Peak season: Pretty much all the summer seasons of fruit have started and are approaching or at their peaks. Everything is practically as good as it gets, with a few notable exceptions such as greengages, not quite ready yet and grapes, still getting into a stride from European sources. Such choice: what is not to like?
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FOR MY FRUITBOWL, I WOULD BUY:Berries: mostly from UK;
- Mangoes: Sindhri from Pakistan;
- Melons: Old favourites and new;
- Peaches & Nectarines: Southern Spain peak;
- Cherries: Exceptional from Spain, including Picota; UK starting;
- Persimmons: South African Triumph;
- Satsumas: Owari from Peru;
- Mandarins: South African Nova and Clemenules.
Strawberries: It’s Wimbledon, so It has got to be strawberries, all from UK farms up and down the country. In fact, they have generally been very good, particularly Malling Centenary and Sweet Eve, as well as the various more premium and ‘super sweet’ varieties such as Driscoll Zara and Majestic. Big punnets of varying sizes from 600g to 1kg are in all stores, such as Sainsburys 800g for £3 (equivalent £3.75/kg), one of the cheapest: time for making jam!
Blueberries: Blueberry production and supply has mainly move north from Spain to UK, Italy, Romania and Croatia, even USA, though Spain and Portugal are still supplying. With blueberries, it is always worth going for the freshest and there is plenty of very acceptable UK-grown Duke around: definitely a time to indulge.
Raspberries: Anyone with raspberries in the garden will be happy, as the plants are producing copiously right now. It will be no different for commercial growers, so it is the best time to enjoy these wonderful fruit, all from the UK. The newer varieties such as Berry Jewel, Berryworld Gem and Driscoll Maravilla are sweet and plump, while the more traditional Glen Ample is tasty with a tang.
Blackberries: Sweet Driscoll Victoria from UK growers is in most stores with the cheaper, but more traditionally tangy varieties such as Loch Tay and Karaka Black also being readily available at great quality.
Gooseberries: Invicta as a wonderfully flavoured ingredient for fruit pies and tarts, is in larger mainstream stores, and the red dessert gooseberry, Xenia, is in M&S and Waitrose.
Mangoes: The luscious Pakistani Sindhri mangoes are on sale in good South Asian grocery stores, by the box (£4-5): so much tastier than standard West African/Caribbean Kent and Keitt.
Melons: Melons are actually coming to an end in some southern European production areas, but quality and choice is generally excellent and will continue for some months from other areas. Of standard varieties, Piel de Sapo is the most reliable, though increasingly, new varieties such as Matice (aka Sweet Snowball), Sunkiss, Orange Candy and Sweet Tangy Twist offer something interesting and different (Tesco is trying hard with these; also find some in M&S and Waitrose). Excellent Spanish watermelons are also widely available.
Peaches & Nectarines: Southern Spanish production is in peak season, so quality should be very good, particularly ‘ripe and ready to eat’ fruit. Supplies will be moving up to Northern Spain and France shortly as their crops gradually mature. So far, the season has provided some lovely fruit with a bit more consistency than usual: long may it continue. Prices are also good at the moment, and particularly good for flat peaches (such as Tesco’s on-off promotion at 45p/4-5 fruit: bargain!): so easy to eat and so sweet, though perhaps not always so full of flavour.
Cherries: The English cherry season is starting, with many stores selling the early varieties such as Merchant and Folfer. Spanish cherries will dominate for a little time yet and are still wonderful to eat. Particularly noteworthy are the stalkless Picota cherries from the Jerte Valley in Spain: often sold as the ‘value’ option, but make a wonderful and tasty snack (probably cheapest in Tesco in the 550g pack at equivalent £3.62/kg).
Persimmons: Easily overlooked in ‘tropical’ sections, Triumph persimmons are still widely available and good value from South Africa: delicious, particularly when really soft and jelly-like.
Satsumas: Peruvian Owari is the main satsuma being sold widely across the supermarket chains: exceptionally sweet and juicy, and quite difficult to stop eating.
Mandarins: South African mandarins are in all stores: mostly Clemenules, a good variety with a fragrant flavour and very pleasant sweetness. South African Nova (often sold as a tangerine) is also a lovely fruit: difficult to peel but wonder to eat.
Apricots: It’s tempting to try some of the alluring new red apricots on sale, but, for flavour, the standard varieties are often better. While still a bit inconsistent in maturity and taste, apricots have been tastier than most years, so it is well worth persevering with a weekly bowl-full to soften gently at room temperature.
Plums: There are plentiful plums are from Spain with standard, though often unexciting, varieties such as Black Splendor and Santa Rosa. For better eating quality, seek-out some of the newer varieties such as Suplum 41 or Metis Oxy Solar, or even Vania from Israel.
Grapes: There is now quite an array of sweet, new season black grapes from Egypt such as Arra 18, Arra 27 and Midnight Beauty, but with Sable being the stand-out choice for flavour: pretty good so far.
Green grapes are Egyptian Sugraone, Early Sweet and Prime: all decent to eat, though rarely exciting.
Red grapes are mainly Egyptian Flame Seedless, a very crisp variety, while Ralli has just started as the first significant volumes from Spain: also sweet and crisp.
Kiwis: Virtually all green Hayward kiwis are now from New Zealand and Chile, with the former being more consistent in eating quality. Jintao from Chile or Sungold from New Zealand also feature as the sweeter yellow kiwi option.
Lychee: Mexican lychees, variety Mauritius, are still available in large Tesco, Sainsburys and M&S stores, possibly elsewhere as well: still one of the tastiest fruit on sale.
Avocados: Hass avocados are primarily from Peru and South Africa with quality being very good. Slender, green-skin Pinkerton from South Africa has been seen in Waitrose and Morrisons and offers a lovely, lighter alternative.
Pears: For any choice other than European Conference or South African Packham’s Triumph, head for M&S and Waitrose for Forelle, Taylor’s Gold and Green Williams. Lidl and Asda consistently have South African or Chilean Abaté Fétèl: a good, crisp, sweet pear, but with limited flavour compared to the Italian original.
Oranges: The first South African Navels are appearing on shelves, which will be fresh and flavoursome, perhaps with a slight early-season tang. M&S are even selling the slightly pigmented Cara Cara, which is normally an excellent orange. Otherwise, all the choice is Spanish and Moroccan Valencia Lates or variants such as Midknight, Barbarina and Delta. These are tasty and sweet, and now without any real acid tang: also great for juicing. European Navels, such as Navel Powell, are well past their best.
Apples: All apples in supermarkets should be of excellent quality, whichever is your favourite variety: all the main choices are mostly from the southern hemisphere. A surprise ‘find’ in Tesco has been Kentish Kiss, grown in UK and stored since September. This is an up-and-coming new Dutch-bred variety (aka Magic Star) which has a very attractive texture and sweetness to rival the best of the recent introductions from New Zealand. It may be scarce at the moment, but worth buying it you see it (in Finest* or as a 6-pack).
©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.