Brisbane Market Report - 65

Chillier weather is starting to impact quality, availability and price in the Brisbane Produce Market as we transition into the cooler months, but that means some great buys on winter crops that are coming into season.
The best buys include Asian vegetables, beans, beetroot, brussels sprouts and great quality zucchini, which has dropped in price.
Carrots have increased in price and most other vegetable lines have remained firm this week including cauliflower, capsicum, eggplant, fennel, leeks, snow peas, silverbeet, squash and mushrooms.
Celery is also firm in price, but not great quality. Lucky shoppers may find some parsnips in their local fruit shop, but they can expect to pay a premium as these are in very short supply.
You will also find broccoli to have firmed in price, but the quality is outstanding and well worth a few extra cents.
Onions and potatoes are reasonable in price for good quality produce and prices have dropped on sweet potato and pumpkin.
Some of the staples of the salad aisle are in very short supply this week. Tomatoes and avocadoes are both expensive and avocadoes will likely be less than ripe so buy early and keep them on your bench so they can ripen up for use later in the week.
Luckily for salad lovers, lettuce, mixed leaf and cucumbers have all dropped in price to even things out. Eshallots remain firm and all herbs are reasonably priced, although coriander and basil may be in short supply.
There are plenty of reasonably priced, seasonal fruits on Your Local Fruit Shop shelves including limes, new season imperial mandarins, plums, pineapples and Queensland navel oranges, which have recently appeared in the Market, although the imported Californian variety is still better quality, but will cost a little more.
Lemons have dropped in price and, like pears, are really good quality and a great buy.
As the temperature drops bananas have firmed in price, joined by end of season grapes.
Strawberries are fair in quality and customers will be lucky to find imported New Zealand blueberries in some stores, but both berry lines are expensive.
Other fruit ranges that are on the expensive side include kiwifruit, watermelon, honey dew melon, passionfruit, paw paw and mangoes from Mexico.
Trusty apples are reasonably priced, but more expensive for the Jazz variety and shoppers will also find custard apples that are of good quality.
Queensland figs and rocklemons are firmly priced to round out the fruit aisle.
There are plenty of exotic fruits still available with persimmons, dragon fruit, feijoas and rambutans all available and of good quality.