Prime N.Z. oranges plentiful

Press, 7 September 1984, Page 2

Prime N.Z. oranges plentiful

New Zealand oranges are at their best at present and supplies are plentiful at Christchurch produce markets. The height of the season has been reached for navel oranges, which arrived last month, with quality matching quantity. Floor prices yesterday ranged from $l4 to $23 a bushel. Limited supplies of Australian navel oranges were also available in some shops at a retail price of $1.78 a kilogram.

Other citrus lines were also available and of good quality. They included tangelos, at $l6 to $22 a bushel, and New Zealand grapefruit, or- goldfruit, at $7 to $l4 a bushel. Lemons remained scarce this week and yesterday’s prices were to $22 a bushel. The first of the season’s strawberries arrived in Christchurch, a sign that summer is just around the comer. The price was high at $5.80 a punnet. Avocados were available at $25 to $3O a tray of up to 24, and excellent quality kiwifruit from the North Island fetched $l3, to $l5 a half-case and up to $3O a bushel. Tomatoes met a good demand although, perhaps to cover freighting costs from Auckland, they were quite expensive. A 7kg carton sold to $39.80 and a 4.5 kg carton to $25.

Good supplies of all vegetables , were available this week.

Broccoli fetched $4 to $7.50 a case, parsnips $1.50 to $5 a bag, and leeks $1.50 to $5 a case.

Good quality asparagus from the Waikato district was $32 to $37 a 7kg carton. The local season for asparagus is not due for several weeks yet. Silverbeet was fully supplied and priced accordingly at $1 to $4 a case, while the best of the hot-house spinach was up to $7 a halfcase.

Good quality cauliflowers were scarce and the best were up to $10.60 for a bag of about eight. Celery

varied in quality and price at $3 to $lO a case, as did carrots, at $3 to $9 a bag. Oamaru brussels sprouts were plentiful and sold for $5 to $6.50 a bag and lettuce prices firmed to $5 to $l2 a case.

Cucumbers were available, although quite expensive, with telegraphs fetching $lO to $l5 a quartercase, and shorts, from Australia, fetching to $5O a carton of about 10kg. Good supplies of Dargaville kumara came forward at $l4 to $lB a bushel as did Pukekohe new potatoes at $l7 a 20kg bag. Southland

swedes were $4 to $5 a bag and good crown pumpkins were still available at $3 to $5 a bag. Butternuts were $7 to $l3 a bag and buttercups were $4 to $6 a bag. Supplies of Tongan capsicums arrived this week and fetched $26 to $29 a halfcase. Today’s recipe ORANGE STUFFING FOR POULTRY 2 to 3 tablespoons orange juice Hi cup soft breadcrumbs "A teaspoon salt 1 tablespoon grated orange rind ‘A cup seedless raisins 1 beaten egg Method: Chop the raisins roughly and mix all ingredients. Use just enough beaten egg to moisten the mixture.