Dave's Market Update 09.12.2014

IN FRUIT

This very hotweather is doing wonderful things to the eating quality of the early peaches and nectarines. At Harris Farm Markets this week we have decided to promote nectarines having done gorgeous white peaches last week. When Ben and I met to decide which colour fruit to promote we could not decide they are both fantastic! All our stores will have one or the other on special this week. Grapes continue to improve in taste this week and cherries are very good and again there are bargain buys in our punnet lines and truly outstanding cherries loose on our stacks or available in 1 or 2 kg boxes. Berries continue to arrive in full summer quantities though there may be a small gap at the end of the week especially in strawberries due to some heavy storms in our growing areas in Victoria. Also starting this week are one of my absolute favourite berries, boysenberries. At first glance you would be forgiven for mistaking these for a blackberry. In fact they have a totally unique flavour, in my view better than blackberries. They don’t keep all that well and should be consumed within a day or two of purchase and the season is very short only about a fortnight and then a very few from Tasmania for another week or so in about a months time. Watermelon is still very good value and figs are dropping in price . With mangoes there is a gap now between the end of the Northern Territory and the new Queensland fruit getting properly underway so in this time we recommend beautiful Honeygold, Calypso or R2E2 mangoes until the Kensington Prides resume from Queensland. We have started some better Lychees this week full fleshed, sweet a good bit dearer but in terms of what you eat actually cheaper than the ordinary fruit that has been available to date. As is often the case in December banana sales are slow with so many great stone fruit options and prices continue to fall. I am in the minority but I love the summer Valencia oranges now at their best in our stores. Far cheaper than navels if you like fresh juice in the morning these are definitely the answer.

IN VEGETABLE

Vegies get a bit harder to source when the weather is hot, add a few decent summer storms to the mix and then quality becomes a major issue. Things just don’t keep as we are accustomed so I strongly suggest you only purchase your vegies as and when you need them. The huge exception to this at the moment is tomatoes. I don’t think I have seen the markets more oversupplied in forty odd years, and it is all types of tomatoes - truss, gourmets, Romas and every other option too! This cannot last as most sales now are significantly below the cost of production. Enjoy it while its there.