IN FRUIT
The fantastic grape season continues with excellent quality and reasonable prices being the order of the day. This week my pick is the Black America variety, incredibly good value at present. I suspect we are in the last week of sultanas, those sweet little grapes that the older amongst us grew up with. We are coming to the end of the plum season and although expensive Flavour falls from Western Australia are the last really fantastic plum (they are actually a pluot rather than a plum) of the year. They will keep a couple of weeks or more in your home fridge. The later than usual glut of passionfruit is continuing this week and nets are available in our stores at very low prices. Limes have eased as have smaller local pink lady apples. Limes are a bargain and Fuyu fruit is much cheaper this week. I have never in my experience seen such a disparity of avocado prices as exists between the larger and smaller sizes right now. The small fruit is an absolute bargain and large fruit quite expensive, so to me the choice is obvious. Hass avocados are just around the corner but be wary, the first ones when picked this early are often watery to eat and go bad very quickly.
IN VEGETABLE
At last milder nights, as we would expect, have arrived and the quality of many of the vegetables (particularly local bunch lines) is improving. My pick of these would be bunches of beetroot (though many of these are actually from Victoria) spinach and English spinach. Beans that were at near record prices last week though not cheap are at least available. Chokoes which to my surprise are enjoying a revival of interest from consumers have also eased. Lebanese cucumbers are cheap and Brown onions are really well supplied, in fact we are selling onions this week at the same price as we did 15 years ago. The onion quality is superb, I recommend buying a months worth at these prices.
