IN FRUIT
New season North Queensland blueberries are the really good news this week. We would normally be paying a fortune at this time of the year but new plantings at Tolga have fixed that. Grapes continue to be excellent but it is really only the Crimson seedless that you should buy, whites are now expensive and have been stored for a little too long, eat them quickly if you are going to purchase them. Hass avocados are very good now and the large sizes particularly have eased in price from last week. Australian Navel oranges have started but don't eat well enough yet. Much as we prefer to support the local industry I think we would be doing our customers no favours to sell this early fruit. Quinces are at their peak, in plums the flavourfalls are the only option now, still very good but not cheap. Finally, apples, by far the freshest apple is the pink lady, all other apples are that bit older and not as fresh. We have a fantastic Imperfect Pick option in our stores this week, cheap and great to eat.
IN VEGETABLE
The vegetable market continues to be well supplied this week. Tomato supplies are finally matching demand and the high prices of late will now start to ease, winter of course is never as cheap as summer. The imported asparagus is good and not dear, fennel and brown onions are very good value. Kumera, especially large sizes and imperfects are cheap, and local spinach, rhubarb and English spinach are very good and well-priced. Leeks continue to be good value and parsnips are starting to ease in price.
