Keystone Fruit Marketing promotes extra sweet onions
Keystone Fruit Marketing promotes extra sweet onions
Greencastle, PA-based Keystone Fruit Marketing Inc. specializes in sweet and hybrid red onions year-round and now extra sweet onions, too.
Keystone has been growing extra sweet onions for three or four years, but this is the first time the company has had extra sweet onions on the market. "We have a new consumer bag that highlights the extra sweet lineage of onions," said Tom Barnett, general manager of Keystone's northwest division.
Keystone also offers hybrid yellow and white onions. Keystone supplies and tests onions year round. Among Keystone's mainstays are its Vidalia sweet onions from Georgia and Walla Walla River sweet onions from Washington state. Its Vidalia sweet onions are available from April through September; its Walla Walla sweet onions are harvested from about June 10 through Sept. 1. The company has designed high-graphic bins for its Walla Walla onions, Mr. Barnett said.
To certify onions for flavor profile, Keystone's pungency tests are handled through National Onion Labs Inc. in Collins, GA.
Keystone promotes a high-quality product more than simply marketing the Keystone name, Mr. Barnett said. "Certified sweet is going to be sweet every time," he said. "Flavor is important." He added, "Folks are starting to incorporate [onions] into everyday meals and put it into traditional dishes."
The company has built an entire business model around what Mr. Barnett refers to as a "tremendous resource" -- its Keystone Kitchen facility located in Pennsylvania that features Chef Dave Munson providing education and training on preparing onions. He goes on sales calls to restaurants where he develops and prepares new menu items for them. He also provides handling and storage recommendations and preparation tips.
Keystone is heavy on retail with some wholesale activity. The firm began its foodservice push about two years ago, and it is making inroads with some restaurant chains, Mr. Barnett said.
Cliff Woods, based in Salinas, CA, has been overseeing the foodservice effort as director of foodservice sales. Keystone provides the foodservice industry with a year-round supply of scientifically certified sweet onions as a new standalone item. In the organic category, Keystone has tripled its acreage, Mr. Barnett said. Among the company's South Carolina organic deal are onions, zucchini and yellow squash. Just as with its conventional whole peel onions, Keystone offers organic sweet onion cuts served as rings, diced or as petals.
By the end of the year, Keystone plans to roll out a retail pack and a club pack -- more or less similar to a salad kit -- that will include onion petals, onion rings and onion slices for grilling.
Keystone has been growing extra sweet onions for three or four years, but this is the first time the company has had extra sweet onions on the market. "We have a new consumer bag that highlights the extra sweet lineage of onions," said Tom Barnett, general manager of Keystone's northwest division.
Keystone also offers hybrid yellow and white onions. Keystone supplies and tests onions year round. Among Keystone's mainstays are its Vidalia sweet onions from Georgia and Walla Walla River sweet onions from Washington state. Its Vidalia sweet onions are available from April through September; its Walla Walla sweet onions are harvested from about June 10 through Sept. 1. The company has designed high-graphic bins for its Walla Walla onions, Mr. Barnett said.
To certify onions for flavor profile, Keystone's pungency tests are handled through National Onion Labs Inc. in Collins, GA.
Keystone promotes a high-quality product more than simply marketing the Keystone name, Mr. Barnett said. "Certified sweet is going to be sweet every time," he said. "Flavor is important." He added, "Folks are starting to incorporate [onions] into everyday meals and put it into traditional dishes."
The company has built an entire business model around what Mr. Barnett refers to as a "tremendous resource" -- its Keystone Kitchen facility located in Pennsylvania that features Chef Dave Munson providing education and training on preparing onions. He goes on sales calls to restaurants where he develops and prepares new menu items for them. He also provides handling and storage recommendations and preparation tips.
Keystone is heavy on retail with some wholesale activity. The firm began its foodservice push about two years ago, and it is making inroads with some restaurant chains, Mr. Barnett said.
Cliff Woods, based in Salinas, CA, has been overseeing the foodservice effort as director of foodservice sales. Keystone provides the foodservice industry with a year-round supply of scientifically certified sweet onions as a new standalone item. In the organic category, Keystone has tripled its acreage, Mr. Barnett said. Among the company's South Carolina organic deal are onions, zucchini and yellow squash. Just as with its conventional whole peel onions, Keystone offers organic sweet onion cuts served as rings, diced or as petals.
By the end of the year, Keystone plans to roll out a retail pack and a club pack -- more or less similar to a salad kit -- that will include onion petals, onion rings and onion slices for grilling.
