Fruit and vegetables Home gardens affect demand at market

Press, 30 January 1981, Page 2

Fruit and vegetables Home gardens affect demand at market

Home gardeners growing their own vegetables this summer have been so well rewarded with good crops, thanks to the warm, su,nny weather, that they have not needed to buy as m ch produce as usual for this time of the year. This has led to a slack market, with plenty of everything and a lukewarm demand. Consequently, prices for all fruit and vegeitables are low this week. i As well as the exceptionally good harvest to be found ’in : any back gardens in Christchurch, another possible cause for the slow market is the continuing warm weather, which tends to deter peopie from cooking vegetables to have with meals.

Salad vegetables ere the only ones selling well, lettuces, tomatoes, cucumbers, radishes, and spring onions being most in demand. Tomatoes are plentiful now, with the best quality ones fetching good prices. A quantity of ripe, firm, glasshouse fruit was selling at $4 to $6 a 4.5 kg case.

Celery is still plentiful, selling this week .torn $3 to $5.50 a carton, and carrots are plentiful, selling at $2.50 to $3.50 a bag. Potatoes are also plentiful and are selling very slowly at $1.60 to $3 a bag, and courgettes, at the height of their season, are selling for $2 to $4 a case.

Green and butter beans are getting under way now, selling from 50c to $3.50 a half-case, and pumpkins, which were initially quite high in price when the new season’s supply first arrived at the market last week, have settled down in price again, and were selling for $4 to $6 a bag and 35c a kilogram. The first of the local parsnips arrived at the market yesterday, and were selling for $2."0 a bag. Both green and red peppers were plentiful and were selling at $4 to $5 for a half-case. They should reach

their peak within the next fortnight. Apricots, peaches, plums, and nectarines are all in excellent supply, with prices low for bottling and jam; fruit, while best quality fruit; is fetching slightly higher prices.

The best apricots were selling for up to $8 a halfcase. while there were a tremendous amount selling for $2 to $5 a half-case.

The best plums sold for up to $12.30 a half-case, while bottling and jam varieties sold for $1.50 to $5 a half-case. All varieties of peaches were available,, with trays selling for $1.50 to $4. and half-cases selling for $3 to $4.50. Nectarines were selling for $2 to $5 a quartercase. The berry fruit season is well past its peak, although!

■ some quantities of strawberries, boysenberries, and [raspberries are available. ■ Strawberries were selling for 80c to $1.30 a punnet, raspberries were $1.20 a punnet, and boysenberries were 75c to 92c a punnet. Bananas are nearing the end of their supply, but another shipment is due to arrive tomorrow and the fruit should reach the shops by Tuesday. However, it will be green at first, and will need ripening.

This week’s recipe CUCUMBER SALAD 1 cucumber Chives 1 tablespoon vinegar Pinch pepper 2 spring onions 3 tablespoons oil j teaspoon salt Pinch dry mustard Method: Peel half-inch strips from the cucumber to give a striped effect. Slice cucumber thinly. Slice spring onions very fine. Arrange cucumber in a serving dish and scatter onion and chopped chives over the top. Mix oil, vinegar, and seasonings together and spoon over the salad, chill before serving. Cucumber salad goes equally well with cold meats or a grill and would be ideal for a barbecue accompaniment.