VEGETABLES
Asparagus – Australian season – excellent quality
Beans – Supply has improved. Good quality and value
Broccoli – Good quality and value
Brussels Sprouts – We have resumed buying
Cabbages – Locally grown – very good quality. Price is up due to recent rain
Capsicums – Both reds and green are scarce due to recent heavy rain in QLD, however supply is gradually improving
Carrots – Premium quality, tender and sweet. It’s always best to store carrots in a plastic bag or tupperware, to prevent them from drying out and turning limp.
Caulitflower – Victorian season. Good quality and value
Corn – Local season – very good quality
Cucumbers – Locally grown. Excellent quality
Lettuce – Supply and quality of baby spinach, roquette, mixed leaf and Iceberg are very good.
Leeks – In season – excellent quality and value
Onions – Quality and value are very good
Potatoes – Supply has tightened and market prices are up
Snowpeas / Sugarsnap – Both remain very good quality and value, however they are sensitive to warmer weather so supply may become scarce soon.
Sweet potatoes – Currently in short supply
Tomatoes – Very good quality and value for round and Roma tomatoes. The supply of locally grown cherry and grape tomatoes has improved
Zucchini – Locally grown – very good quality, however market price is up
FRUIT
Apples – Al varieties are at the end of their season and prices are up
Avocados – Hass are in season. Excellent quality and value
Bananas – Warmer weather up north has meant increased supplies. Very good quality and value
Berries – Quality of Blueberries is excellent. Raspberries and Blackberries are also very good
Cherries – Very good quality, which hopefully should remain up to Christmas, depending on the weather in growing areas
Grapes – We are starting green seedless this week. Quality is very good, price will come down over the coming weeks
Kiwifruit – New Zealand season is over for both green and gold
Lemons and Limes – Lemons are out of season and prices are up
Mandarins – Season is over
Mangoes – QLD season has started. Quality and value are excellent
Oranges – New season seedless Valencias have commenced. Excellent quality
Passionfruit – Will be very scarce for the next few weeks. Temporarily unavailable
Pears – Packams are at the end of their season
Pineapples – Good quality, but very scarce. Prices are high and fruit is generally small
Rockmelons – Very good qualiy and value. Large sized fruit
Stonefruit – This week we will be buying white Nectarines, yellow Peaches and Apricots
Strawberries – The Victorian season has commenced. Quality and value are very good.The best way to extend the life of berries is to remove them from their punnet and place on paper towel in the fridge. Only wash them just prior to eating.
Watermelon – Very good quality and value
When unpacking your produce, it should be handled as carefully as possible to minimise damage and bruising. Vegetables will store best in plastic bags or tupperware to prevent them from drying out in the fridge – especially for carrots and broccoli. Most fruits will generally stay fresher in the fridge. To maximise flavour, tomatoes should not be refrigerated