MARKET REPORT FOR DECEMBER 2024
Hello Chefs! It goes without saying that we have the full survival kit for Christmas: chestnuts, cranberries, American walnuts, clementines, parsnips, sprouts ....
For citrus, we are moving into the coldest months of the year. Low temperatures at night improve the quality: the fruit on the tree produces its own natural antifreeze in the forms of sugars, so you get sweeter fruit. Lines include leafy clementines, bergamot, cedro, Buddha’s Hand, Kabosu and Hana Yuzu. Yuzu and Meyer lemons have just finished. Blood oranges will start in December.
Pear season is banging now. Williams pears have finished. We are into Comice now and moving into wax-tipped Passe Crassane. We also have had some beautiful Comice Rose from France. This is the strongest season we have had for Kissabel apples. English Cox and Braeburn are excellent. Another favourite is Golden Rose from Vassout and Mouneyrac. Chantecler is another terrific apple and underrated.
Quince and pomegranates are excellent this month - from Turkey.
For roots, we have salsify, parsley root, chervil root and Helianthus. Oca de Perou has a very short season – only until the end of next month.
Bitter leaves include Tardivo, Castelfranco, Grumolo, Rosa radicchio, puntarelle, Cime di Rapa.
Mushrooms include Trompette, Ceps, Pied de Mouton plus winter black truffle.
For Japanese produce, we had our first pink strawberries. But you can’t beat English strawberries in July.
