My pick of the week is bananas. Usually what is about to happen would occur a few weeks earlier than now. North Queensland (as in NSW) did not get the normal burst of warmer spring weather that we expect in October. Suddenly now it is quite warm and they seem to have gone straight from winter into summer. This makes bananas take off, grow bigger and get the golden yellow colour we expect. Quantities increase but also bananas have to compete with the wonderful stone fruit (especially mangoes) that is now underway. So prices retreat rapidly. This will be the trend from now until Christmas. Our banana farmers have enjoyed a very strong market for the last few months but going forward the price will now benefit the consumer.
HOW TO PICK
If you want to eat them straight away, choose fruit with bright yellow skins without marks or bruises.
HOW TO STORE
Store bananas in the fruit bowl. Refrigerating bananas causes their skins to blacken.
