Keeping abreast of canned and frozen fruits and vegetables news and trends is important for both food retailers and wholesalers. As a wholesaler, you'll want to make every effort to stock the brands your customers prefer. The only way to identify those brands is to monitor the market research that tracks consumer demand.

In addition to knowing which brands are driving sales of canned fruits and vegetables, you as a retailer should know basic nutritional information about these products just in case some of your customers are curious. Showing that you have knowledge of the products you're selling reassures your customers of your business commitment. As you begin to research news and trends on frozen fruits and vegetables, consider the following handy resources:

1. Look for timely nutrition research on canned and frozen vegetables.

2. Access in-depth market analyses to identify major among canned vegetables producers.

3. Go straight to the websites of leading manufacturers of frozen and canned vegetables for press releases about new products and industry events.

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Find out what the latest nutrition research is saying about canned and frozen vegetables

Your customers may ask you whether canned and frozen fruits and vegetables are acceptable alternatives when they can't get fresh. Know what the current nutrition research has to say so that you can inform your customers.

I recommend: Access the searchable database at Highbeam Research which contains many articles addressing the nutritional value of canned and frozen vegetables. Search the news and trends page of Medicinenet.com for the latest news about fresh frozen vegetables.

Research market studies to identify the key players in the canned fruit and vegetables industry

The food manufacturing industry in the United States remains highly volatile and, in order to stay informed of the latest trends, you'll have to study timely market reports. Find out which manufacturers of frozen fruit and vegetables are leading the industry and what has made them so successful. Knowing which companies report the highest sales helps you determine which brands consumers favor.

I recommend: The Food Institute presents articles relating to industry news, global news and market news for frozen foods producers. Check updated market reports published by Quick Frozen Foods International. The archived articles at Food Business Review can help you understand market trends in the frozen and canned fruits and vegetables industry.

Check the latest news and trends that manufacturers of frozen and canned vegetables are reporting

Perhaps you already know which brands are favorites among your customers. You may want to stay informed of events these companies are sponsoring, new product developments or just their long-term standing in the industry.

I recommend: Read press releases at Del Monte Foods or at canned fruit giant, Dole, to learn about new products that will be launched or each company's participation in industry-wide events. Top frozen vegetables producer Birds Eye publishes timely press releases that inform the public about innovative products added to the company's line.

Tips & Tactics

Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

• •  Food manufacturers maintain the upper hand when it comes to reporting canned and frozen fruits and vegetables news and trends because new products are usually secret until they are ready for initial marketing.

Canned and frozen fruits and vegetables can be used to cut the time it takes to make complex dishes, soups, stews and stocks. By using high-quality prepared canned vegetables and frozen fruit, you can offer the very best to your patrons.

Frozen fruits and vegetables come in all food groups from reputable frozen food manufacturers, from broccoli florets to carrot coins to various types of stone fruits and berries. Top canned vegetable labels can fill your shelves to make it easier to make quick desserts, pot pie or soups. Many restaurants and food service businesses use frozen and canned fruits and vegetables in their recipes. When considering what canned and frozen fruits and vegetables to use in your business, you should:

1. Decide on the canned and frozen fruits and vegetables you would most like to have on hand as ingredients to enhance dishes you make most or that you wouldn't use often enough to keep the ingredients fresh on hand.

2. Find reputable canned and frozen fruit and vegetable processors and suppliers to keep you stocked while providing top customer service.

3. Identify specialty frozen vegetable and fruit suppliers for ease and time-saving preparations such as pre-breaded or battered vegetables or cleaned and ready-to-put-in-a-cobbler berries.

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Decide on the canned and frozen fruits and vegetables you will stock in your kitchen

There are literally hundreds of canned fruit and frozen vegetables from which to choose in stocking your commercial kitchen. Consider the recipes you use most, the type of menu you are offering and the changes you can make in the way you buy and use ingredients. Contact other restaurants in your area that have similar menus to ask about the quantities they order and what suppliers they recommend.

I recommend: SYSCO is one of the largest and most well-known marketers and distributors of both canned and frozen fruits and vegetables for restaurants and other food service businesses. SYSCO will deliver frozen food products like fine quality vegetables and fruits. They also distribute their own label canned and frozen foods, or those by top canned food brands like Campbell's and frozen brands like Tyson. Foodservice.com offers canned and frozen food reports detailing what canned and frozen foods are selling best and which are not selling as quickly. You can also outline different areas of the country and the different canned and frozen fruits and vegetables sold across the US.

Find a supplier of frozen raw vegetables and pre-breaded vegetable appetizers

Using canned or frozen vegetables helps you cut down on spoilage from farm-fresh vegetables. You may also choose to buy pre-breaded or battered vegetables for appetizer trays, saving you time on preparation.

I recommend: Norpac is one of the leading providers of frozen fruit and vegetables. They offer a huge listing allowing you the convenience of one stop shopping. Windsor Foods offers a wide range of prepared frozen vegetables from tempura-battered, beer- battered or breaded items such as broccoli, eggplant cutlets, zucchini sticks or circles, okra, cauliflower, onions or fresh or stuffed jalapeno peppers.

Find canned and frozen fruit suppliers

Using frozen and canned fruits allows you to have the ingredients you need on hand, ready to use and in bulk quantities, which in turn increases your productivity, sales and profits. Use reputable suppliers to get your frozen and canned goods on time and under budget.

