Spring is with us at last.  Lots of good things happen in spring in our industry � none better than the asparagus from Mildura.  It is so good to eat after months of dried out imported product.  To celebrate this week we have tied up the majority of this great new season product and will be specialing it in the majority of our stores.

 

Mulberries have also started this week - a berry that is finished before summer starts.  A good quantity of large rockmelons is arriving from north Queensland.  Honey Murcott's continue to eat very well and the spring Lady Finger bananas have also started - don't forget they have to be ripe, ripe to eat them.  When they are ripe they are fantastic to eat.

 

The first of the imported grapes have arrived this week.  They are air freighted and so are a lot more expensive than they have been in recent years.

 

Aniseed usually goes the seed in early spring, but at this stage they are still really good and quite inexpensive.  Broadbeans are underway and the warmer weather is bringing rhubarb on and look for specials here in the next few weeks.

 
English spinach is never better in both quality and price than it is in September. This delicate vegetable loves the slightly warmer weather, but does not do well in full summer conditions, enjoy now.

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posted by: David Harris at 2:18 PM  0 comment(s)

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A very good week for the customers this week at Harris Farm Markets.  We have an increased supply of strawberries from QLD in addition to our new season W.A. fruit meaning for this week priced have eased.  Blueberries also are getting closer to the spring flush that always happens about now, so prices have eased a little and looks like the next couple of weeks will be good supplies of excellent fruit. 

The Territory Kensington Pride mangoes are eating very well for this early in the season � we even have a few tray sale lines out there.  Supplies are still somewhat irregular, but what we are getting is great to eat. 

West Australian Prink Lady apples are increasing in quantity, but they are so good to eat that the price is actually firming, not falling, as we get more of this fruit.

The spring flush of vegies from round the country is just starting also.  There seems to be heavier supplies of all tomatoes, corn, especially red capsicums and Lebanese cucumbers and prices are easing on all these.  Broccoli and Broccolini both are still very reasonably supplied and another of my favourites � rhubarb � is starting to take off as the weather, particularly at night, starts to warm up.

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posted by: David Harris at 2:33 PM  0 comment(s)

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This week sees Reed avocados really come into swing. They are a large round avocado and have a great nutty flavour. Many people prefer them it to the more traditional Hass. Traditionally these have come from southern states but this year will see a lot of very good fruit coming out of Queensland. They can offer great value at this time of year with this week likely to be the cheapest week of the Queensland season.

New season Kensington Pride mangoes coming out of the Northern Territory have just started. � KP�s� are by far Australia�s most predominant variety and still the standard by which all other mango varieties are judged for flavour. A very big season is being predicted. Prices this week look like they will be pretty reasonable but it may swing up and down during this early part of the season before we get into the serious volumes later in September when cheaper prices can be expected.

It is still a great time of year for citrus. Blood oranges with their vibrant colour and taste are at their peak. Honey Murcott mandarins have a firmer skin and a few more seeds than the famous Imperial variety, which has now finished, and are in full flush at the moment. Tangellos, being a hybrid of a tangerine and a pomello, are a great alternative to oranges and mandarins at this time of year. All of these fruits are coming into the markets in big volumes and hence are at great prices this week and maybe for another week or two.

Very cold weather and rain in Queensland may see an uplift in prices across a number of the lines such as strawberries, beans, corn, zucchinis and eggplant in the coming week. Care should also be taken when you buy these lines this week because the rain can cause them to break down quickly. If you see any signs of this when the product is fresh steer clear because it will certainly get worse very quickly.

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posted by: David Harris at 11:27 AM  0 comment(s)

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A good spurt of snow peas has come into the markets and this has lead to prices that only occur once or twice a year. If you�re like me and think that snow peas are about the best vegetable to eat either raw or cooked then this is your week! 

Also in vegies there are good quantities of high quality cauliflowers and broccoli to be had from Queensland as well as some fantastic Chinese vegetables grown in the Sydney basin. Something I am not sure we tell people enough is that these vegies have a turnaround time from farm to shelf of about 12 hours. They are picked during the afternoon and evening and are delivered just after midnight to our warehouse and then sent out on our early trucks to store. It is the ONLY way to get great Chinese Veg.

We received our first really big load of West Australian Pink Lady apples this morning and they are so crispy you can just about hear someone bite into them in the next suburb. Prices should continue to improve on these beautiful apples over the coming week or two.

Honey Murcott mandarins are in full swing and they are the best eating mandarin at this time of year. Seville Oranges are also available at the moment so it is marmalade making time. In the same vein there are quite a few cumquats available. These make a terrific jam but can also be eaten just as a raw fruit � just pop it in your mouth whole. The interesting thing is some people eat them with the skin ON. It makes for an unusual  sweet and sour taste.

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posted by: David Harris at 10:13 AM  0 comment(s)

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The news on vegetables this week is all good. Supply for most vegetable lines is very good. In particular broccoli, Chinese cabbage, black zucchini, Nicola potatoes, cauliflower, lettuce and leeks.

Cauliflowers are currently heavy in supply coming from Queensland, Victoria and even some out of the greater Sydney Basin. Quality of cauliflowers is very good and prices are excellent. Cauliflower can be roasted, boiled, fried, steamed or eaten raw. For those of us who are weight conscious, cauliflower can be used as a reasonable substitute for potatoes Cauliflowers can produce a similar to texture to potatoes but does not have the starch of potatoes.

Nicola potatoes are currently in good supply. Nicola�s have a long oval shape, yellow skin and light yellow flesh and is extremely versatile in its uses.  Excellent for mashing, gnocchi, boiling, chips and roasting. It has a very buttery flavour. Nicola�s are a low GI potato, and a must for this weeks shopping list.

In fruit news, this week sees the last of the traditional mandarin varieties the Honey Murcotts. Honey Murcotts are a small to medium size fruit with yellow-orange skin. The fruit is smooth and reasonably easy to peel. They have some seeds, however the rich red flesh is honey sweet and juicy, which more than compensates for the seeds.

Drinking coconuts are something out of the ordinary that is currently in good supply. Drinking coconuts are immature coconuts whose husk is still green. These young coconuts have sweet, healthy, water which is beautiful to drink. The water has many health benefits.  Some of these include quickly re-hydrating your body, cleansing your kidneys and helping to fight off colds. Only occasionally do we come across these drinking coconuts at these prices so be sure to make the most of it!

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posted by: David Harris at 1:05 PM  0 comment(s)

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