Produce scene U.S. apples, pears available soon

Press, 10 November 1978, Page 2

Produce scene U.S. apples, pears available soon

Christchurch can expect a continuous supply of import ied apples and pears unti Christmas. The first ship ment of American apple: and pears to New Zealam this year was unloadec yesterday and will be available in shops on Tuesday. The apples, bright Red Delicious, and the pears. D’ Anjou, were loaded at Washington on October 18. They will sell in shops for $1.39 a kg, and $1.28 a kg respectively. This is about the same price as last year, and twice the price of New Zealand apples now being sold from cool stores. Another shipment will arrive in December. Sturmer apples will be released to shops on Monday, and Golden Delicious are already on the shelvesShow week weather has not been up to ils usual brilliance and so demand for salad vegetables at the market late this week was not as marked as growers had

expected. However, demand vas still strong. Prices of lettuces and tonatoes were down as a reult: 7kg cartons of North sland tomatoes which sold or as much as $l7 last .veek were down to, $l2 for he same grade on Thursday Lettuce, still up to $3 a case •vas cheaper than last week. A big supply of cucumbers sold a little more cheaply

than last week: the best quality at the end of this week cost from $7.50 to $8.50 a carton.

Asparagus, nearing the end of its season, has firmed in price. On Wednesday it sold from 35c to 60c a bunch, and loose, from $1.20 to $1.60 a kg.

Cabbage is still coming mainly from the North Island although considerable quantities of local early hybrid varieties are appearing Prices are much the same as last week: North Island cabbages reaching up to $7.30 a bag, and hybrids selling from $1 to s3.3o’a bag.

Most carrots are now new season’s varieties, coming from Pukekohe and Hawke’s Bay. Demand is strong. Prices have been steady' all week at up to $B.lO a bag. New season's young marrows are appearing again in increasing quantities and are popular. There are still good supplies of local old potatoes. They sold this week from $3 to $4 a bag. New potatoes are coming from Pukekohe and Nelson, and selling from $5 to $6 a bag. Local new potatoes are increasingly available, skg cartons selling from $2.25 to $3.20 each. Pumpkins, kumaras, and.

buttercups are nearing the end of their season. Kumaras sold for as much as $l4 a carton late this week. New spring parnsnips, into their second week, are in strong demand and selling for up to $7 a bag. • The swede season is almost over, but demand is still steady. Swedes sold last week from $2 to $3 a bag. Supplies of strawberries are abundant, and prices have fallen a little although demand is still strong. On Friday, punnets sold from 70c to 83c. Grapes, Australian Valencia oranges, and Ecuadorean bananas will be plentiful next. week. A shipment of Tongan watermelon was very popular this week. Taro, in the same ship, sold from $l6 to $lB a case. More watermelon is expected on November 17 at Timaru in the Frysma.

Mangoes, paw paw and; egg plant, air-freighted from; Fiji, are also available. The first cherries of the) season have been delayed by had weather. They are ex-' pected from Hawke’s Bay in, another week or 10 days. I CARROT AND COTTAGE CHEESE SALAD 6 medium-sized fresh car-! rots, shredded 1 cup cottage cheese Itablespoon finely chopped) onion 11 teaspoons salt 1/16 teaspoon ground black pepper 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice Lettuce Mayonnaise Grated fresh carrots for garnish. Method: Combine first six ingredients, arrange on bed of lettuce, serve with may-; onnaise and garnish with! ring of fresh grated carrot. I