Latest news with #mandarins
The Guardian
02-06-2025
- Business
- The Guardian
Sweet, seedless citrus: Australia's best-value fruit and veg for June
Winter is all about citrus, says owner and buyer Josh Flamminio at Sydney's Galluzzo Fruiterers. 'Navel oranges are in. They're from Mildura and they're getting sweeter.' At $3 a kilo in supermarkets, they're closely followed by mandarins. Daisy, imperial and Premium Gem varieties are also at their peak. 'A Premium Gem mandarin is a new one in our shop,' says Flamminio. 'They've got the perfect amount of tang, with a few seeds. They're a rounded, symmetrical mandarin.' At Melbourne's Happy Apple, senior buyer Graham Gee has his eye on Cara Cara oranges, which will arrive this month. They're seedless and known for their sweet flavour. Grapefruits are in season too, and can be found for about $5 a kilo in supermarkets. Berries, however, have faltered. 'Blueberries are quite diabolical at the moment. They're in really short supply,' says Gee. 'They are out of season and affected by the weather. You're looking at double figure price tags for anything that is half decent, which is tough.' Blueberries are expected to fall in price in another three to four weeks, but it's not all blue. In Queensland, strawberries and raspberries are kicking off, with strawberries soon to come down to $2 or $3 a punnet. But the best crop to make a comeback is Hass avocados. 'You'll see some for a couple of dollars apiece, great multi-buy deals, and the quality is really good. We've got such an appetite for them,' says Gee. At a couple of dollars a bunch, depending on size and quality, Flamminio says there is plenty of cavolo nero, silverbeet, kale and cabbage and all unaffected by the rain. 'People are doing lots of soups and stews and bakes. They're very affordable and wintry. Silverbeet is humongous. They're almost a metre long, and gorgeous.' We all know silverbeet can wilt down to nothing, but it is front and centre in a Yotam Ottolenghi south Indian and Sri Lankan inspired stir-fry, or you can stuff the enormous leaves with rice, herbs and spices. Pumpkins are in their prime, at $2 a kilo or less in grocers and supermarkets. 'They're not green any more, they're sun-kissed and bright orange,' says Flamminio. Butternut, Jap or Queensland blue pumpkin are all available, says Gee. Sweet potatoes and potatoes are also filling shelves, at $3.50 to $4.50 a kilo, respectively. We can expect to see reasonable prices throughout the rest of winter. Make use of citrus and the best orange coloured veg in Alice Zaslavsky's one-tray roast pumpkin, sweet potato and carrot soup. Brussels sprouts are also budding, but haven't quite reached their cheapest. Flamminio says they can be as low as $3.99 a kilo at their peak. He recommends rhubarb too. The crops are a rich red, with thick stalks – perfect for dessert. Ravneet Gill has a picture-perfect tart that shows off the pink, plus a twist on rhubarb and custard with tapioca. Or you can go back to basics and spruce up a bowl of porridge with Nigel Slater's rhubarb addition. After cold weather and the cyclone damage, tomatoes are not looking rosy. 'This is the worst I've seen in four years,' says Flamminio, . 'I've got them for $10.99 a kilo in my shop because I can't justify asking people to pay $14.99. People could be charging $16 to $18 a kilo to make a margin. For the next three or four weeks, hold on to your hat for tomatoes.' Cucumbers are more expensive, even compared with three or four weeks ago, and grocers are still waiting for red capsicums to kick in within the month, after rain in Queensland slowed supply. Buy:Apples Beetroot Bok choy Brussels sprouts Cavolo nero Hass avocado Parsnips Potatoes Pumpkin Raspberries Rhubarb Silverbeet Spinach Strawberries Sweet potatoes Tangelo Quince Wombok Avoid: Blueberries Cucumbers Tomatoes
The Guardian
06-05-2025
- Lifestyle
- The Guardian
Zest is best: mandarins and navel oranges among Australia's best-value fruit and veg for May
