MEDIA RELEASE

Zesty fig and cinnamon jelly … tangy jaboticaba syrup and a delicious mixed citrus jam are some of the fresh-fruit products offered by culinary students starting June 12 at Choice Mart for the grocer’s 10th anniversary celebration.

The Hawaii Community College West Hawaii students recently worked with local fruit producers to make the products, which also include jellies using starfruit, tangerines, Kona rangpur limes and poha.

Proceeds from the sale of the value-added local products will fund students attending the upcoming American Culinary Federation National Convention in Los Angeles.

“The students are involved with every step of the product, from gathering the fruit to producing, to selling,” says Betty Saiki, chef instructor.

Students attending workshops at the national convention Aug. 2 include Bruce Lee, Dan Cody, Nicole Humphries, Sean Terazono, Chad Chesser, Ally Shimamoto and Alyssa Tokumura.

The bottled jellies, syrup and sauce will be on sale at Choice Mart Supermarket in the Kealakekua Ranch Center. In addition, students will be selling the jellies, laulau, rolled sushi and baked goods through mid-July at the Keauhou Farmers Market and South Kona Farmers Market.

The 20th Annual Hawaii International Tropical Fruit Conference is Sept. 24-26 at the Aston Aloha Beach Resort in Wailua, Kauai. Presented by the statewide Hawaii Tropical Fruit Growers (HTFG), the event is geared for farmers, orchard managers and proponents of sustainable agriculture. HTFG presentations and workshops are open to the public.

Registration forms are available on http://www.hawaiifruit.net or by contacting Love at kenlove@kona.net.

Incorporated in 1989 to promote tropical fruit grown in Hawaii, HTFG is a statewide association of tropical fruit growers, packers, distributors and hobbyists dedicated to tropical fruit research, education, marketing and promotion; visit www.hawaiitropicalfruitgrowers.org