Speciality Exotic Produce Blog

This weekend I was going through all my glassware, for some reason I think collecting new things to drink out of is fun, and I realized I have never used my champagne flutes!

There have been may missed opportunities. New Year’s, my birthday, and the day I moved into my new place. The list goes on and on.

What I realized is, I don’t even like champagne all that much. Sure I’ll have some if it’s being served for a special occasion but I would never go out of my way to buy a bottle.

Rather than give away my beautiful flutes I decided to come up with a cocktail that looks better than any serving of champagne you could get.

So next time you find yourself wondering how to incorporate the always classy looking champagne flute try out this recipe.

I swear you’ll forget all about mimosas and bubbly!

The Peachy Deegan with Mini Flower Crystals® Rose Rim

Yield: 1 drink

Ingredients:

• Mini Flower Crystals® Rose
• 2 oz Vodka
• 1 oz fresh squeezed lime juice
• 1 oz fresh peach nectar
• 1 lime wedge for garnish
• Ice

Directions:

Chill a champagne flute. In a shaker, combine lime juice, peach nectar, vodka and shake.

Pour Mini Flower Crystals® Rose on a small plate, lay out evenly. Add simple syrup (sugar & water mixture – heat to dissolve sugar) to a small bowl and dip the glass rim in it. Immediately dip the chilled glass in the Mini Flower Crystals® Rose plate. Strain the shaker ingredients into the glass. Garnish with a lime wedge and a sprinkle of Mini Flower Crystals® Rose.

In my last blog I mentioned martinis and their prominent role in every mixologist’s, professional or novice, arsenal. This got me to thinking, why not add a new twist to it by using another classic beverage?

Who doesn’t remember drinking apple juice out of a carton? I know I still buy some apple juice every time I go grocery shopping! And now we can use it for a more adult purpose.

Take these two classics, add a hint of cranberry and you’ve got yourself the best childhood themed adult beverage you could hope for.

Try it out this weekend, but don’t be surprised if you find yourself reminiscing and taking a walk down memory lane. Cheers!

Cranberry-Apple Martini with Mini Fruit Crystals® Cranberry Rim

Yield: 1 drink

Ingredients:

• Fresh Origins Mini Fruit Crystals® Cranberry
• 1.5 oz Vodka
• 2 oz Apple Juice
• 1 oz Cranberry Juice
• 1 oz simple syrup
• 1 Apple wedge (garnish)
• Ice

Directions:

Chill a martini glass. In a shaker, combine all ingredients and shake.

Pour Mini Fruit Crystals® Cranberry on a small plate, lay out evenly. Add simple syrup (sugar & water mixture – heat to dissolve sugar) to a small bowl and dip the glass rim in it. Immediately dip the chilled glass in the Mini Fruit Crystals® Cranberry plate.

Strain the shaker ingredients into the glass. Add a tsp of Fresh Origins Mini Fruit Crystals® Cranberry to the drink. Garnish with an apple wedge.

Awards season is upon us and my DVR is filling up fast! This has to be one of my favorite times of year to veg out and watch all the red carpet coverage. Everything from the hair styles, jewels, gowns all the way down to the shoes makes for some quality television.

Of course, a good awards show calls for a good cocktail. Emma Thompson knew that when she took over the stage at the Golden Globes a couples weeks ago.

Although her drink of choice, a martini garnished with an olive, is a classic that will never let you down I will be sipping on something with less of a kick and a little more sweetness.

A cranberry-rosemary mojito with Mini Fruit Crystals Cranberry has the perfect combination of sweet, tart, and a hint of that woodsy flavor. The vibrant red color resembles the red carpet that we recognize so well. Try it out, the recipe is included here for you to mix up!

Whether you watch it live or you DVR it, don’t miss all the awards shows coming up. Who knows, maybe Leo will finally get that Oscar…

Cranberry-Rosemary Mojito with Mini Herb Crystals® Cranberry Rim

Yield: 1 drink

Ingredients:

• 1 handful Rosemary
• Mini Fruit Crystals® Cranberry
• 1 Lime – 2 oz Lime Juice (save one wedge for garnish)
• 1 oz Cranberry Juice
• 1.5 oz White Rum
• 1 oz triple sec
• 1 oz simple syrup
• Ice

Directions

Pull rosemary off sprig (save one sprig for garnish). Cut lime into wedges, save one for garnish. Squeeze lime juice in a cocktail shaker. Add rosemary and muddle. Add simple sugar, rum, triple sec, fill with ice and shake.

