Finger Limes
Fran and Tim O’Hara’s Five90 Fruit Company has finger limes coming into season so they will be at the markets for the first time this week. Urliup Farm finger limes have finished their season so we are fortunate that Fran will maintain finger lime availability. This week they will be the Alstonville variety but in the coming weeks Fran will be offering a range of varieties that are ripening at different stages. Fran said that “varieties coming in include Muzzie Greens – a sensational Finger Lime as well as more of the Bombs (the little red ones)”.
This morning I was reading the latest newsletter from the Gold Coast Organic Growers and they featured an article by Diane Kelly on one of their members who grows a lot of her own fruit and vegies but who also comes to the Murwillumbah Farmers’ Market. Here is an extract of how Val prepares finger limes for jam:
Val had just returned from the Murwillumbah Markets on the day that I visited her, and she was very pleased because she had been able to buy a basketful of pink finger limes for her next batch of jam. It takes considerable time to soak the limes (to remove the bitterness from the skin) and then to cut the fruit finely and evenly. I asked Val what made a good jam, and she used a jar of finger lime jam as an example, showing how the fruit was evenly spread throughout the mixture, and that there were no air bubbles in the jar. (I was given a jar to take home, but I’m afraid there are only about 2 or 3 teaspoons of it left now!) Extract from Gold Coast Organic Growers Newsletter – February 2014
Grapes, new season Royal Gala apples AND pears!
So popular were the grapes last week that unfortunately they ran out shortly after 9.00am. Michelle has assured me that she will have more this week but demand is unpredictable so the early bird catches the ….GRAPE!
New season Royal Gala apples are also at the market this week and new season pears. This is the wonderful thing about our farmers’ market where only seasonal produce is available so you know that it is FRESH!
Pecan Nuts – February Special
Until the return of the Nudgel Nuts stall (SOON) Tweed River Pecans are available at the Tweed Caldera Honey stall. Pop by to pick up 1 kilogram of pecan pieces for only $24.00. Smaller packet are also on special.