Photo: Public domain
If you are thinking about stocking up on raspberries with Christmas fast approaching, now is the time, as the new season gets underway.
Here is everything you need to know before heading to the supermarket, or farmer's market this weekend.
First Up's Minister of Fruit and Veggies Glenn Forsyth provides RNZ listeners with a weekly run down of which fruit and vegetables are in season, in stock, and offer good value.
While it is also a great time to buy avocados, kiwifruit, mandarins, oranges, lemons, strawberries, blueberries, as well as Australian melons, mangos and pears, raspberries are Forsyth's fruit pick of the week.
With the help of Driscoll's berries, Forsyth shared how best to store raspberries, and how best to eat them of course.
"Raspberries are high in antioxidants, help with pain associated with arthritis and other inflammatory conditions. They also high in compounds that are known for their anti-cancer properties," he said.
"Driscoll's grow them from now until June, they will have good supply for Christmas and peak in volume from March to May, so buy up then and freeze them.
He said it is best to keep raspberries "comfy and cool", and at 2-4 degrees to maximise their flavour.
If you cannot wait until Christmas, Forsyth was told by Simon from Driscoll's his favourite way to enjoy raspberries is with a helping serve of cream and a dash of icing sugar.
However, if you're after pawpaw this weekend, you may struggle with it currently in short supply, while some white flesh nectarines have also made an appearance, Forsyth said, with product small and boasting no flavour yet.
If vegetables are more your thing, Forsyth said radish, kale, silver beet, and asparagus are all in good supply this weakened, and good quality.
"Our mystery shopper was doing some spying around Auckland yesterday, and was spotting cauliflower at $2.99, lettuce and cabbage for $1.99, and wait for it, broccoli at 99c," Forsyth revealed.
He picked out Ilam hardy potatoes as one to lookout for.
"It's a great spud, yellow skin, white flesh potato, full-flavoured, tending toward being floury. It is an all-purpose potato, suitable for most uses, especially mashing and baking," Forsyth said.
"Cucumbers, tomatoes, eggplant and courgettes are also all available, plus the long-awaited fresh pea."
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