple sweet potato, 69% believe they are worth paying more for versus orange sweet potatoes. It’s becoming clear that now, more than ever, shoppers want that versatility and are willing to pay more for it.
“Our test kitchen team cooked up our Stokes Purple® along with other purple sweet potato varieties, and the classic orange sweet potato to see how they all stacked up,” says Alex Berkley, Frieda’s sales director. “We found that Stokes Purple® really stood out as the only purple-fleshed sweet potato that has both a mild sweetness and the appropriate level of starchiness and moistness to make them ideal for everyday cooking. Shoppers love that they can buy our purple sweet potatoes and use them to make everything from muffins, chips and cheesecake bars, and they contain anthocyanins, just like blueberries. Stokes Purple® truly are a super sweet potato.”
Stokes Purple® sweet potatoes are also the go-to sweet potato for influential chefs like Chef Chadwick Boyd, food and lifestyle expert, cookbook author and cooking show judge. “Stokes Purple® sweet potatoes are exceptionally versatile. They’re ideal for plant-based main dishes and richer, denser pies, while being pleasantly less sweet — so on trend! Their vibrant purple color makes plates and platters unforgettable,” Boyd notes.
Drive your produce sales this spring by stocking up on Frieda’s Stokes Purple® sweet potatoes, conventional and organic. Our exclusive, non-GMO supply is ready for shipping and stocking on your produce shelf, either in bulk or 3-pound bags. Call your Frieda’s account manager today for merchandising, signage and recipe solutions. Move over orange sweet potatoes, Stokes Purple® sweet potatoes are here to stay.
Source:
2020 C+R Research Omnibus Survey, sample size of 1,000 people, representative of total U.S. demographics.
About Frieda’s Inc.
Frieda’s Specialty Produce has been inspiring new food experiences for friends, families and food lovers everywhere since 1962. From kiwifruit and dragon fruit to Stokes Purple® sweet potatoes and habanero peppers, Frieda’s has introduced more than 200 unique fruits and vegetables to the U.S. marketplace. Founded by produce industry trailblazer Dr. Frieda Rapoport Caplan, subject of the 2015 documentary “Fear No Fruit,” the family company is owned and operated by Frieda’s daughters, Karen Caplan and Jackie Caplan Wiggins, in Orange County, California. Find Frieda’s on Facebook, @FriedasProduce and Friedas.com. Inspire. Taste. Love.