'We're getting into a lot of citrus lines,' says Tony Polistina, co-owner of Forestway Fresh in Sydney's Terrey Hills. 'Australian navels started this week.' Navel oranges are about $5.50 a kilo for now, but Imperial mandarins from Queensland are about to hit their peak, already as low as $3 a kilo. That means it's the perfect time to make Anna Jones's mandarin compote – spread it on toast or use it in her delectable queen of puddings, which she makes every Mother's Day. Berries have been up and down after a summer flush, but some are still a good pick as the Queensland season begins. Nigel Slater's recipe for raspberry and apple crisp At Arnold's Fruit Market in Wodonga, Victoria, buyer Steve Richardson says raspberries (about $3.50 a punnet) are the best value but blueberries are up to $7.90 a punnet in supermarkets, with some imported from New Zealand. Strawberries (about $4.50 a punnet) are about to begin their Queensland season, with prices expected to fall this month. Apples and pears are also in full swing. The Royal Gala apple variety is cheapest, on special in supermarkets at $3.50 a kilo. 'It's the time of year for missile apples – kids love them,' says Polistina. 'They'll stick around for three to four months as they come in from different regions.' New season Packham pears have now replaced Williams pears, and can be found for $3 to $5 a kilo. Seize the opportunity to make Nigel Slater's marmalade pears, doused in a bubbling marsala and honey syrup. Or, make use of more that is plentiful with his raspberry and apple crumble with a bready crisp. Rockmelon and honeydew are not at their sweetest, says Polistina. Watermelon from the Northern Territory is available and good quality but it is expensive at about $5 a kilo, almost double the usual price. Ready to roast Yotam Ottolenghi's roast cabbage with chana dal and sauerkraut. Photograph: Louise Hagger/The Guardian. Food styling: Emily Kydd. Prop styling: Jennifer Kay. Food styling assistant: Susanna Unsworth. Photo assistant: Sophie Bronze. Sweet potatoes, potatoes, parsnips and carrots are all ready for roast dinner season. If that's not your forte, you can also make Benjamina Ebuehi's carrot cake or Yotam Ottolenghi's lentils with roast butternut squash and feta yoghurt. There is plenty of pumpkin around, says Richardson, with local kent pumpkin selling for as little as $1.5o a kilo in store. In supermarkets, it is about $3 a kilo and likely to drop further. skip past newsletter promotion Sign up to Saved for Later Catch up on the fun stuff with Guardian Australia's culture and lifestyle rundown of pop culture, trends and tips Privacy Notice: Newsletters may contain info about charities, online ads, and content funded by outside parties. For more information see our Privacy Policy. We use Google reCaptcha to protect our website and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply. after newsletter promotion Be patient with cauliflower as growing seasons switch over. Currently, cauliflower is $5.50 a head, but it won't be long before it comes down in price. Brussels sprouts have arrived – about $10 to $12 per kilo – but the price will be less than half that in a few weeks. Zucchinis are close behind (about $5 a kilo for now), perfect for roasting alongside a whole slab of feta, in a Mediterranean-inspired main or side. Tomatoes are up to $8 a kilo in supermarkets, but are expected to drop to under $5 a kilo in the coming month. When that happens, they can top Alice Zaslavsky's corn and zucchini slice or stand on their own in her garlicky tomato bread. Hass avocados are (almost) back Hass avocados return in late May. Photograph: RobertoCooler days and even cooler nights make salads less appealing but the price of leafy greens are stable. Cabbage and lettuce remain at about $3.50 to $4.50 a head respectively and there is plenty of baby broccoli on special (about $3 a bunch). Richardson says local silverbeet has also flooded the market. And in very welcome news, avocados are also transitioning from Shepherd to new-season Hass. Right now they are 'a bit blotchy, but will come good by the end of May and into June,' says Richardson. 'You'll be getting a good-quality, good-priced avocado for about $2.50 or $3.' In the next month or so, it's hoped eggplant (about $8 a kilo) and red capsicum (about $12 a kilo) will drop in price, with the start of the Queensland season. Buy: Apples Avocado Beetroot Brussels sprouts Chestnuts Oranges Parsnips Pears Potato Pumpkin Mandarins Raspberries Silverbeet Spinach Strawberries Sweet potato Spinach Silverbeet Zucchini Watch: Tomatoes Avoid: Blueberries Eggplant Green beans Red capsicum
