The cool winter months provide us with something wonderful each year, with the crispness of fresh vegetables, the vibrant colour of fresh fruit, and the fragrant aroma of fresh herbs. Local Australian growers, sending their fruit and vegetables to wholesalers at the Brisbane Markets, are helping to fill the shelves of independent A better choice! retailers with a large range of fresh, quality produce daily. Purchasing fresh fruit and vegetables means your produce will be fresher for longer, so here are this week’s best buys and tips to maximise the life of your fresh produce.
This week’s pick of the week is Snow Peas. Grown in Bundaberg, this tasty green vegetable is known for its sweetness and crisp crunch and is in perfect eating quality this week. A great storage tip is to keep them sealed in an airtight plastic bag in the crisper, and they should last between three to five days.
Cauliflower supply from the Lockyer Valley is increasing, which is great news because this vegetable is not only packed with vitamins and minerals but is also the perfect ingredient for those hearty winter dinners! Try these delicious winter warmers for chilly nights: Cauliflower Mac and Cheese, or Creamy Cauliflower Soup. To maximise the storage life of Cauliflower, avoid wrapping it in tight cling wrap—keep it in a loose plastic bag instead.
Also from the Lockyer Valley, Celery is in fantastic supply this week. When shopping for Celery, ensure you look for firm stalks with medium-sized ribs and a bright-coloured bunch with intact leaves. Some handy storage tips: for a whole Celery, it is best to wrap it in aluminium foil and store it in the crisper. If you are meal prepping and pre-cut your Celery, then keep it submerged in water in an airtight container and place it in the fridge for maximum crunch.
Winter is a berry good season because, you guessed it, it is Strawberry season! Strawberries are coming from growing regions in the Sunshine Coast, Caboolture and Bundaberg. These yummy berries serve as an excellent source of vitamin C, folate, and fibre to our bodies, and even though they are known to be super sweet, Strawberries are naturally low in sugars. To keep Strawberries fresh, refrigerate them in a breathable container. Make sure you only wash them when you are ready to eat as this will help prevent excess moisture on the berries.
Another berry to add to your cart this week is Blueberries, from North Queensland and Coffs Harbour. Bake a batch of these scrumptious Blueberry Muffins for the lunchbox or an office snack. Did you know that Blueberries are a great fruit to help your gut health, as they are a fibre-rich fruit that contains antioxidants? Just like Strawberries, keep your Blueberries in a breathable container (like the container they come in) and only wash them when you are ready to eat them.
Looking for freshness? Head to your local, independent A better choice! store for a large range of fresh, quality, and locally grown fruit and vegetables sourced from the Brisbane Markets.
About Brisbane Markets
As Queensland’s only central fruit and vegetable market, the Brisbane Markets is the state’s most important centre for the marketing and distribution of fresh fruit and vegetables. It records an annual trade of over 700 million kilograms of produce valued at more than $2 billion.
An important economic and employment hub, more than 4,500 people work or do business at the markets each day through over 170 businesses. This includes over 45 wholesalers who receive fresh produce from over 7,000 growers and trade five days a week to more than 800 registered buyers.
About Brisbane Markets Limited
Brisbane Markets Limited (BML) is the owner of the Brisbane Markets site and is responsible for its ongoing management and development.
BML provides infrastructure and services to facilitate the marketing of fresh food, flowers and other ancillary products for fruit, vegetable and flower wholesalers, retailers, provedores, secondary wholesalers, food processors, transporters, exporters, industry organisations and market support businesses.
More information can be found on our website: www.brisbanemarkets.com.au.
About A better choice!
The A better choice! retailers are hardworking local family business owners, who are passionate about fruit and vegetables, they are our experts in their field and provide excellent customer service… with a smile.
Here’s the thing: no one can match A better choice! fruit and vegetable retailers for FRESH! Every morning, they hand pick a diverse selection of high-quality fresh fruit and vegetables from the Brisbane Markets, sourced from thousands of Australian farms.
Make your first choice A better choice! with local retailers throughout Southeast Queensland including Brisbane, Ipswich, Toowoomba, Sunshine Coast, Gold Coast and Tweed Heads. Please click on the link to find your local fruit retailer www.abetterchoice.com.au/store-locator/ . By shopping at your local fruit and veg shop, you are making A better choice!
About Brismark
Brismark is a member organisation which represents and serves the needs of the wholesaling sector of the fresh fruit and vegetable industry – in particular, the primary wholesalers that operate out of the Brisbane Markets at Rocklea. Brismark provides industry representation, and a range of financial and business services to support the wholesaling sector of the fresh fruit and vegetable industry and their associated businesses and actively contributes to strengthen the Central Market system. Brismark also oversees the A better choice! retailer program in Queensland.
