Specialty Produce
The Specialty Produce App is an easy-to-use database of over 1,400 produce items featuring information on history, nutrition, cultivation, seasonal availability, and recipes.
Detailed photos have been taken by our in-house team, and are downloaded on-demand as you browse the produce entries.
The recipes, hand-picked by our staff, come from food bloggers all over the world, who have graciously allowed us to link to their sites.
The app regularly checks for updates to the database of information to keep it fresh!
Search by product name or PLU code.
Join local foodies and friends Spotting fresh produce as it becomes available in your area. Or see what other people are Spotting around the world.
If you appreciate being kept abreast of what is the newest, freshest produce, or are just looking for interesting new facts and recipes for old favorites, this is the app for you.
Category : Health & Fitness
Reviews (27)
My original review (deleted) from Sept. 2019: I had been using the free version of this app and loved it, most especially the ability to add my own notes to products we carried. I spent a lot of time gathering & noting info like PLU#s, suppliers, where in the world it was actually grown, etc... Took some time off and now find that while I can still open the app, all of that precious info I had compiled in it is gone! IF I were to pay the $25 subscription, will my notes (and Favorites) reappear? I understand that what boils down to about $2 a month isn't all that much for such a useful app, but, I am VERY upset that the info I had added to the free version has been removed/locked/blocked from access. So again I ask - is my information gone for good or will it be there if I update to the paid version? Current review after having tried the free trial of the paid subscription version: They've utterly ruined what used to be a very helpful app. The ability to add your own notes to an item is not an intuitive process and is tied to marking an item as a Favorite which itself is no longer a user-friendly feature. When viewing an item there is a heart icon in the upper right. Tapping it gets you a prompt to enter text though it doesn't tell you what for. Enter some text, click OK and the heart icon changes from an outline to solid green. But now what? No Favorites category appears in the main list and the item you hearted isn't flagged in the category's list of items. It takes a lot of digging to discover that you have to tap More from the main menu then scroll down to the sixth! section ("Additional Produce Info") and then tap "Favorites" to see a list of things you hearted. The text you entered when you tapped on the heart is shown here, in the list view, but is not shown when you click the item to view its details. The text sizing is a mess. There is a setting to adjust text size but no way to adjust the list view and item details independantly so if you make the list a decent size for scrolling, the details when you click an item are absolutely tiny and if you adjust the text so that the details are large enough to read without a magnifier then the list headers are enormous. They have added a Recipe/Personal Cookbook section which IMO is unnecessary fluff: if I want a recipe I can Google-up thousands of them; if I want a recipe-storage app there are dozens... I originally downloaded this app because it offered very thorough and specific product information WITHOUT also trying to be a cookbook. I didn't want a cookbook, I wanted a database of product info. SP is trying to be both now as well as adding the "Share Market" (another useless-to-me "feature" that seems like nothing more than retailers advertising for free) and in trying to be all things to everyone instead of doing just what it used to do best has lost it's footing as a useful app. Absolutely not worth $25 a year, will be canceling and uninstalling today.
I found the website today and was thrilled to see there was a mobile app. Then I discovered there was a $25/yr subscription to use the app?! The same info already exists for free on the website, so it being "research and photography" costs is BS. And we know the "technology" for mobile apps is NOT expensive enough to require that kind of price. You may have a 30 day free trial, but we already know it's not worth a $25/yr convenience fee just so you can pocket some cash.
Ruined it for consumers. App used to be perfect when shopping to answer "what is this new fruit" questions. With it, I've discovered new favorite apples, etc. Worked offline (e.g. in stores with poor signal). Now, it requires an expensive subscription. There are also links to a free but limited and non-mobile-optimized website. No thanks.
Changing to a subscription model was not the move. Although I can appreciate the work involved in app development and compiling information on produce, I can't justify another subscription. Having to access the mobile site essentially means the app is just taking up space on my device.
The App is great! it is loaded with all kinds of information about everday, exotic and seasonal produce. I also like the recipe section of the app. it's filled with recipes from drinks, to main course meals, stuff for kids and so much more. This truly is a one stop shop I totally recommend!
