Brisbane Produce Market fresh produce report: 14 December 2010
There are plenty of sweet tasting peaches, yellow fleshed nectarines and apricots on the shelves this week but eat them quickly if you want it to be the best quality.
Wilson plums are also tasty but nearing the end of their short season.
Wet weather has continued to affect some of our favourite pre-Christmas fruits with short supplies of grapes and cherries. There are plenty of mangoes for now but of mixed quality.
Papaw and sweet topless pineapples have been the best eating all year and are now joined by lychees, which will drop further in price from next week as the crops mature.
Excellent gourmet tomatoes have arrived from New Zealand. The best Australian varieties include roma and truss tomatoes, which are of excellent value and quality.
There are still Australian avocados available that are superior to the imported produce.
Lettuce is in good supply but cucumbers represent the best quality and value for the salad bowl.
The weather has affected the supply of beans, leeks and cauliflower. Broccoli is in good supply but is weather affected.
Most other ground-grown fresh produce is also scarce with leaks and pumpkin in short supply.
It’s a good time to try gourmet potato varieties such as kipfler, pink eye and Dutch cream while the brushed and sweet potato varieties are scarce.
There is a good supply of Dutch carrots that are small, sweet and sold with their tips attached.