Week 10, 2016
THIS WEEK:
Northern spring and southern autumn are showing more and more in the fruit on sale, with strawberries, raspberries and blueberries now arriving predominantly from Morocco and Spain, and new season Williams and Abaté Fétèl pears and Satsumas coming in from South Africa.
FOUR FRUIT with FABULOUS FLAVOUR:
- Satsumas – Satsuma from South Africa;
- Mandarins – Nadorcott, Orri and Golden Nugget
- Oranges –Tarocco from Sicily; Lane Late from Spain
- Grapes – Sweet Celebration, Sable and Melody from South Africa
Mandarins: Southern hemisphere Satsumas are just starting with some delicious, though pricy, samples seen in M&S from South Africa: bursting with juice and that metallic sweetness which is so attractive.
The late season European mandarins continue to deliver good sweetness, but are starting to lose their acid balance. Pick of the bunch are Golden Nugget (Asda), Nadorcott, Tangold and Orri.
Oranges: Italian blood oranges are diminishing in availability, but Spanish Navel oranges, such as Lane Late are also very good at the moment.
There are a few Valencia Lates appearing in stores, so be aware that these are quite different to Navels: more tartness and greater chewiness.
Grapes: More and more Chilean grapes are in stores as South African stocks dwindle. However, Sable and Melody from South Africa continue to be my favourites for the time being.
OTHER NEWS:
Avocado: The majority of Hass is now from Spain and Israel, with any Chilean and Columbian fruit being quite mature and therefore fairly dense in texture. For a lighter, more refreshing texture and flavour try the green-skinned Pinkerton from Israel (consistently in Waitrose and occasionally in Sainsbury and Tesco).
Grapefruit: The Florida Pink, usually variety Ruby Red, is sweet, juicy, flavoursome, and available in most stores at decent prices. With more Spanish and Turkish Star Ruby on sale, the US fruit clearly has the least tanginess.
Plums: Angelino plums from South Africa have started to appear, which is a sure sign that late season is upon us. Many different varieties are still available, but the softer plums will be finishing, to be replaced by those with more dense flesh.
Apples: As other fruit types move on in their seasons, northern hemisphere apples are still in great condition due to modern storage techniques. The only noticeable change is a slight reduction in numbers of varieties on sale as volumes of some of the newer varieties dwindle.
Pears: Comice and Rocha are widely available, and Abaté Fétèl and Concorde can still be found from English and European sources. New season Abaté Fétèl from South Africa have also been spotted.
Mango: The delicious Thai mango, Nam Dok Mae is available in Asda and M&S: quite a treat at £2.50!
©Good Fruit Guide 2016. 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.