February brings an abundance of affordable produce across Australia, with tomatoes, watermelon, and stone fruits among the highlights. Graham Gee, senior buyer at the Happy Apple in Melbourne, notes that tomatoes are plentiful, particularly saucing varieties like roma, which are ripe and ready for making passata. Cooking tomatoes are roughly £1 per kilo at the Happy Apple, while Australian field tomatoes cost about £2.50 per kilo in supermarkets.
Watermelon is very cheap, according to Michael Hsu, operational manager at Sydney’s Panetta Mercato, who sells it for 50p to £1 per kilo. Stone fruits, including peaches and nectarines, are good value at £1 to £1.50 per kilo, but the standout is the rich purple queen garnet plum, grown in Victoria. These plums are sweet with a purple-black juice and cost £4 to £5 per kilo, or about 35p each in supermarkets. Their season is short, so shoppers are advised to buy them while available.
Red capsicum prices have dropped dramatically from £7 per kilo at Christmas to below £5 now, though Gee warns that extreme heat in South Australia can affect prices. Queensland capsicums are £1.50 to £2 per kilo, or £1 each in supermarkets. Cucumbers are also good value, with Lebanese cucumbers at £1 to £1.50 per kilo and continental cucumbers about £1 each. Dutch carrots are expected to drop from £2.50 per bunch to around £1 per bunch, while eggplants are £1 to £1.50 each and zucchini is 50p to £1 each or £1.95 per kilo in supermarkets.
Caulilini, also known as fioretto, has halved in price to about £2.50 per kilo. Reed avocados are coming to market later in the month, larger and creamier than hass, but can be tricky to judge ripeness. Mangoes are on their last legs, with late-season varieties like keitt, palmer, and honey gold still available at £1.45 to £1.75 each. Apricots and cherries are nearing the end of their season, making them pricier or harder to find.
Soft leaf vegetables have suffered from summer heat and floods, with English spinach and coriander largely wiped out or very expensive. Parsley, basil, and other herbs may also be affected, with more clarity expected in six weeks. Strawberries are currently taking a knock due to weather, but this is expected to improve quickly. Passionfruit is on the more expensive side due to lower cropping.