I recommend: Northwest Wildfoods offers wild flash-frozen berries from the Pacific Northwest in a wide variety, including wild mountain blackberries, wild red and blue huckleberries and wild Mt. Rainer blueberries. Sunrise Growers offers a wide selection of frozen berries in many forms, including whole, sliced, puree or prepared into ready to use toppings and smoothies. Florida Natural Flavors offers frozen 100% fruit juice in the form of smoothie and frozen drink mixes to be mixed with yogurt for a salad and fruit smoothie-themed food service business

Tips & Tactics

Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

• •  Watch your canned and frozen food inventory closely the first couple of weeks. By immediately noticing trends and adjusting orders accordingly, you can save money and reduce spoilage.
• •  Always remember the 'last in, last out' theory of food inventory management. Buy an industrial sized can organizer (like the kind canned food companies use to stock soup on store shelves) that allows canned goods to roll out toward the front from the back where you will load them. Also put newly received frozen food behind older food to encourage you and your staff to always be pulling the oldest food out for use.

Making the most of canned and frozen fruits and vegetables can allow you to expand your menu selections. Rather than waiting for summer to make blueberry pie, you can bake a homemade pie by just opening a bag of premium quality frozen blueberries that are available year-round.

Expect to make some minor adjustments to your recipes when choosing canned fruit or frozen vegetables. For example, you may not need to blanch peaches for a peach pie if you've decided to use canned yellow cling peaches. Instead, you may need to drain the liquid from the peaches before proceeding with the rest of the recipe. Take a careful look at your standard recipes before considering how to make the most of using canned and frozen fruits and vegetables:

1. Find premium quality canned or frozen fruit to make your restaurant's desserts and sauces.

2. Streamline your preparation of soups, stews and casseroles with recipe ready canned vegetables.

3. Use fresh frozen vegetables in place of fresh as creative side dishes that don't require much advance preparation.

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Use canned and frozen fruit for specialty desserts

If you need to prepare a topping for cheesecake, consider using canned crushed pineapple. Alternatively, you may want to prepare a blueberry sauce for homemade vanilla ice cream. With canned and frozen fruits, you'll be able to make fresh fruit pies any time of the year.

I recommend: Dole carries canned pineapple that is crushed, sliced and chunked. FoodServiceDirect.com offers a wide variety of canned peaches that are recipe ready and require no pre cooking. With high quality frozen fruits from Coloma Frozen Foods you'll be able to make the most of your pie-making talents. Coloma Frozen Foods specializes in frozen black raspberries, cherries, apples and peaches.

Cut down on food preparation time by using canned vegetables

Few professional cooks can deny that canned vegetables are not only acceptable in some recipes, they are actually preferable since it's almost impossible to tell them apart from fresh vegetables. If you're known for a killer chicken pot pie, use canned mixed vegetables that require no advance preparation at all.

I recommend: Both Allens and Vegall are leading food manufacturers of canned vegetable brands who feature a wide variety of products that are perfect for your restaurant's casseroles, soups and stews.

Choose frozen vegetables that your customers can't distinguish from fresh

If you are looking for ways to cut down on food preparation time but aren't impressed with the canned vegetables, then consider using frozen vegetables which some professionals believe are the next best thing to fresh. You can use frozen vegetables in your main entrees or as quick and easy side dishes.

I recommend: Betty Crocker offers bagged and boxed frozen vegetables, such as corn, peas, broccoli, green beans and spinach. Pictsweet sells deluxe baby vegetables that can add greater variety to the side dishes you can offer.

Tips & Tactics

Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

• •  Contact manufacturers of canned and frozen fruits and vegetables for their suggestions on how to incorporate these quick and easy products into your restaurant's standard recipes.

Canned and frozen fruits and vegetables take up a large percentage of the restaurant business, as well as in homes across the country. When your business learns about the best ways to purchase canned and frozen fruits and vegetables, you can be well on your way to success. Additionally, knowing some key terms can allow you to find the best deals around and keep overall costs down. Understanding these terms can also ensure safe preparation and service.

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Flash frozen food

Flash frozen food, also known as individually quick frozen (IQF) food, uses a high-speed freezing process. This method of freezing food is used as the quickest way to take fresh vegetables and fruit and freeze them for later use. This is also known as quick-frozen food.

I recommend: Learn more about the benefits of flash frozen food at Coming Alongside.

Pickling

Pickling brine contains salt water and vinegar, flavored with spices such as dill and garlic. Almost every vegetable can be pickled, with the most popular being cucumbers and cabbage. Once pickled, these vegetables can be canned for later use.

I recommend: Learn about the numerous types of pickled vegetables at THE NIBBLE.

Vacuum packaging

Vacuum packaging is another way for businesses to sell you fruits and vegetables. When they use this method, they ensure that the food retains its freshness and flavor better than conventional storage methods. This is because vacuum-packaged foods don't come in contact with oxygen. Once vacuum packed, fruits and vegetables can be frozen and stored that way for a longer amount of time, which is beneficial to you if your business buys in bulk.

I recommend: Learn about other benefits of vacuum packaging and how long you can properly store vacuum-packed fruits and vegetables at Fante's.

Fruit concentrates

Before it's frozen, the fruit is washed, scrubbed, sorted and blanched before processing. From there, it is packaged and sold in frozen form.

I recommend: Learn about the benefits of fruit concentrates at Sabroso.

Irradiation pasteurization

Irradiation pasteurization slows the growth of microorganisms in food products. By heating the food high enough, the pathogenic or disease-causing microorganisms that tend to associate with the specific food are eliminated. Fruits and vegetables are subjected to small amounts of gamma rays to control vegetative bacteria.

I recommend: Learn about the different ways of pasteurization, including irradiation pasteurization, at the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.

California blend

California blend is a type of frozen and canned vegetable mixture that includes cauliflower florets, broccoli florets and baby carrots. Certain brands also include small pieces of zucchini.

I recommend: Look to a story from Sunbeam Television on California blend vegetables to learn more.