After moving to coastal California several months ago, this has become my favorite subscription! Every new variety of fruit I find at farmers markets is right at my fingertips and so easy to find through this app! Its opened me up to trying so many new foods I dont think I would have had the courage to try without! Thank you for changing my day-to-day life for the better! Go plants and go you!
Awesome database of fruits, veggies, legumes and more! this app is amazing for identifying foreign items, as well as learning their history and how to cook with them. there's even a shared market (which I haven't used yet, but excited to explore!) definitely recommend this app for chefs as well as veggie-curious enthusiasts!
Now requires subscription, user interface looks worse. I used to recommend this app for my produce employees to further assist customers with product assistance. While I appreciate everything that you guys have done, $25 a year to view product information in app was not the right way to do it. The extra steps to jump to the site to view is a bit too inefficient, and doesn't help in you guys asking for monetary support anyway. Make the info free at least and lock the other features behind a fee.
I love that I am able to learn so much from this app. A great tool when we go apple picking, among other uses. To those complaining about the $25/year subscription... Use the website, it's free. The app is here as a convenience and it's not free to create all this content. The 25/year works out to about $2/month. I am happy to pay that if it means they can keep updating the app & site. Thanks for letting me learn about cool, obscure produce! One recommendation would be more apple varieties! Ty❤
As an employee in the Produce department at a grocery store, this was an invaluable app. It was useful for informing customers of different seasons and uses of each item, now with the subscription I'm uninstalling this. Such a let down, Google is my new friend for Produce information (plus it's free still.)
I downloaded this when it was not a subscription service. I use it for work to help customers, but it isn't worth a yearly fee in my eyes. I can find all information, free, online or through other apps.
Just downloaded the app and find it has a lot of good information. As a burgeoning foodie, I would like to see the app describe more how best to care for and store the particular types of produce. Otherwise, I feel like I will make good use of the information provided.
Tells me what all the stuff in the produce section is, especially the kind of odd ball stuff. Love this app! No ads, easy to navigate.
$25 yearly subscription!? You're out of your minds. I understand there is a free version, but it's extremely limited. To actually use the app, you need the full version and it is definitely NOT worth that price. Why not just Google things at that point? The creators of this app do not realize what an awful pricing model this is- and the reviews confirm that. They all echo exactly what I'm writing and if you look back at the older reviews, you'll see they've had their head in the sand for years!
What was once a fantastic app with so much knowledge, is now a cash grab. A one time purchase is understandable however it is now a yearly subscription. VERY disappointed in an app I had downloaded since at least 2014
This app used to be the best way to I inform my customers about produce. Then they changed to a su description model and put everything behind a paywall. Terrible. Can't use and would not recommend to anyone. Dont even use their website, they need to be taught a lesson.
Has everything I need to know about produce. Makes working at Hannafords a lot easier. Finally I can explain to people what a certain fruit or vegetable is even if I don't know myself. Very useful app.
App is useless if you want to look up varieties. Pointless to have an app and charge the 25$ to do so when you can have it via browser from their website.
I used your app for the info on new items at my job. a paid subscription wasn't the right thing to do in my opinion. best of luck
As a produce manager, this was the best app to get information. Now that there's a fee per year, not worth it at all.
used to be a great free resource for finding information about different types of fruits and vegetables. now the app is changing a fee to obtain this info. i would not recommend anymore
Not everything I've looked for but almost everything. Very helpful and informative.
Love it....great source of keeping up with seasonal and common fruits...
Pretty much a scam. One of those things that hooks you into a subscription service. Run far away.
Website is free and detailed. App costs $25/yr or else lacks detailed descriptions and depth.
excellent app, bunch of valuable information and ideas, hands down the best app when it comes to produce.
I really dislike the subscription model of either a full year's license up front or a 30 day trial. There is no monthly fee. I bet more people would be giving them money if there was one. Unfortunately you have to have enough in your Google account to pay to access the trial. I had a more informative version on my phone that I liked very much, but my phone was wiped while trying to fix a problem. If all I wanted was the pictures and the names the current free version would be enough.