Limited variety of new season apples of good quality

Press, 28 January 1988, Page 18

Limited variety of new season apples of good quality

New season apples arrived on Christchurch markets yesterday, and although variety isi limited, quality is said to be good. Albany Beauty sold well for $12.50 a 15kg crate, Gratia Beauty for $13.50, and Gravenstein for $10.40. Better quantities and other varieties are expected in the next few weeks. Supplies of tomatoes have not come forward as expected, and prices are firm. Outdoor tomatoes are now not expected in any quantity for another month, as last week’s strong wind set them back a bit. Local tomatoes sold from $lO to $l2 for 4.5 kg, Nelson tomatoes $9 to $11.50, Outdoor $6 to $7.50, Blenheim $9.50 to $l2, Kakanui $lO to $ll for 4kg, and Auckland tomatoes from $l2 to $l4 for 7kg. Stone fruit was in good supply, and the quality excellent — better than other years, said one market. With the drier December, nectarines are highly coloured and the flavour is good. They sold for $1.20 to $1.30 a kilogram, and $4 to $6 a tray. Moorpark apricots are coming forward in greater quantities from Central Otago, and sold for $1 to $2.20 a kilogram.

There were good supplies of juicy and succulent plums, and they sold from $1 to $2.50 a kg. Local peaches are appearing more, and prices have drpped to $1 to $1.50 a kg and $5 to $9 a tray. Avocados sold for 40 to 70 cents each, kiwifruit from $2 to $3.60 a kg and grapefruit at $2O a 17kg carton. Berry fruits are in short supply between crops, but some good strawberries have been available, fairly highly priced. Blackberries sold at $l6 for 12 punnets, boysenberries $l7, raspberries $l6 to $lB, strawberries $l6 to $22.60 and blueberries at $l5. Large quantities of New Zealand watermelons were about and sold from $1 to $1.20 a kilogram. Bigger quantities are expected, and prices should drop in the next week or two. Rockmelons from Australia and the North Island were in good supply, and the first of the musk melons were available this week. There were good supplies of both red and green peppers, with reds selling at $6 to $8 a kilogram, yellows at $B, and greens at $2 to $3. There was not much eggplant about as the Australian season has finished, and New Zealand’s has not started. What there was at the market

sold for $4.50 a kilogram. Cucumbers were in full supply, particularly the popular shorts. Apple cucumbers sold for 40 cents each, shorts for 40 to 60 cents and telegraphs from 50 cents to $1.50. There were a few beans about, but the quality was a bit poor. The good beans, however, sold well. Butter beans went for $5 to $8 for 3kg, runner beans $4 to $6 for 4 kg, and stringless beans from $4 to $lB for skg. The quality of mushrooms is excellent, and they were selling better than ever at $l3 for 3kg. Cauliflowers are short as it is very difficult to get good white ones when the weather is warm. They sold from $2 to $9 for a bag of eight. Carrots and cabbages were cheap, with carrots selling from $5 to $8 for 20kg, and cabbages from $3 to $5 for a bag of eight. Red cabbages were $4. Courgettes were in better quantity and at a better price of 70c a kilogram. Sweet corn was in better supply, and sold from 20 to 25 cents a cob. FLOWERS Valentine’s Day is approaching, and flower growers are hoping they will have enough to supply the demand. “Throughout the coun-

try, people feel they’ll have enough, but are not sure,” said a Christchurch flower auctioneer, Mr Tim Armstrong.

The flower auction will start “a wee bit early” that week, "so florists can get away and get their work done,” he said. Flowers were in plentiful supply at this week’s market. The shortage of chrysanthemums. has cleared, and they sold from $1 to $2.50 for five. Carnations went from $2 to $4.50 for 10 and gypsophila for up to $4 a bunch. Bells of Ireland are good quality this year, probably because the weather was not so hot in December. For statices too, it has been one of the best growing years yet, said Mr Armstrong. “They’re clean, strong — they’ve got everything.” The market was in general far more buoyant than usual for this time of year, he said. New to the market were gentianas, which sold from $3 to $3.50 for five. These are grown mostly for the Japanese market, but are starting to come through on the local market. They come mostly from Temuka and Ashburton, and are blue in colour. Today’s recipe CHINESE STYLE APPLE PORK 500 grams lean pork pieces 3 tabispn seasoned flour 4 tabispn cooking oil 1 cup Apple Juice and Orange 14 cup apple sauce 2 tablesp soya sauce 1 small cucumber 1 small green pepper y 2 cup pineapple pieces 1 apple 2 spring onions (scallions) Coat the pork pieces with seasoned flour. Shake off excess. Put oil into a pan then brown the meat. Lower the heat. Add the apple juice and orange, the apple sauce and soya sauce then simmer for a further 30 minutes.