The new season Royal Gala apples are grown in Shepparton, which has experienced a very hot summer this year. Apparently the apple growers have lost a large proportion of the apples on the outside of the trees because of the heat. The apples further inside the tree are ok, and they are the ones sent to market. So this week, there are new season Royal Gala apples available, and old season Granny Smith. No new season Pink Lady apples for about another month or so. Nashi Pears are also back on the menu this week, as are cauliflower. Still plenty of other season fruit around: Grapes, cantaloupe, pineapple, clingstone peaches, white nectarines and william pears. This week’s early bird coupon code for a 5% discount is: CC66

Have a great week!

Cheers, Michael  

Quite a lot to report after the first week of deliveries for the year.

The heat is taking its toll on the quality of greens, particularly those grown in South Australia. My supplier has warned me that the continental cucumbers may turn yellow within a few days of purchase. For that reason, I have taken them off, and only offering the lebanese variety this week.

Won’t be offering strawberries either, they are all grown in the Yarra Valley, if it’s not the heat they have to deal with, it’s the thunderstorms and hail they experienced last Wednesday afternoon.

William Pears are back on the menu, they are the variety that ripen very quickly, and change colour from green to yellow. Best to keep them in the fridge if you want them to last the week (pull them out of the fridge a day or two before you plan to eat them).

Yellow nectarines are in short supply, so switching over to the white variety this week. Clingstone peaches are in full swing, and plums are also a good option at this time of the year.

Still only two apple varieties available (Pink Lady and Granny Smith), both are old season. New season Royal Gala still a couple of weeks away.

That’s it for this week’s update, feel like I’ve written a short story.

This week’s early bird coupon code for a 5% discount is: CC55

Have a great week!

Cheers, Michael

Happy New Year to all, deliveries resume on Tuesday 29th January, immediately after the long weekend. I’ve been in touch with my suppliers, there are plenty of seasonal fruits around; green grapes, plums, clingstone peaches, yellow nectarines and seedless watermelon.

No new season apples yet, just the old season pink lady and granny smith varieties. New season royal gala are still a few weeks away.

I’m looking forward to getting back into the swing of things, and supplying you with the freshest seasonal fruits and veggies.

The online store is now open for deliveries on Tuesday and Wednesday of next week.

The early bird coupon code for a 5% discount is CC44

Have a great long weekend!

Cheers, Michael

 

There are plenty of summer fruits around at the moment. Will check out the cherries this week, if they are good enough, might even offer them the following week, which is our last delivery for the year.

So, two more delivery weeks to go, then we close down until immediately after the Australia Day long weekend.

This week’s early bird coupon code for a 5% discount is CC22

Have a great week!

Cheers, Michael

Pre-cooked baby love beets combined with a handful of salad mix, cherry tomatoes, avocado, slices of cucumber and sprinkles of salad seeds makes for a very quick and healthy meal.

Just a reminder that there are no new season apples yet. The best choice at the moment is either the pink lady or the granny smith varieties. The Packham Pears are also getting towards the end of the season, but still worth buying.

Best of the seasonal fruits are the peaches, nectarines and apricots.

This week’s early bird coupon code for a 5% discount is CC99

Have a great week!

Michael

 

 

 

Passion fruit has been in between seasons, and in short supply for the past month. Supply has picked up, and the price has dropped, so it’s available this coming week.

I started apricots from Rode in South Australia late last week, after trying one at the market last Tuesday. Really delicious, and a reasonable size (52mm).

So, plenty of new season fruit available: yellow nectarines, white peaches, apricots, cantaloupe, pineapple, watermelon and passion fruit.

The local strawberries have been a bit up and down, this cold and wet weather is not helping them. Eat them quickly is my advice.

This week’s early bird coupon code for a 5% discount is CC88

Have a great week!

Michael

The first of the Queensland mangoes from Bowen will be available this coming week. They will be a bit on the green side, so they won’t be able to be eaten straight away.

Last week’s seedless watermelon was pretty good. It comes from Ayr in Queensland which produces about 1/3 of all watermelon grown in Australia.

Local strawberries should be excellent, as the humidity has been lower than the week before.

Green kiwifruit has finished, as has nashi pears and jazz apples

This week’s early bird coupon code for a 5% discount is CC77

Have a great week!

Michael

Over the last few weeks, green beans coming down from Queensland have been of poor quality because of the amount of rain they’ve had up there. Apparently the rain has eased, and the quality has improved.

Local strawberries have also had to deal with rain, followed by warm and humid conditions. These weather patterns are a recipe for poor quality, and a shorter shelf life. So the advice from the grower is to eat the strawberries within a day or so of getting them.

The Northern Territory mango season is coming to an end. My supplier is expecting a final shipment from Katherine, early next week. After the Northern Territory mangoes finish, it shouldn’t be too long before the Queensland ones begin.

The Queensland watermelon season began a couple of weeks ago. They’re cutting quite nicely, so time to begin supplying them again.

Please also note, that all apples are picked in autumn, so the apples that are currently being supplied have been in storage for quite some time now. As it gets later and later in the season, the quality deteriorates. Best to stick with Pink Lady or Granny Smith apples at this time of the year. These apples are lower in sugar, and keep better for longer.

This week’s early bird coupon code for a 5% discount is CC66

Have a great week!

Michael