Buying fruit and veg out of season is a fast way to burn money (and eat flavorless food). Imported produce carries high transport costs. Here is your shopping list for an Australian Summer.
Fruits (The Sweet Spot)
- Mangoes: The kings of summer. Look for tray specials in December/January.
- Stone Fruit: Peaches, Nectarines, Apricots, Plums. Best value from Jan-Feb.
- Berries: Strawberries and Blueberries plummet in price during summer gluts. Freeze them now for winter smoothies!
- Melons: Watermelon and Rockmelon are abundant and cheap.
- Grapes: Table grapes season kicks off properly in late summer.
Vegetables
- Tomatoes: Bursting with flavour now. Great for salads and sauces.
- Capsicums: Red and Green are widely available.
- Cucumbers: Lebanese and Continental varieties are cheap.
- Eggplant: Perfect for BBQs or curries.
- Corn: Sweet corn cobs are at their sweetest and cheapest.
Avoid: Apples and Pears (mostly cold storage from last autumn), Broccoli and Cauliflower (these are winter crops and will be expensive/poor quality).