Brisbane Market Report – 27

Rains in Bowen, Australia's main winter cropping region, may have caused a delay to harvests but as the skies dry, plentiful supplies are now back in the Brisbane Produce Market.

Prices have reduced slightly on beans and capsicums, which are still firmly priced, but you will make some savings after a price falls on broccoli and cauliflower which are value-for-money.

For bargain hunters, there are plenty of reasonable priced beetroot, brussels sprouts and sweet potatoes (also known as kumara) available. The orange fleshed sweet potato varieties usually taste sweeter than the white fleshed varieties.

Expect to pay firm prices for good quality Asian vegetables, imported asparagus, cabbage, celery, eggplant, fennel, leeks, parsnips, snow peas, squash, zucchini, mushrooms, and most unusually, onions, potatoes and pumpkin.

Silverbeet and sweet corn are expensive. Select sweet corn with fresh, green husks. The kernels should be bright, plump and show no signs of wrinkling.

Some salad items will cost you more than usual with Lebanese cucumbers expensive while continental varieties are firmly priced.

Most herbs are reasonably priced but mint, coriander and basil are in short supply resulting in an expensive price tag.

Expect to pay reasonable prices for avocados and lettuce, and firm prices for tomatoes, eshallots, and mixed salad leaves with spinach and rocket harder to find.

Bananas are the cheapest buy of the week but choose wisely since their quality is average along with a duller winter peel. Ripen bananas in a bowl but if you want to keep them longer, you can place them in a refrigerator. The skin will go black but the edible white flesh inside will be great eating.

Fruit lovers have plenty to choose from at a reasonable price including strawberries, mandarins, navel and cara cara oranges, kiwifruit, watermelon, honeydew, pineapples, passionfruit and pawpaw.

Expect to pay firm prices for quality apples, raspberries and blueberries, rockmelon, pears and all USA grown grapes, cherries, peaches, nectarines and plums.

Lemons and limes are expensive.