Pour Mini Fruit Crystals® Cranberry on a small plate, lay out evenly. Add simple syrup (sugar & water mixture – heat to dissolve sugar) to a small bowl and dip the glass rim in it. Immediately dip glass in the Mini Fruit Crystals® Cranberry plate.

Pour the shaker ingredients into the glass. Garnish with a lime wedge and a sprig of rosemary. Top with a tsp of Mini Fruit Crystals® Cranberry.

Is it just me or are the Valentine’s Day emails coming too fast and in bulk?! New Year’s just happened and it seems like in the blink of an eye my inbox went from “New Year, New You!” to “Show Your Sweetheart Some Love This Valentine’s Day”.

Not to say I’m one of those people that gets bitter around this time of year but I’d prefer not to have the holiday of love and relationships thrown at me a month in advance. So I’ve decided that instead of fighting it, I’m going to start treating myself like my biggest Valentine.

What better way to do that than with a sinfully delicious martini with chocolaty minty goodness that will warm that little ice box where my heart used to be.

Like I said, I’m not bitter! Drink up and cheers to a Happy Valentine’s Day (single or tied down)!

Mint Chocolattini

Yield: 1 drink

Ingredients:

• Mini Herb Crystals® Mint
• 2 oz Vodka
• 1 oz Chocolate liqueur
• Chocolate Mint Top for garnish
• Ice

Directions:

Chill a martini glass. In a shaker, muddle the mint. Add the vodka, chocolate liqueur and shake. Pour Mini Herb Crystals® Mint on a small plate, lay out evenly. Add simple syrup (sugar & water mixture – heat to dissolve sugar) to a small bowl and dip the glass rim in it. Immediately dip the chilled glass in the Mini Herb Crystals® Mint plate. Strain the shaker ingredients into the glass. Garnish with a Chocolate mint top.

With all this talk to the Polar Vortex and the freezing cold temperatures we've been seeing the last week or so, there is nothing I look forward to more than hibernating in my living room with a drink and a marathon of my favorite show (currently its Bar Rescue).

Although the walk from my parking lot to my apartment isn’t long its enough to freeze me from the inside out. Now, I don’t know about you but something about tequila makes me feel all warm and fuzzy inside.

So as you check the weather report and contemplate selling everything you own and moving to Florida, why not make yourself a fruity margarita to take a bit of that frost bite off your soul!

Strawberry Fennel Ginger Margarita
with Mini Flower Crystals® Fennel Rim

Yield: 1 drink

Ingredients:

• Mini Flower Crystals® Fennel
• 2 oz Tequila
• 1 oz Sambuca
• 3 Strawberries sliced + 1 for garnish
• 1 oz Fennel Juice
• 1 tsp Ginger sliced
• 2 oz Key Lime Juice (save 1 wedge for garnish)
• 2 tbsp Agave Nectar
• Ice

Directions:

Chill a margarita glass. In a shaker, combine lemon juice, ginger, strawberries and muddle. Add the rest of the ingredients and shake.

Pour Mini Flower Crystals® Fennel on a small plate, lay out evenly. Add simple syrup (sugar & water mixture – heat to dissolve sugar) to a small bowl and dip the glass rim in it. Immediately dip the chilled glass in the Mini Flower Crystals® Fennel plate.

Strain the shaker ingredients into the glass. Garnish with a strawberry & lime wedge.

Everyone loves Mondays..right? Although this may not be your favorite day of the week right now, here is a surefire way to make it a solid contender (watch out Friday).

After you’ve made it through those Monday meetings, caught up on all those weekend emails, and consumed your usual 6 cups of coffee before 3 p.m., you’re ready to plan your night at home!

So why not treat yourself to a Margarita Monday?

Margaritas are the most popular tequila based cocktail in the United States and can be served on the rocks, frozen, or straight up. My personal favorite is straight up!

But like any cocktail you can’t just use a cookie cutter recipe which is why you have us! Instead of a traditional and boring salt/sugar rim I recommend using Mini Herb Crystals Cilantro.

The crystals add just the right amount of flavor to the margarita without taking away from the drink’s classic taste. Not to mention the vibrant green rim catches the eye immediately!

Here is the recipe for a classic margarita. Feel free to add a dash of cilantro crystals to the bottom of your glass before pouring for extra flavor and added crunch.

