29 April - 5 May update Sydney Market that includes availability and price of seasonal fruits, vegetables and flowers. Also includes recipe suggestions.
FRUITS:
Imperial mandarins are now in season, offering great value and juicy sweetness at your local greengrocer. Incorporate mandarin segments into a vibrant citrus salad with mixed greens, avocado, and a light vinaigrette for a burst of flavour, or pack a mandarin in your or the kids' lunch box to boost their vitamin C. Imperial mandarins are $4-$7 a kilo.
From the crisp Granny Smith to the sweet Pink Lady and everything in between, like Golden Delicious, Kanzi, Jazz, Royal Gala, Bravo, Envy, Rockit and Mi, there's a perfect apple waiting for you. These apple varieties offer a satisfying crunch with every bite. Prices vary between $4 to $8 per kilo, depending on the type and size you choose.
Creamy, extra-sweet custard apples are in season. A custard apple indicates ripeness when it yields slightly to gentle pressure. You will also notice the green skin becomes duller. These fruits are available both ripe and firm to the touch. If firm, allow them to ripen naturally over several days before consumption. Place the fruit in a brown paper bag with a banana to speed up ripening and leave it on the kitchen counter.
Soft, sweet persimmons are a seasonal fruit available from April to July. They are ready to eat when the flesh is soft, gooey, and resembling apricot jam. Persimmons pair well with yoghurt, custard, sponge, honey, and cinnamon. Expect to pay $5-$6 each.
Shepard avocados are plentiful and fantastic value at $1-$2.50 depending on size. Press gently near the top of your Shepard avocado to check ripeness. If it yields to pressure, it's ready. For optimal softness, wait until the top nodule can be easily depressed. If it's firm, wait one to three days to ripen naturally. Refrigerate ripe avocados to keep them fresh.
Naturally, delicious pears are a smart buy. Pears are plentiful throughout autumn. Packham and Beurre Bosc are available at your local greengrocer this week for $3.50-$4 a kilo, and the squat-shaped Corellas are $6-$8 a kilo. Try these sweet maple-poached pears.
This week, limes are $5-$9 a kilo, and lemons are $5-$6 a kilo. Have you ever wondered which lemons or limes are healthier? Lemons surpass limes in vitamin C and antioxidant flavonoids, while limes boast slightly higher mineral and vitamin levels. Limes offer more niacin, calcium, iron, zinc, magnesium, phosphorus, and potassium than lemons. Additionally, limes contain vitamin A, a nutrient absent in lemons. While lemons and limes are interchangeable in many recipes, lemons yield more juice, and limes are more bitter.
Tropical-tasting passionfruits are extra fleshy and juicy at the moment. Choose fruits that feel heavy for their size. Passionfruit is a bargain at $1.20-$1.60, depending on size. Look for multi-buy specials like 3 for $5 for extra savings. This lemon delicious pudding topped with passionfruit is heavenly.
VEGETABLES
Quality Tasmanian broccoli offers good value this week at $4-$6 a kilo. When properly stored, fresh broccoli lasts 3 to 5 days in the fridge.
Eggplants boast high fibre and antioxidant content. A serving can fulfil at least 5% of daily fibre, copper, manganese, B-6, and thiamine needs, along with other essential vitamins and minerals. Eggplants are $4-$8 a kilo.
Carrots are full of vitamins and minerals and are delicious, cooked or raw. Try them roasted with garlic, grated orange rind, and fresh thyme. Mash carrots (just like potatoes) with a nob of butter and season salt and pepper, or microwave sliced carrots with a drizzle of maple syrup and orange juice. Small carrots are sold in prepared 1-kilo bags for $1.50-$2 a kilo, and larger carrots are sold loose for $2.50-$3 a kilo.
Economical, healthy, and discreetly delicious, fresh celery is a staple vegetable that is rarely the hero ingredient, yet when teamed with carrots and onions, it creates a delicious flavour base for soups and casseroles. The best way to store celery is to trim bulbs, place them unwashed in a plastic container lidded with absorbent paper, and keep them refrigerated. Celery is $3.50-$4 a bunch, depending on size.
Freshly picked green beans are tender and crisp. For quality, I recommend the handpicked beans, which cost $8-$10 a kilo. On the other hand, machine-harvested beans are good value but need to be used within 2-3 days of purchasing and only cost $6-$7 a kilo. Select small, brightly coloured beans of an even size. Jazz up your beans with almonds and hommus.
Fennel's mild aniseed flavour can be eaten raw or cooked. If using fennel raw, slice thinly, drizzle with extra virgin olive oil, and toss in a salad. It's delicious, combined with citrus. Slice or dice bulbs and braise to add to a casserole or roast wedges, or add finely diced to hearty vegetable soups. Fennel is a thrifty buy at $2.50-$3 a bulb.
Autumn is the perfect time to combine mushrooms with other seasonal favourites, like chestnuts, pumpkin, leeks, or Asian leafy greens. Team jumbo flats or mild-flavoured buttons in omelettes, sauté sliced mushrooms over crisp toasted bread, and top with a poached egg. Button, cup, and flat mushrooms are $10-$14 a kilo. This creamy broccoli, mushroom & chicken bake is an easy meal to whip up.
Pumpkins' golden flesh and natural sweetness offer so many possibilities. Team pumpkin with aromatic flavours like lemongrass, ginger and kaffir lime for a sweet Thai-style curry or soup. Roast with chopped sage and toss pumpkin through pasta, gnocchi or an autumn salad. Whole pumpkins are good value at $1.50-$2 a kilo, cut pumpkins are a little more at $2-$3 a kilo.
Fresh chestnuts are in season from mid-March through early July. They have a unique nutty flavour, and their flesh becomes soft and tender when cooked. Select chestnuts that feel heavy for their size with firm, glossy brown shells. Some varieties are easier to peel than others. Depending on the size and variety, chestnuts are $8-$15 a kilo.
FLOWERS
The cooler weather of autumn helps extend the vase life of fresh cut flowers, as does changing the water a few times a week and using a floral preservative. Treat yourself to Oriental lilies, bird of paradise, tulips, gerbera, gladioli, iris, leucadendron, protea, stock, banksia, kale, chrysanthemums or roses and great value. potted hyacinth
Prices quoted in this report are only relevant for the week of the report. All prices are estimates only as prices vary depending on variety, size and quality of produce and the trading area. For further information, please contact Sue Dodd, Marketing Consultant on 0438725453
Published On 2024-04-29 16:00:19
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