Stone fruits in demand

Press, 15 January 1982, Page 2

Stone fruits in demand

Apricots, peaches, and nectarines were plentiful and sold well at Christchurch produce markets yesterday. Jam apricots from Central Otago, Dundons and Roxburgh Reds-, were plentiful and buyers were quick to snap them up. Moorepark and Stevens preserving apricots were also popular. Fruitgrowers expect that next week the season for Roxburgh Reds will be at its height, and good supplies of these apricots are expected at the markets. ' Prices for apricots ranged from $5 to $9.50 a half-case. Peaches from Christchurch, Nelson, and Central Otago were also plentiful at the markets yesterday. The quality of the Dixie Red, Early Glow, and Redhaven peaches was said to be excellent and buyers were paying from $4 to $6 a case for them. The first Sunglow nectarines from Hastings arrived at the markets yesterday and these sold well, as did Early Blaze and Independence nectarines from Nelson and Central Otago. Prices for nectarines ranged from $5 to $8.50 a tray and $8 to $lO a case. Plums were also plentiful, with Early Jewel, Santa Rosa, Shiro, and Purple King varieties all selling well to $8 a case.

Cherries from Central Otago fetched between $ll and $l3 for a 4kg carton. The kiwifruit season has almost finished but there were still some on sale yesterday, fetching between $l9 and $22 a half-case. Goldfruit, which had been scarce earlier this summer, was selling for between $l7 and $26 a bushel. Berry fruits were in adequate supply. Raspberries were $lB a tray, strawberries were $lO to $18.60 a tray, and red currants were $2 a tray. Salad vegetables were the best sellers on the vegetable markets yesterday. Christchurch and Nelson tomatoes proved popular, with prices ranging from $7 to $8.30 a 4.5 kg carton. Cu-

cumbers, another good salad vegetable, have dropped in price slightly. Short cucumbers were fetching between 30c and 45c each, and telegraph cucumbers between 20c and 50c each. Good-quality cauliflowers were also in demand with buyers paying up to $12.20 a bag. Cabbages fetched between $2 and $3.50 a bag. Good supplies of lettuces were snapped up for between $1 and $3.50 a case. Carrots were being bought for between. $6 and $8 a case. Those who like a little taste in their salads will be pleased to know that spring onions and radishes were on sale. Radishes were fetching to $5 a dozen bunches while spring onions were cheaper

at between $2.30 and $3.50 a dozen bunches. Green beans were selling for between $5 and $9 a halfcase and runner beans between $4 and $8 a half-case. Buyers paid between $5 and $8 a bag for new season’s pumpkins and $6 to $lO a bag of new season’s onions. Potatoes cost between $3 and $5 a bag. Other vegetables on sale yesterday were silver beet, which fetched from $3 to $5 a case, and broccoli, which cost between $6.80 and $lO.BO a half-case. Parsley was 40c to $1 a bunch. This week’s recipe PEACHES IN SOUR CREAM 1 peach per person 2 drops vanilla castor sugar toasted flaked almonds 250 gm sugar 325 ml water sour cream, one carton Method: Dissolve sugar in water, add vanilla, and poach the peaches in this syrup for about five minutes. Remove skins and slice into serving bowl. Cover each layer with a generous sprinkle of castor sugar then cover the fruit with a generous amount of sour cream, at least one carton. Before serving, garnish thickly with slivers of toasted almonds.