With the exception of Dates from USA, and Garlic from Spain, all produce we deliver is Australian grown, and locally sourced wherever possible.
Recent local flooding has ruined quite a few crops. Herbs and leafy greens have been particularly impacted, and market prices will be higher for the next few weeks.
When unpacking your produce, it should always be handled with utmost care to prevent damage and bruising. Vegetables will store best in plastic bags or tupperware to prevent them from drying out in the fridge – this is especially true for carrots and broccoli. Most fruits will generally stay fresher in the fridge. However, to maximise flavour, tomatoes should not be refrigerated.
VEGETABLES
Asparagus – Australian season has finished. Very scarce, scarce and imported from South America. We are not currently buying.
Beans – Quality and value are good
Broccoli – Quality and value excellent.
Capsicums – Reds and greens from QLD – very good quality and value.
Cauliflower – Quality and value excellent.
Corn – Victorian – quality and value good.
Cucumbers – Locally grown – quality and value excellent.
Ginger – Expensive right now. We always choose old season ginger, which has a thicker skin and more flavour. Young, new season ginger, although cheaper, has a thin or no skin layer, less flavour and does not last as long.
Lettuce – Baby Cos and Iceberg have been rain affected – the high water content means the leaves may not last as long as usual.
Potatoes – Most varieties are at the end of their season. New season potatoes should come into the market in the next week or so – and their appearance will be better.
Pumpkins – Very good quality and value.
Snowpeas – Locally grown. Quality and value are good.
Tomatoes – Regular round, field grown tomatoes are very good right now. Truss are very good value also, however for flavour, field tomatoes are usually a better option. Roma tomatoes are quite scare at the moment. The supply of Cherry and Grape tomatoes is starting to improve, after the recent local flooding.
Zucchini – Local crops were wiped out by the recent floods, so now coming from Victoria. Quality and value are good.
FRUIT
Apples – We are stocking the new variety, ‘Ambrosia’. They are crisp, juicy and have a delicate, sweet flavour- apparently a cross between Red and Golden Delcious. New season Galas, Pink Lady and Granny Smith are all very good quality. Galas should be stored in the fridge, as they can tend to tend to floury if left out in a warm kitchen. Pink Lady’s are now in season – price should come down over the coming weeks. Jazz Apples are also coming into season.
Avocados -Shepards are in season and quality is very good. Shepards sometimes get a bad rap – which is underserved. They are creamy and flavoursome. They are not as hardy as a Hass, so if bought from a store it is common for them to be bruised. If they are handled carefully this shouldn’t be an issue. Also, maybe people cut them before they are ripe. They are ready to eat when they yield to gentle pressure. Unlike Hass, their skin will stay green even when ripe.
Bananas – Quality and value very good.
Berries – This time of year is not the best for berries. Victorian strawberries are quite good, but they need to be eaten within a day or two. Raspberries are from Tasmania right now – quality and value are quite good. Blueberries are very scarce right now – we are not stocking until availability and quality improves 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 immediately prior to eating.
Figs – Coming to the end of their season.
Grapes – Thompson Seedless are coming to the end of their season – we’ll only be buying for 1 or 2 more weeks. Crimson Seedless will keep going for another month or 2.
Kiwifruit – The New Zealand season has just started – fruit is still not quite ready though – we’ll probably start them next week.
Lemons – Australian season has commenced – very good quality and value.
Limes – Very good value and quality.
Mandarines – The new season has just started – quality is quite good. Value will improve over the coming weeks.
Oranges – Valencias are in season but coming to the end – quality is ok. Navels should hopefully start in a few weeks
Pineapples – Good quality and value. Topless are quite scarce as their season has ended. We are buying pines with the tops on – quality has been very good – not as sweet as the topless varieties but still juicy and flavoursome.
Rockmelons – QLD rockmelons are good quality – large size.
Stonefruit – Plums are coming to the end of their season – a few weeks left. Nectarines and Peaches are done. Kensington Pride mangoes will start around September.
Pears – We are buying new season Packams – fresh off the trees – nice eating.
Watermelon – Quite scarce right now.