Tony's Tips

 At Russo’s, we always have longans, a fruit that is particularly popular among the southeast Asian community. “It’s a grape texture and inside you’ll find a bigger seed,” describes Tony Russo from Russo’s in Watertown, Massachusetts. Just eat the delicious fruit around the seed. Longans are in season from July to early September. 

“These apples and pears were flown in special for the holidays,” says Tony Russo from Russo’s in Watertown, Massachusetts, in preparation for the Chinese New Year. Russo's has snow apples, fuji apples, good fortune apples, sweet pears, and more from Korea and China. We also have our own Kingsbury Orchard Asian pears from California.

Tony Russo from Russo’s in Watertown, Massachusetts, tells us, "These apples come from Bill Broderick's farm in Sterling Mass, Sunny Crest Orchard." According to Bill, this is the best crop of Cortland apples in 43 years. We think Bill's apples are the best anyway, so that is pretty extraordinary! Tony talks to farmers on a daily basis, keeping up close relationships and ensuring Russo’s always has the best produce. 

Russo’s' persimmons are “a seasonal favorite and a family favorite, too” according to Tony Russo from Russo’s in Watertown, Massachusetts. The Hachiya permissions are a classic variety in the United States, while the Fuyu persimmons are a newly popularized fruit. Luckily, Russo’s has both in stock! 

When choosing your persimmons, pay attention to discoloration and texture, but don’t rule out ones with imperfections. Appearance often has no effect on how the fruit ripens, and as Tony puts it, “the important thing is the fruit ripening properly.” Persimmons should be extremely ripe before they can be properly enjoyed, with a soft texture similar to a gummy peach. They’re a very sweet fruit and entirely edible besides the stem. The season only lasts two months, so come pick up these California-grown persimmons while they’re here! 

Cutting a pomegranate may seem daunting, but Tony Russo from Russo’s in Watertown, Massachusetts, makes it simple for us. “There are a number of ways to open a pomegranate, and everyone has their favorite,” says Tony. His preferred method is easy: cut the top all the way around, with a paper towel underneath to absorb the juices. Cut out the top in the center and you’ll see the seams inside the pomegranate, which are indicated by small ridges on the outside of the fruit. Just cut down the seams of the fruit and enjoy! 

There has been a mysterious shortage of Bucatini in the United States in 2020 and it’s been nearly impossible to find, but have you checked Russo’s? “We understand there’s no bucatini in the United States, says Tony Russo from Russo’s in Watertown, Massachusetts, “however, we have plenty!” In stock is the Benedetto Cavalieri Bucatini, a thick spaghetti with a hole in the center. Pick up a bag along with our house-made Russo’s tomato sauce for an extra fun pasta night at home.