Dave's Market Update
In Veg
“We have a few good options this week. Kestrel potatoes (definitely my favourite) are as cheap as they have been for some years. They are a very good potato at a very good price.
Three very good staples for this time of the year that I would recommend this week are broccoli, cauliflowers and 1 kg bags of carrots. All three are family favourites well priced and excellent quality.
A couple of options for greens this week are snow peas and green Shanghai Buk Choy ( in QLD, they call it Pak Choy) . Really nothing else is either too dear or very cheap.
Spring is just around the corner, and this will of course bring lots of fabulous new crops and options.”
In Fruit
“The rain that was affecting blueberries last week is now effecting strawberries instead as it moves up into QLD. As a result, it’s now blueberries that are driving our fruit sales and in particular, it’s the premium varieties that our customers are loving. These will be on special at all HFM stores this weekend.
The other good news on the fruit front is the quite dramatic fall in the price of seedless watermelon. The whole of the east coast of Australia will be enjoying some really warm days this weekend and early next week, just perfectly timed for enjoying watermelon at a far cheaper price than they have been.
All citrus is really eating well, perhaps the two standouts being Murcott Mandarins and blood oranges.
Kiwi Gold continues to shine and for apples it is hard to go past Pink Ladies. I can’t wait for the Stone fruit season as the warm weather approaches, if the promised El Niño eventuates that is good for the summer fruits we all love.”
Dave's Pick of the Week - Blueberries
“This is the time that NSW blueberries come into their own. Massive supplies of Queensland strawberries put pressure on the blueberry price, plus extra supply from NSW means prices start to ease.
This season had a later than usual start as rain set the season back. Now the weather is good and we have a range of blues to suit every budget. Growing conditions are perfect and so the fruit is now beautifully sweet and crunchy. To me, the premium we charge for our premium fruit is money well spent.
The consensus of experts’ opinion seems to be that blueberries are the healthiest of all the berries, low in calories, high in vitamin C and antioxidants.
For this next five or so weeks, really inexpensive eating fruit that is really in season makes sense, and these blue berries are absolutely at their peak right now.
Look for great blueberry specials in your HFM store this weekend.”
- David Harris
HOW TO PICK
Select firm, plump berries that have a natural light blue-silver blush on the skin (this blush is a natural protective wax coating) and avoid soft or withered berries.
HOW TO STORE
Store in the fridge and don't wash berries until right before eating. For better tasting berries, always pull them out of the fridge half an hour before eating them.
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*Image used for illustration purposes
