Super May: it’s all happening in the fruit world as the complexity of seasonal changes really gets interesting in May. Spanish peaches, nectarines and apricots; Asian and African mangoes; southern hemisphere pears, apples, grapefruit and avocados; homegrown strawberries and the first Spanish melons are all in the shops. Depending on the fruit types, flavours and sweetness will not always be at their peak due to early varieties, but there will be a freshness and zing to their taste. Of major fruit groups, it’s now only the start of new season plums, grapes, oranges and clementines that we await!
FOR OUR FRUITBOWL, WE HAVE BOUGHT:
- Mangoes: Indian Alphonse and Kesar, Thai Mahachanok;
- Strawberries: Driscoll Lusa / Elizabeth from UK;
- Blueberries: Moroccan, such as Mayra, Kirra and Rocio;
- Raspberries: Moroccan and Portuguese;
- Pears: Taylor’s Gold, Comice, Packhams and Forelle;
- Satsumas: Okitsu from Peru; Mihowase from South Africa;
- Apples: Smitten from New Zealand;
- Persimmon: Triumph from South Africa;
- Peaches & Nectarines: Egyptian and Spanish.
Mangoes: Tesco and Morrisons are selling boxes of Kesar from India (at £6-6.50), which are well worth buying to experience the real taste of mangoes. Try to select boxes emitting a good aroma, as no aroma often means no maturity. Alternatively, look for the delicious Alphonse at Asian groceries, or head for M&S who have switched to Mahachanok from Thailand, somewhat pricey at £3.50 each, but another sublime variety. Flavour of all these is difficult to beat.
Otherwise, Kent and Keitt from various sources are the main supermarket choice: mostly from Peru, but also from Côte d`Ivoire and Costa Rica.
Strawberries: UK strawberries are mainly the varieties Malling Centenary and Fleurette. These have had good flavour and sweetness, but if supermarkets have a premium pack, they are currently choosing Driscoll Lusa and Elizabeth, both very tasty.
Blueberries: With plentiful supplies from Spain, Portugal and Morocco, the quality of blueberries should be wonderful. It is most of the time, but it’s still worth quickly checking for softness as they come out of the punnet. The sweetest are the newer varieties such as Kirra, Mayra, Blue Aroma, Celeste and Eureka, many from Morocco, though Rocio has also been very good.
Raspberries: Excellent quality raspberries are now plentiful from Morocco, Spain and Portugal. Mostly, the varieties seem to be the newer types with less acidity and greater firmness.
Pears: May is a great time for southern hemisphere pears, now with choice expanded by Taylor’s Gold from New Zealand and crispy Forelle from South Africa. Others to try are Green Williams, Packham’s Triumph, D’Anjou and Comice, all of which need to soften before eating; while Abaté Fétèl is good as a crisp or soft pear.
Satsumas: South African satsumas (cv. Miho Wase) are in all supermarkets at the moment and are deliciously sweet, tangy, juicy and soft. Peruvian Okitsu, which tends to be slightly flatter and sweeter, is occasionally on sale in Tesco.
Apples: To add to Cox from New Zealand and Royal Gala from South Africa and Chile, other mainstream varieties are now starting from southern hemisphere, such as Pink Lady, Jazz and Braeburn; Golden Delicious and Granny Smith. A particular favourite is New Zealand Smitten, now in M&S and Waitrose, which has a very attractive taste/texture combination.
Persimmon: Most major supermarkets are now selling South African Triumph, which is a lovely, sweet fruit, though cosmetically is a little dull in external colour.
Peaches and Nectarines: Egyptian and Spanish peaches and nectarines are available in most stores. The varieties are the first of the season, so don’t expect the organoleptic opulence of mid-summer! If allowed to soften, these will be pleasantly aromatic with light sweetness and some acid tang in the background to wake-up the taste buds!
Apricots: The first apricot varieties of the season from Spain are in most stores.
Cherries: Early cherries have been spotted in M&S and Sainsbury’s and will be in most stores soon (presently from USA).
Blackberries: While fruit from Mexico and Guatemala is still in most stores, Dutch and British blackberries will become more widespread over the next week or two: currently, Lidl, M&S, Tesco and Waitrose have the new, sweet variety, Driscoll Victoria.
Melons: After the long winter season from South America, several supermarkets are stocking the first fruit of the Spanish season, which seems very acceptable so far .
Avocados: The green-skin Fuerte is still available (in Tesco, Sainsbury’s and Waitrose), though South African and Kenyan Hass has now joined the choice of avocados. Quality is good.
Kiwis: Fans of yellow kiwis will be pleased to know that Sungold is back on Waitrose shelves, from New Zealand. All green Hayward kiwis on sale are still from Italy or Greece.
Figs: Soft, sticky Evita figs from South Africa are the main variety available, with Peruvian Toro Sentado in Waitrose: both a delicious treat.
Papaya: Small papaya from Jamaica (variety Solo) and Brazil (variety Golden) are really flavoursome.
Oranges: Good quality Spanish late navels continue with Chislett, Powell and Lane Late, as does the excellent Sicilian Tarocco blood orange (seen lately in M&S, Morrisons, Tesco and Waitrose).
An interesting newcomer is the late harvest Barberina orange from Spain (seen in Asda, M&S and Waitrose). This is a version of Valencia Late, but purported to have lower acids and higher sugars, which makes it worth trying. Valencia Lates (and Maroc Lates) are in all stores from Spain, Morocco, Turkey and Egypt. While flavoursome, these will be slightly more tangy and raggy than navels, so to ensure you know which you are buying, check the labels for the variety name!
Grapes: Grapes are very much in a transition period before the Mediterranean season starts from Egypt. While we wait for the first green grapes, Brazil has become more of a source in some supermarkets (e.g. Waitrose with Sugar Crisp). Varieties of all types are becoming slightly tired with the stems often drying from long storage, although the berries are still generally good to eat.
Mandarins: Nadorcott, Murcott and Orri are the only clementine types on sale as we wait for the South African season to start. These are increasingly losing their flavour as acids diminish, but are still sweet and with good texture.
Plums: Flavorfall, Crimson Fall and September Yummy, should be superior to the standard Angelino, though none are exciting. The Spanish season is around the corner!
11th May, 2018
©Good Fruit Guide 2018. Information and data published on www.goodfruitguide.co.uk must not be reproduced or copied without permission of the editor. Recommendations on fruit varieties and types with the very best taste are personal to the editor of Good Fruit Guide, and do not attempt to be exhaustive or supported by verifiable consumer research. The highlighting of fruit with the very best taste in the opinion of the editor is not intended as a judgement on the taste of varieties and types of fruit not mentioned.