Dave's Market Update 20.01.2015

IN FRUIT

Still lots of beautiful fruit this week with grapes, nectarines and peaches leading the charge. All nectarines and all peaches are eating fantastically and we are now starting the Golden Queen variety as well, it’s a feast. Mrs Harris is getting her Fowlers Vacola bottling kit out at the farm this week, this is definitely the week to preserve peaches and or nectarines. As well lychees, plums and figs are getting more and more tasty each week. We have a great eating line of Black Amber plums from Young in our stores this week. The price is great and so is the taste! Spare a thought for our all Australian Valencias, sure they have seeds but they make a beautiful juice in summer. All the commercial juice manufacturers use valencias whenever they can. They are not as sweet as the US navels but a fresher delightful product. The apple season is due to start with those wonderful Galas but intense heat in the growing areas may mean the old season Pink Ladies are a better option than the new season Galas for the next ten days or so. Limes continue to fall in price and are all Australian as opposed to the US lemons which are considerably dearer. The mango season continues to amaze us, however they are a little dearer than the last few weeks. Again with strawberries only buy on the day you wish to use them, blueberries from the snowy are a better option, but not the old season Coffs Harbour fruit now way past its best that I am seeing one of the major chains persist with at very cheap prices. I guess you get what you pay for!

IN VEGETABLE

Huge plantings of glasshouse truss tomatoes in South Australia continue to flood the market and to hold down prices of all tomatoes. We will pass on this bonus to Harris Farm Markets customers this week. Most other veggies are unchanged from last week . Our Australian garlic growers have really caught up with demand for their product and we are now seeing prices of the Aussie product easing back to compete with the imported options.