August’s Produce Report
To find out what’s GOOD and IN SEASON this August, keep reading! We’ll keep you updated with the latest with our monthly produce report!
Winter citrus is in its peak season, and there are so many options for you to choose from. We have five varieties of mandarins in store, including Tangelos which are a cross between a mandarin and a grapefruit and we have new season Sumo mandarins. The sumo’s are very similar in flavour to an Imperial, offering another seedless variety and have a distinct ‘knob’ on top. In citrus, we also have Blood Oranges back in store. These have a beautiful deep red flesh inside and are a little bitter compared to a navel orange. Their pretty colour makes them ideal for garnishing.
We are starting to see some great quality Blueberries! We have some premium Blueberries coming in from Crows Nest, a new variety of blueberry which have just hit the markets and they have been rated the best eating blueberry in the world! These Blueberries make for a perfect snack and the longer they are left in the fridge, the sweeter they become as their sugars mature. Blueberries are believed to have the most antioxidants of all fruits and vegetables, which is great for decreasing the signs of ageing and diseases.
We will also be seeing the first lot of Mangoes hit our shelves this August with the first lot of Kensington Pride Mangoes arriving into the markets from the Northern Territory. To start with, they may be a little high in price but as the season continues the price will decrease. Who else is very excited for mangoes?!
Strawberries should also be easing in price this August. Normally we would be seeing an abundance of berries from the Sunshine Coast hit the markets and with such sheer volume comes cheap prices, however due to lack of supply and growing conditions, we haven’t seen the volumes we normally would around this time. Some growers have had it really tough this season replanting patches up to 4 times because of the amount of rain we have had! That has made it a very tough season for them and why the prices are higher than normal. Strawberries don’t like too much rain and need sunshine to grow.
Rhubarb is an excellent choice if you’re looking to cook up some comforting sweets this week. We have some beautiful local Rhubarb coming from Cabarlah. We have a recipe on our website for a delicious Rhubarb & Custard Flan which gets an A+ for comfort food and will be a winner with the whole family.
We should start to see the price of vegetables come back as well this August with more supply coming into the markets as we see better growing conditions. This includes vegetables such as cauliflowers, cabbage and lettuce.
Another good buy are our Hass Avocados! Avocados provide healthy omega-3 fatty acids which are beneficial to lower cholesterol and improve heart health.
Mushrooms are a great option year-round. They are the only vegan, nonfortified dietary source of vitamin D. They also contain several other minerals that may be difficult to obtain from vegan diet, including potassium, copper, iron and phosphorus, making them a powerful little vegetable to add to your diet, vegan or otherwise!
Carrots are another wonderful winter staple, Carrots are full of vitamin A and beta-carotene which are essential to maintaining bone health. Don’t let your carrots go floppy in the bottom of the fridge, use them up to their full potential as a great snacking option in dips or use in your favourite slow-cooker recipes.
