Gooseberries are again becoming popular

Press, 7 January 1983, Page 2

Gooseberries are again becoming popular

Gooseberries are now being sought by another generation.

The fruit is again finding favour with shoppers. Once a gooseberry bush was a feature of many back-yards, but now it is tended in market gardens. Nelson growers have been packaging the fruit for the Christchurch market and some local supplies are also offered. The gooseberry season in now tailiing off, having started in late October.

A wide range of other berry fruit is on sale to take its place in jams, desserts, cakes, and fresh snacks. Boysenberries, raspberries, and strawberries are supplemented by the black currants and red currants.

Blackberries have a long season. Like raspberries they are available until April. Other varieties finish later this month or in February. This week, strawberries were scarce and market prices were pushed to $l5 to $2O a tray. Punnet prices rose to $1.30 to $l.BO.

Raspberries were cheaper at $ll to $13.60 a tray or $1 to $1.30 a punnet. A fresh shipment of Ecuadorean bananas is expected, also a , cargo of Fijian pawpaw.

Californian lemons and oranges add to the local citrus fruit supplies and stone fruit prices are dropping as more produce arrives from Hawke’s Bay and Blenheim.

Nectarines cost $2.50 to $3.80 a kilogram, $8 to $l5 a tray and $l5 to $25 a case. Peaches realised $6 to $8 a tray and apricots sold for $4 to $9.40 a half case.

Plums sold by the half case for $8 to' $l2, and avocados at $1.20 to $2 each.

A good range of quality cherries, particularly the popular Dawson’s variety, was offered. The cherries sold to $l3 for 4kg cartons. Vegetables were plentiful. However, some produce

failed to come forward as expected because of recent overcast weather.

Tomato prices rose to $7.50 and $lO a 4.5 kg case or $1.30 and $2.50 a kilogram. Cucumbers were also scarce and cost $ll a half-case.

The first of the season’s sweet corn cost 40c a cob.

Lettuces realised $1 to $3. Celery varied in size and quality from $4 to $l6 a case. Salad lines sold well, but radish supplies were abundant and prices remained

low at $1 to $4.50 a dozen. Spring onions sold for $2 to $6 and parlsey at $l.BO a bunch. Rhubarb cost $3 to $5 a bag, spinach $6 to $9 a case and silverbeet $3 to $8 a case. Red onions realised $5 to $6.50 a kilogram and the last of the old onions $1.50 to $2.50 a bag. New season’s onions from Pukekohoe sold for $6.50 to $7.50 a bag. The first supply of kumara since Christmas arrived on Wednesday and fetched to $36 a case. Local potatoes cost $5 to $6 a 20-kilogram bag and Oamaru kidney Sotatoes were to $6 a bag. lew season's pumpkins made to $44 a bag. The buttercup variety cost $22 a bag. This week’s recipe GOOSEBERRY FOOL 250 gm gooseberries 3 tbsp sugar -2 egg yolks 3 i cup milk ‘•i cup whipped cream Method: Top and tail berries. wash. Cook in a lidded - saucepan until fruit is soft. Sieve to remove seeds (optional). Sweeten the sieved pulp with one tablespoon of sugar, leave to cool. Heat the milk, mix with remaining sugar and egg yolks. Cook gently, stirring, until the custard thickens, cool. Mix the gooseberries with the custard until blended, fold in the whipped cream to give a mottled effect. Turn in to a serving dish and chill.