Tamarillos versatile raw and cooked

Press, 1 May 1981, Page 2

Tamarillos versatile raw and cooked

Ripe red tamarillos, which are grown commercially only in New Zealand, are plentiful and reasonably priced now that their season is under way. Originally native to South America, tamarillos are now grown in big quantities in the North Island, in places like Keri Keri, and (are brought to Christchurch by rail. Yesterday- thCy sold forslo to $l5 a half-case at the markets, and for $1.50 to $1,79 a kilogram in the shops. They may' become cheaper this . month or in June but their present price compares well with their price last year considering that railfreight' charges have risen considerably since then.

The tamarillo season starts at the beginning of April and, with cool storage, lasts until the end of September.

'Tamarillos are classified as a citrus fruit. Their vitamin C content is higher than that of oranges or tomatoes and their sugar content is low.

They are a versatile fruit and can be eaten raw, in salads or casseroles, baked

in the oven around a roast, grilled with a steak, bottled, frozen, or used in jams or chiitnies.

Because they,are highly Eerishable, tamarillos must e air frieghted when exported overseas which means that they are high-priced when they arrive at their destination. This means that they are usuaily-, sold to higher-income groups' in the countries they are exported to.

Annual exports of tamarillos have increased slowly’in the last 10 years but the fruit does not yet have the popularity of kiwifruit.

Now that winter is near, traditional winter fruits such as kiwifruit and feijoas are dropping in price and are becoming more plentiful. Kiwifruit sold yesterday for about $l4 a half-case and for up to $lO a tray. Feijoas fetched about $lO a half-case.

Cape gooseberries were $6 to $7 a half-case, pepinos were $4 to $7 a half-case, and grapes from the North Island were $ll to $l3 a 2.5 kg box. Last week, local white grapes sold for as little as $6 a 4.5 kg box, which explains

the wide disparity in grape prices in the shops this week.’ ’ A fevy. strawberries are still coming through but they are not nearly as tasty as in the height of their season,. Yesterday sta.vberries were from 65c to $1.02 a punnet at the markets. Onions continue to fetch a higlt price. About 500 tonnes of Canterbury-grown onions 'were exported to Japan and the islands a month ago, the biggest such export shipment for eight years. / , Consequently, Ibcal prices' for onions have risen in the last few weeks up to $l2 a 20kg bag. Last year they' were about $3 or $4 a bag. But their retail price of about 70c a kg, while much higher than in the past, should still be affordable. Onions are expected to stay at about this price throughout the winter. .One of the main reasons for the big export shipment is that there is a world shortage of onions this year. Tomatoes have increased slightly in price this week and sold at the markets for up to $10.50 a carton. The outdoor-grown tomatoes

have finished their season; all the ones at ; the markets were glasshouse-grown. Courgettes have also risen slightly in price because their, outdoor season is virtually over, too. They sold for $6 to $2l a half-case. Cabbages and cauliflowers are a good buy now: cabbages sold for $1.50 to $4 a bag for eight, and cauliflowers for $2.50 to $5.60 a bag of eight. Lettuces were also reasonably priced at $1.50 to $4 for a case of eight. Spring onions, radishes, and parsley are all plentiful. Celery varied in quality considerably, selling at $6.60 a case

for the best and $2 a case for the worst. Brussels sprouts have dropped in price again after their brief shortage last week. Yesterday they were $4 to $7.40 for a 7kg bag; a week ago they were up to $lO for the same-sized bag. Silver beet is plentiful at $1 to $2.50 a case and so are Southland swedes at up to $4 a case. Parsnips fetched about $3 a bag and carrots about $3 a bag. This week’s recipe Tamarillo steak 6 tamarillos 3 onions

700 g of chuck steak Flour i 4 carrots Salt and pepper 1 lemon 1 cup stock Breadcumbs. Method: Skin and slice tamarillos. Place half in the bottom of an ovenware dish. Cover with onion slices. Place steak on top of this, cubed and floured. Add remaining tamarillos and sliced carrots. Pour over stock and add seasonings. Cover with breadcrumbs and lemon slices. Bake in a moderate oven for two hours.

Preserving tamarillos Tamarillos need to be bot-

tied in a heavy syrup (IVa cups sugar to 2 cups water). Remove skins first by immersing fruit in boiling water. Skins will pull off easily. Simmer tamarillos in syrup until tender, then bottle using overflow method. To freeze tamarillos, the cooled, stewed fruit may be placed in suitable containers in the freezer. Raw fruit, with skins removed, may be sliced and sprinkled generously with sugar before being placed in plastic bags and sealed.