20 - 26 February 2023 update Sydney Market that includes availability and price of seasonal fruits, vegetables and flowers. Also includes recipe suggestions.
FRUIT
Figs are best left at room temperature and eaten within one day of purchase. For more extended storage, place a single layer in an airtight container in the fridge. Use within two days. Figs are 50¢ -$3 each.
Dino melons are similar in size and shape to a small honeydew. The rind is smooth, firm, and thin with a white to ivory base, covered in light and dark green striping, specks, and spots. Its flesh is crisp, tender and exceptionally sweet with honey and pear notes. Give them a try this week for $5.50-$7 each, depending on size.
Originally from Spain, Piel de Sapo melons are oval-shaped with dense, juicy, pale yellowish-green flesh. Distinguishable by their extra thick and ridged mottled green and yellow rind. Piel de Sapo melons are $6-$7 each. This Piel de Sapo melon with serrano ham & burrataM is fresh and healthy.
Grape season is in full swing, and fruit has never tasted sweeter. There is a fabulous selection of seeded and seedless varieties, with grape colours ranging from pale green, pink or black. Grab a bunch for $4-$20 a kilo.
Vibrant, juicy plums are delicious sliced into a summer salad; serve roasted plums with crisp pork belly and stew plums for fruity crumbles and pastry fillings. There are numerous plums in season; depending on the variety and size, plums are $4-$15 a kilo.
/Aromatic and sweet-eating Victorian strawberries are $3-$5 a punnet, depending on quality and size. Strawberries are rich in flavonoids, which help improve heart health by reducing inflammation and improving blood vessel function. Try our Strawberry salsa pancakes.
Australian grown, but originally from New Zealand Royal or Gala apple is a round sweet apple with a dense, aromatic, juicy white flesh. Introduced to Australia in the early '80s, this apple is now a popular early-season variety. Royal Galas are $5-$8 a kilo, depending on the size and quality.
Enjoy succulent Williams pears for the bargain price of $3-$4 a kilo.
Custard apple season has started.
Make the most of late-season peaches and nectarines; white and yellow flesh varieties are still available for $3.50-$10 a kilo. Most fruit is now clingstone varieties.
Plump, ripe, field-grown tomatoes are good value this week at $3-$5 a kilo. Truss tomatoes sold on the vine are $4-$6 a kilo, and cherry tomatoes are around $2.50-$3 a punnet.
New-season Shepard avocados are good value and excellent, eating at $1.99-$2.99 each.
VEGETABLES
Fresh sweetcorn continues to be a thrifty buy at 50¢-$1 a cob. Brush corn with olive oil, sprinkle with salt, and grill until charred. Serve with butter and lime juice.
Healthy, easy to prepare and ultra-versatile Asian leafy greens are a bargain at $2-$3 a bunch. One of our favourite Asian greens is on choy, and it's plentiful this week. Try it in stir-fries, pan-fried with garlic or ginger and XO sauce.
Crunchy Iceberg lettuce is a top buy at $3-$3.50 ahead. Core lettuce and cut into large wedges dressed with your favourite salad dressing. Icebergs' pleasant crisp texture makes them a top addition to rice paper rolls, teamed with mango and chicken.
Soft-leafed hydroponically grown lettuce (also known as living lettuce, as they keep growing when stored in water) is a thrifty buy at $1.50-$2 ahead. Mix it up with oak leaf, mignonette and coral lettuce.
Liven up salads with beetroot. Enjoy it raw and crunchy or roast to soften and intensify its sweet earthy flavour. Beetroot is $4-$5 a bunch or around $1 each.
Versatile zucchini are mild tasting and fabulous grated, sliced or chopped and added to a spaghetti Bolognese, frittata, meatloaf, pasta dishes, muffins or cake or burger patties. Zucchinis are $3-$5 a kilo, depending on size.
Add brightly coloured red capsicums to stir-fries, casseroles, pizza, and pasta dishes, for a healthy dose of vitamin C. Field-grown red capsicums are $4-$6 a kilo, while the glasshouse capsicums are $6-$10 a kilo. This wok-fried red curry vegetables with tofu is a healthy choice for a mid-week meal.
With its attractive orange flesh and rich creamy texture, kumara (orange sweet potato) is delicious roasted, microwaved, steamed or boiled and enjoyed hot or cold in salads. Small kumara tubers are a thrifty buy at $3-$4 a kilo, and large tubers will $3-$4 a kilo. Try this fast and fresh Mexican chilli, sweetcorn & kumara salad.
Last week's humid weather brought out a flush of wild pine mushrooms in the Oberon and nearby pine forests. Chefs love these fleshy orange-coloured mushrooms, they can grow up to 20cm in diameter, but the small sizes are better eating. Pine mushrooms should be cooked quickly at a high temperature to avoid stewing.
FLOWERS
There are bunches of flowers to enjoy at this time of year; check out the spray roses in vibrant colours, anthuriums, pineapple lilies, heliconia, gerberas, bouvardia, tuberoses, lisianthus, water lilies, lotus flowers, tuberose, tiger lilies, celosia or tulips.
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 2023-02-20 16:21:00
Print Page