Your local greengrocer still has a terrific selection of plump and juicy green, red and black grapes available, but the season will soon end. Make grapes your healthy go-to snack this school holidays or when the afternoon munchies strike.
It's a bumper time for freshly harvested apples. Perfect for a healthy snack and offering loads of potential for autumn desserts, apples, depending on variety and size, are $4-$8 a kilo. This week, try Envy apples, a cross between Braeburn and Royal Gala varieties, resulting in a unique blend of sweet and tart flavours with a hint of floral notes and delightfully crunchy. Envy apples also naturally resist browning when sliced, making them an ideal choice for salads, fruit platters, and snacks.
Take a fresh look at voluptuous and flavourful pears. Select from Packham, Beurru Bosc, Corella, and the extra juicy and crisp Australian-grown Nashi. Pears team deliciously with cheese, add sweetness to a salad, make elegant desserts, and are an idea for a lunchbox snack.
The flavour of a ripe, super-soft persimmon has overtones of apricot and honey. While the soft flesh can be turned into ice cream, a mouse, or a fool, the most popular way to savour this autumn favourite is to simply cut it in half and scoop out the flesh with a spoon,
It's time to embrace the fabulous quince. Simmer a split vanilla pod in a light sugar syrup and gently poach peeled and quartered quinces until they are softened and have turned a gorgeous shade of pink. Alternatively, try roasting quinces. Select even-coloured quinces with a perfumed aroma. Handle with care, as although quinces feel very hard, they bruise easily.
Juicy, easy-to-peel Imperial mandarins are in season from April to October and are now available at your local greengrocer.