What's in season this winter?

When it comes to nutrient content and taste, locality and seasonality of fruit and vegetables is key. This ultimately comes down to where it's sourced from and the time it's taken to get from the farm and onto your plate. 

Most fruits and vegetables are at their peak when harvested. The longer they are consumed past this point, the more nutrients that are lost and the less flavoursome they become. Produce sourced from overseas means they have longer transit and storage time. Not only does this result in nutrient depletion but the farmers further account for this by harvesting them before they have fully ripened to avoid rotting. Not allowing the produce to fully develop means that they don't reach their full nutrient and antioxidant capacity. 

Studies have shown that some crops can have up to three times more nutrients when grown in season. Furthermore, eating foods locally produced but out of season means that they aren't being grown in an environment that supports their natural growth. As a consequence, they often require the assistance of genetic modification and chemical additives which are toxic and harmful to your health.

To find out what's in season this winter, I asked one of the best in the biz, Chris Antico. Chris and his family have been in the fruit and veggie business for over 70 years. Three generations on and the Antico name remains synonymous with fresh, flavoursome Australian produce.

For Chris, quality means flavour and freshness. This often means choosing produce from the smaller growers around NSW and the Sydney Basin area. Another BIG benefit of eating locally and seasonally is that it esnures we are supporting our Aussie farmers and the sustainability of our environment.

Here are Chris's top fruit and veggie picks this Winter.

VEGGIES

• Brussel Sprouts
• Cauliflower
• Rapini (Winter Vegetable)
• Tuscan cabbage
• Zucchini
• Onions
• Potatoes

FRUIT

• Pears
• Pomegranates
• Mandarins
• Navel Oranges
• Kiwifruit (from NZ)
• Rhubarb

Chris services the Eastern Suburbs, North Shore, Northern Beaches and the Inner West delivering hand-prepared boxes of fresh fruit and vegetables straight to the doors of his clients.  

To learn more about Chris and his nutritious and super convenient fruit and veggie boxes head over to his website

Order online today and use the code NEWCUSTOMER to receive 15% off your first delivery!