In season this week - April 12

The cooler weather has seen an improvement in vegetable quality this week with beans, cauliflower, carrots and broccoli all good value.

New season washed potatoes have fewer marks while dirty, red and the gourmet potato varieties, such as Dutch creams, pink eye, kipfler, nicola and King Edward are eating well.


Capsicums are still firm in price. Brown onions are the pick over the red variety. Corn is inconsistent in quality.

Lettuce and salad mix, such as mesclun, rocket and spinach, have improved with the cooler weather.

Tomatoes are of fair quality although Roma varieties are still inconsistent. Australian shepard avocados are readily available.


Autumn is the season for great tasting and well priced pears, plums and grapes, although the green Thompson variety may have a small mark near their stalk caused by hot growing conditions.

Pink lady apples have joined the red and green granny smith varieties this week but will be tart until after Easter.

Look for new season navels from this week, which will be a little unattractive, pale and firm in price but should eat well.  The first of the imperial mandarins have also appeared on the shelves and will improve in sweetness in the weeks ahead.

Watermelons are smaller in size and some are cutting pale but their eating quality if superb. Select smaller rockmelons, although this fruit will creep up in price as the weather cools.

Bananas remain firm in price.

New season Australian kiwi fruit have appeared on the shelves, as have pink mammoth custard apples, which will be expensive but prices will fall in the weeks ahead.