Fresh Produce Report 14 December

With all the additional tantalising foods being eaten as Christmas falls this week, there are still plenty of healthy, tasty, low kilojoule foods to serve up from the vegetable section that are at rock bottom prices.

Budget Christmas roasts could include cheap Australian capsicum, carrots, onions, pumpkins, beetroot, zucchinis and even potatoes, with the low carbohydrate belitta potato now on greengrocers’ shelves.

There are plenty of cheap greens including machine picked beans, snowpeas and zucchinis.

Sweet corn is cheap although the supplies of broccoli and cauliflower are weather affected and expensive.

In the salad lines, hass avocados, cucumbers, celery and the full variety of tomatoes are of great quality and cheap.

All varieties of lettuce and salad mix are storing well but have firmed in price.

There is a wide selection of fresh herbs for flavour and garnish.

Bananas and watermelon are the cheapest they have been for years.

Watch for other Christmas table specials including mangoes, lychees, rockmelon, blueberries, peaches and nectarines. Wilson plums are in season as are cheap valencia oranges.

The quality of cherries, strawberries and apricots is a mixed bag so the fruit should be tried before buying.

Family staples such as apples, pears and naval oranges are firming in price.

Papaw, raspberries, limes and passionfruit remain expensive while strawberries are of varied quality but medium in price.

Topless pineapples are affordable and eating well. When choosing a pineapple, if it smells sweet, then it's ready.

If it has no scent, it's not ripe. If it smells fermented, it's overripe. It should never be soft and spongy to the touch.