What's fresh and great buying this week at your local New World?
FRESH IN: There is a great variety of yellow-fleshed peaches in supermarkets and soon, lunchbox-sized flatto golds from Central Otago. Although never too prolific, old-school blackboy peaches will also be making an appearance in the weeks ahead plus various types of plums from the Hawkes Bay continue to be a deliciously good buy. Tomatoes, eggplants and round beans are especially good buying and pumpkin prices are lowering too. There’s a bunch of perfectly soft new-season pear varietals available in store.
Coconut scented oven roasted pears
Pears are generally freely available until around November and are harvested, much like apples, in February and March. Talking of which, there’s plentiful Yummy SweeTango apples in New World stores too. “Grown in the warmth of the Hawkes Bay the deliciously sweet, yet tangy, Yummy SweeTango apple is a tasty buy. If you’re after a crisp crunchy apple, look no further; the SweeTango holds the Guinness World Record for the loudest apple crunch,” says New World Fresh Expert Brigit Corson. Gala apples are very pocket-friendly and should be on everyone’s shopping list now. Cabbages are affordable again. Local rockmelons and Peruvian mangoes are all excellent buying and so refreshing in the heat.
LOOK FOR: small quantities of greengage plums from Central Otago and, from farmers’ markets, outdoor grapes — including muscats and tight bunches of super flavoursome champagne grapes. Passionfruit’s are available and feijoa season is just around the corner with peak season kickstarting in March.
MOVING ON: Apricots have been top notch but the season will draw to a close soon. Not exactly moving on, more a little moving down — “with more exceptionally hot and dry weather on the way you’ll notice a few supply issues with salad greens, fruit and other veg. Fingers crossed we’ll see some rain soon which will see crops flourish,” says Brigit.