Ingredients:

• 1/2 ounces tequila
• 1/2 ounce triple sec (Cointreau is recommended)
• 1 ounce fresh lime juice
• Lime wedge for garnish
• Mini Herb Crystals Cilantro (for rim)

Preparation:

1. Pour the ingredients into a cocktail shaker with ice cubes.
2. Shake well.
3. Salt the rim of a chilled margarita glass with Mini Herb Crystals Cilantro
4. Pour contents, with ice, into the glass.
5. Garnish with the lime wedge.

Enjoy!

The New Year is a time for changing up the routine. Whether it’s your hairstyle or your commitment to the gym. Why not start of this year with a new cocktail to impress your friends and family.

Our Mini Herb Crystals Basil add a kick of flavor and just the right amount of texture. It looks sophisticated and elegant but only you will know just how easy it was to put together!

Ingredients

• 1 handful Petite Basil
• Fresh Origins Mini Herb Crystals® Basil
• 3 Strawberries
• 1 Lemon – 3 oz Lemon Juice (save one wedge for garnish)
• 1 tbsp Sugar or Splenda
• 1.5 oz White Rum
• 1 oz triple sec
• Ice

Directions

Slice strawberries, keep one slice for garnish. Cut lemon into wedges, save one for garnish. Squeeze lemon juice in a cocktail shaker. Add Petite Basil and muddle.  Add strawberries and muddle. Add sugar, rum, triple sec, fill with ice and shake.

Pour Mini Herb Crystals® Basil on a small plate, lay out evenly. Add simple syrup (sugar & water mixture – heat to dissolve sugar) to a small bowl and dip the glass rim in it. Immediately dip glass in the Mini Herb Crystals® Basil plate.

Pour the shaker ingredients into the glass. Garnish with a lemon wedge and a strawberry slice. Top with a tsp of Mini Herb Crystals® Basil.

Enjoy the New Year and don’t forget that at the end of the day it’s about you and your goals.

The holidays are my favorite time of year, between the gorgeous decorations and the cheer in the air its hard not to feel festive. This year my family is in town and I get to show off my baking skills at every meal.

For Christmas Eve this year I decided to take one of my favorite products, Flower Crystals Rose, and add it to my favorite dessert, Red Velvet Cupcakes. A simple addition such as this one will add a new element of taste and texture that I know will impress everyone at the table.

The cupcakes were simple, I cheated and used the boxed mix and the pre-packed buttercream frosting, and at the end, after everything had cooled and it was safe to add the frosting, I rolled the frosted cupcakes around in a bowl of the Mini Flower Crystals Rose.

To go along with my dessert I decided to add a lemon-rose martini as well. Here is the recipe guaranteed to make you the life of the party!

Ingredients:

• Fresh Origins Mini Flower Crystals® Rose
• 1.5 oz Citrus Vodka
• 1 oz Rose Liqueur
• 1 oz Rose Syrup
• 2 oz Lemon Juice
• 1 Lemon wedge (garnish)
• Ice

Directions:

Chill a martini glass. In a shaker, combine all ingredients and shake.

Pour Mini Flower Crystals® Rose on a small plate, lay out evenly. Add simple syrup (sugar & water mixture – heat to dissolve sugar) to a small bowl and dip the glass rim in it. Immediately dip the chilled glass in the Mini Flower Crystals® Rose plate.

Strain the shaker ingredients into the glass. Add a tsp of Fresh Origins Mini Flower Crystals® Roseto the drink. Garnish with a lemon wedge.

Do you ever get a craving for something sweet? What something tangy and still fresh? It may sound like we’re asking for a lot but in this case it’s within reach!

Our new Fruit Crystals Cranberry finally bring together the best things in the culinary world, sweet, tangy, and crunchy. Better yet, they can be added to almost anything. I’m talking breakfast, lunch, dinner, and dessert.

The color makes them perfect for the holiday season, adding that hint of red to baked goods and savory dishes.

Here are some ideas to get you started, but feel free to grab your apron and experiment away!

• Cranberry Orange muffins with crystals baked in
• Mixed green salad with walnuts and Fruit Crystals Cranberry
• Lemon cookies with Fruit Crystals sprinkled on the frosting
• Sprinkle on top of soft cheese to add a pop of color to your cheese plate

Happy Holidays and Happy Cooking!