Brisbane Market Report 142

With Christmas only days away, desserts are set to be one of the highlights of the festive table thanks to the fantastic range and quality of fruit at the Brisbane Produce Market.

Cherries are having a brilliant season with supplies now streaming in from New South Wales; look for brightly coloured, glossy fruit with green stems still attached. While a bowl of cherries is a simple pleasure on its own, they make a stunning addition to Christmas trifles, tarts, or a wicked chocolate pavlova. Make the most of this summer favourite before the season runs out in February.

We have an abundance of stone fruit, including apricots of all sizes and both yellow and white nectarines and peaches. In plums, Red Beaut, Wilson, Purple Majesty and Donsworth blood plums are the stand-out varieties.

Figs, mangoes, pawpaws, pomegranates, lychees and bananas are all well supplied. Limes are plentiful and we expect prices to go down over the next few weeks. The season for red and white seedless grapes has started down south, and you might also notice the Midnight Beauty variety from Emerald.

In exotics, red and white varieties of dragonfruit are in season and plentiful. The white variety has smoother skin and deeper colour, but the red is sweeter and better eating.

Christmas Day salads will benefit from good supplies of most vegetables. The best bargains continue to be all tomato varieties and red and green chillies, but this week we’ve also seen a glut of sweet potatoes and zucchini.

This week’s top pick is lychees, which are eating well at the moment. Choose fruit that is firm and springy, with red or pink skin. Store lychees in the fridge for up to a week, or you can even freeze them for up to six months. Use lychees in fruit salads, drinks, and desserts. For a simple dessert, serve peeled and deseeded lychees with a vanilla bean sugar syrup and ice-cream.

You can buy the best of what the season has to offer at your nearest Your Local Fruit Shop. Go to www.yourlocalfruitshop.com.au to locate your closest store. Check out the Your Local Fruit Shop Facebook page for the latest news from your local fresh produce experts at www.facebook.com/yourlocalfruitshop.

For further information, please contact Jane Schmidt, Marketing & Communications Executive, Brismark on 07 3915 4311 or via email [email protected].

Brisbane Produce Report