Tonnes of Strawberries! When retailers stack trays of strawberries in the aisles rather than the cool cabinets, you know they are hoping to sell plenty, and this is indeed the case this week. There are also plentiful supplies of the many summer fruits from the Mediterranean, as well as lovely mangoes from Pakistan, and sweet mandarins from South Africa and Peru: we are entering a great time of year to enjoy flavoursome fresh fruit.
FOR OUR FRUITBOWL, WE HAVE BOUGHT:
- Mangoes: Indian Kesar, Sindhri from Pakistan;
- Lychee: Mexican Mauritius;
- Strawberries: Abundance from UK;
- Blueberries: Great quality and variety choice;
- Raspberries: UK season underway;
- Satsumas: Sweet and juicy from South Africa & Peru;
- Stone Fruit: Great choice from Spain, Italy & Turkey;
- Persimmons: Surprising sweetness from South Africa.
Strawberries: UK strawberries are entering peak season, so prices are coming down and quality remains very good. All main supermarkets are selling 600g packs at around £4/kg equivalent. M&S and Waitrose have 1kg packs of good varieties at £4, while Tesco and Morrisons have 1kg trays (often stacked in the aisles) at around £3/kg: take advantage, eat more, make jam!
The varieties on sale are mostly delivering some good sweetness, with Murano, Elsanta and Sonata being at the cheaper end of the spectrum. More flavour will be forthcoming in varieties such as Driscoll Elizabeth, Driscoll Lusa, Sweet Eve and Malling Centenary.
Mangoes: Asda, Morrisons and Tesco continue to sell boxes of delicious South Asian mangoes, either Kesar from India or Sindhri from Pakistan: also to be found at any self-respecting Asian grocer.
Of the main standard mangoes, try Keitt if you can find them as they seem to be ripening successfully. Kent is in many stores, mostly from West Africa, but it has been a bit rubbery due to slight immaturity.
Lychee: For flavour, there is not much that can beat a good lychee, currently in season from Mexico. These are pricey, but a wonderful treat: Tesco seems to be cheapest at the equivalent of £8/kg (about 15p per fruit).
Blueberries: Morocco still dominates supply of blueberries, with Spain and Portugal also providing good volumes and good quality. Great varieties such as Corona, Kirra, African Blue and Celeste should be lovely, sweet and firm. Soft berries and occasional mould will be the main issues, so keep them in the fridge, eat within 2-3 days, and check berries for softness – easily done with a bit of care.
Raspberries: More and more UK raspberries are now on sale: most are the improved varieties for firmness and sweetness. The cheaper options are traditional tangy varieties such as Glen Ample, or varieties prone to some softness.
Blackberries: Sweet variety Driscoll Victoria, is in most stores, including Lidl (branded as Driscoll, and from Portugal). Cheaper fruit will have a more traditional, tangy flavour: varieties such as Loch Tay and Karaka Black.
Peaches and Nectarines: Spanish and (some) Italian peaches and nectarines are in all stores and are improving all the time.
Flat peaches, mainly Carioca, are plentiful (particularly good value in a Tesco promotion at £0.49 for 4-6 fruit, less than 12p per fruit): perfect for snacking!
Apricots: There are lots of apricots from Spain and Turkey on sale. As always, we are in the hands of retailer’s in their ability to choose decent fruit, but it’s been a good season so far. Make sure apricots (as other stone fruit) soften in the fruit bowl before eating.
Cherries: All retailers are selling Turkish or Spanish cherries: eating quality will be improving as early varieties are finishing.
Plums: Spanish plums are now underway with early varieties such as Suplum, Red Beauty and Flavorosa. Allow these to soften before eating and they should be pleasant, though mild and slightly tangy.
Persimmons: It’s easy to forget that one of the most reliably sweet and enjoyable fruit is the persimmon, currently a variety called Triumph from South Africa.
Melons: Spanish melons of all the main types are coming down in price as volumes increase. Eating quality should be good, though can be variable.
For something a little different (and more consistent), look out for flavoursome Charantais (seen in M&S) or very sweet Sweet Snowball (in Tesco), an Ivory Gaya melon.
Mandarins: Look out for the delicious Nova, which is firm, sweet and tasty, though sometimes a little tough to peel: often sold as a ‘tangerine’. There are several new season South African clementines on sale such as Clemenules, Nules, Clemenluz, Esbal and Marisol. These are fresh, sweet and easy to peel, but may still have a lingering early season tang. Avoid any left-over Spanish mandarins.
Satsumas: Soft, sweet and succulent satsumas continue to be wonderful from South Africa (cv. Mihowase) and Peru (cv. Okitsu and Owari).
Kiwis: Kiwis from New Zealand and Chile are now in the majority of stores. Yellow Sungold, with its lovely tropical flavour, is also from New Zealand.
Figs: Pricey figs from the southern hemisphere are giving way to a variety called Colar from Spain. This is a mildly flavoured fig, but still very pleasant to eat. With any luck, as they don’t need to come by air, prices may drop to something more palatable than the current 48-63p per fruit.
Grapes: Grapes are still quite a confusing mixture at the moment with Chilean, Indian, Brazilian, Mexican and Egyptian fruit on sale – what a spread of seasons!
The Egyptian grapes are the freshest, with some fruit still having a slight ‘green’ taste of early season. However, sweet, pink-red Starlight is worth trying, and the first Egyptian black Sable has been spotted (in M&S), which should offer good flavour.
Otherwise, the best option for flavour is the Brazilian black grape, Vitoria: soft, but potent and quite widely available.
Avocados: Although the green-skin South African Fuerte is available here and there (e.g. Waitrose), Hass now dominates sales – mainly from South Africa, Peru and Columbia.
Pears: M&S and Waitrose continue to offer a great variety of southern hemisphere pears, including Green Williams, Taylor’s Gold, Comice, and crispy Forelle and Abaté Fétèl. Other supermarkets seem to be losing interest with some variable displays, though Abaté Fétèl is the most widely available ‘premium’ variety.
Apples: More or less all varieties of apples are now settled into the summer mix of northern and southern hemisphere supply and quality is excellent.
For interestingly different, try: New Zealand Smitten (on and off in several retailers) and Envy (M&S, Waitrose), Ambrosia from Chile (Waitrose) and Chinese Fuji (loose in Morrisons). Unusually, Empire from USA is still on sale in Tesco and Asda: a great variety and here in June because of improved storage techniques.
Oranges: The choice is of Spanish and Moroccan Valencia Lates, Maroc Lates and Midknights which are good oranges, juicy and flavoursome.
15th June 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.