IN FRUIT
Winter berries are where all the action is this week. Forget raspberries for a month or so, this is not their time. It is time for strawberries and blueberries. Weather conditions in the Sunshine Coast for strawberries and northern NSW for blueberries could not be more perfect, ensuring high quality and inexpensive fruit. The imported cherries and local Imperial mandarins are both still excellent but we are near the end of both their seasons so jump in quick if you like either of these. In the imperfect category, I would like to recommend Corella pears, they probably can’t get any less expensive than now, and avocados which are also very good. Passionfruit is still great value, especially the nets. Some reasonably priced blood oranges are starting to come through so specials will start to happen here, they make such a good juice.
IN VEGETABLES
As always, the return to school after holidays increases demand and of course, prices increase in line with this. Most vegetables are harder to buy but as always, we have found a few bargains for our customers. Cauliflowers and washed potatoes are both well supplied. The bean quality is very good and the machine picked product (the ones we sell in bags) quite inexpensive. Zucchinis, both on the premium stack and our imperfect line are both excellent value. Fennel is cheap, and just about our only supply problem is with our snacking tomatoes. This happens every winter and there is little available until the spring crops commence harvest when prices return to normal.
