Fresh: Unsettled weather, unsettled politics but everything else is fresh and optimistic. New seasons abound, and products are getting better as they get past their early tanginess and start to deliver real flavour. Flavour: the whole purpose of the Good Fruit Guide!
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FOR MY FRUITBOWL, I WOULD BUY:
- Mangoes: Indian Alphonse and Kesar;
- Berries: Excellent from UK, Portugal, Morocco & Spain;
- Satsumas: Plump, tangy Mihowase and Okitsu (South Africa/Peru);
- Pears: Sweet pears from South Africa and New Zealand.
- Mandarins: Late mandarins from Morocco & Spain – very sweet;
- Oranges: Late navel oranges from Spain;
- Persimmons: South African Triumph.
Mangoes: General supermarket fare is either Kent (generally from West Africa) or Keitt (generally from the Caribbean or central America) which are rarely exciting, though should be reasonably sweet and succulent. Much of the time though, the Kent in particular seems rubbery and unappealing at the moment. You may find Brazilian Palmer in some stores, a decent variety with flavour, but really, forget these and seek out the best mangoes in the world from India and Thailand!
Many good Asian grocery stores will most likely have Kesar, Alphonse and Badami mangoes from India, by the box. These are wonderfully flavoursome fruit and truly not to be missed. Fortunately for many of us with no such grocery stores nearby, Morrisons and Tesco are also selling Kesar by the box (£6 and £5 respectively). Halleluiah!
Thai mangoes are less easy to find, but groceries with a more SE Asian focus may be selling both Nam Dok Mae and Maha Chanok: buy them if you see them – delicious.
Blueberries: Spanish and Moroccan blueberries are wonderful at the moment with quality at its peak. You still need to be vigilant for soft berries here and there, but buy with confidence. All varieties have something to offer, though, in general, the newer, sweeter types are the more expensive. In a fruit salad, though, a punnet of slightly tangy, cheap value blueberries is fine.
Raspberries: Fruit from the UK is now on shelves in many stores alongside a range of varieties from Morocco, Spain and Portugal. As with blueberries, you can’t really go wrong, as even the cheaper, older varieties are full of flavour, perhaps with more of a tang.
Blackberries: Very few central American fruit remain on sale with the new European season underway. The UK season has also started, so quality and choice is good. The sweeter new varieties such as Driscoll Victoria and Berryworld Midnight are still a little tangy, but, if you like a real tang, stick to the cheaper varieties such as Lochness and Loch Tay.
Strawberries: British and Spanish strawberries are in all stores, with the latter being offered at the lower prices. Spanish strawberries are mostly Rociera which is crunchy and struggles to offer real flavour and sweetness. The British fruit is improving all the time and is generally pleasant to eat whole and fresh, particularly the newer varieties which are mostly on sale (pass-by Elsanta and Sonata, if you have a choice).
Satsumas: Mihowase from South Africa is in all supermarkets except Tesco, who are selling Okitsu from Peru. Both these are wonderfully plump, sweet, tangy and juicy, perhaps with the Okitsu being a shade sweeter: excellent.
Apples: The southern hemisphere season is stepping up with Jazz, Golden Delicious, Granny Smith, Gala, Cox and Smitten from one or other of the main producing countries. For now, the majority of apples are still from the northern hemisphere, with choice extending to Empire (Asda, Tesco), Kanzi (Tesco, Waitrose) and Envy (Sainsburys, Waitrose): all great varieties.
Pears: Aside from Conference , Rocha and Dutch Migo (Sainsbury’s), all pears are from the southern hemisphere. The most consistently sold are Packham’s Triumph and Abaté Fétèl (widely), Sweet Sensation (Sainsbury’s), and Forelle and Taylor’s Gold (M&S, Waitrose): all worth trying. Comice and Concorde may also be occasionally available.
Mandarins: The South African season of clementines is just starting with Clemenules (seen in M&S). These are light, slightly tangy and sweet compared to the very sweet late European varieties. Orri, Nadorcott and Tangold (Tango) continue to be sold, but with diminished acids will taste increasingly one dimensional.
Oranges: Lane Late navels continue, but many stores have switched to ‘ultra-late’ varieties such as Chislett, Powell and Cambria. These are wonderful sweet, so well worth buying. As navels become more scarce, Valencia Lates, currently from Egypt and Spain, will take over as the main orange on offer. These are tasty oranges but tend to have a tanginess at this stage and are never as fine as a navel.
Persimmons: After a gap in supply, new season persimmons from South Africa are appearing (seen in M&S, Tesco). The variety is Triumph, and the taste is delicious, particularly if you let them soften nicely, almost to jelly.
Peaches & Nectarines: Southern Spain production is past its early, slightly tangy varieties and is showing some good promise in sweetness and flavour. Stores will soon be full of choice, including the reliably sweet flat peaches which tick the box for value and taste.
Apricots: Supermarkets seem to have skipped the very early varieties this year and have started with Colorado, a blushed variety which seems to be delivering good sweetness and flavour.
Plums: Dense, crunchy late season varieties such as Angelino from South Africa and Chile vs. early season varieties from Spain? This is now the choice before us! Some early Suplum41 has been good, but better is to come later in the season.
Grapes: As we wait for new supply from Egypt or Mexico, there is limited choice from South America and India. The main fare (Thompson Seedless and Crimson) will be sweet, but not exciting. There are still some good options in Tesco Finest, Sainsbury’s Taste The Difference, and M&S and Waitrose: Muscat Beauty, Sable, Vitoria and a delicious green grape, Blanc Seedless (M&S only).
Avocados: Hass avocados are now primarily from Peru with the southern African season also revving up. Expect more of the green-skin Fuerte from South Africa to widen our choice.
Figs: South African Evita and Parisian figs are the main choice, with some alternatives from Chile (Black Mission) and Peru (Toro Sentado) also on sale. The right maturity (colour should be as dark as possible) is crucial to flavour.
©Good Fruit Guide 2019. 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.