What’s in season, July: The Queensland strawberry and Coffs Harbour blueberry seasons have hit their stride! Here’s our picks for the best seasonal winter fruits to enjoy this July.

Strawberries

The Queensland strawberry season has now hit its stride and despite rain affecting some crops, fruit quality has been looking good. Volumes have continued to increase as the season progresses, so expect to see some good on-shelf prices.

Look for: strawberries should have a sweet and appealing scent, with plump flesh and a bright to deep red colour all over.

Blueberries

Despite frost-related issues early in the season, blueberry volumes out of Coffs Harbour have hit good levels and quality has been great. We’ve seen regular specials in stores.

Look for: fruit with a deep blue colour all over, and smooth skin with no wrinkles.

Imperial Mandarins

With Queensland’s Imperial Mandarin season now finished, supply is now coming from Southern New South Wales, Victoria and South Australia. We’ve been seeing some excellent quality, and the fruit has been nice and firm (but not hard!). Keep an eye out for good deals on both loose and prepack Imperial Mandarins in stores.

Look for: a fragrant citrus scent, vivid orange skin, and flesh which feels firm but not hard. Imperial Mandarins in particular should have skin which feels slightly loose around the fruit.

Lemons

Lemon supply is now largely coming out of Victoria, but we’re still seeing some volume from the tail-end of the Queensland season. Overall lemon quality and availability has been good.

Look for: fruit which is vibrant yellow in colour, firm to the touch, and with slight give when gently pressed.

Murcott Mandarins

Unseasonably warm weather during May and June meant that Murcott Mandarins on our orchards in Gayndah were slow to develop their colour. This caused our harvest to be pushed back by approximately 2 weeks. The bulk of our crop at this stage is looking great size-wise, and the fruit is now developing some beautiful colour to complement the juicy, firm flesh. Harvest is due to commence on July 15^th, and while the majority of our crop is set for export, Australian shoppers will still find plenty of beautiful quality Murcotts available in stores.