In now: Pears ripened on the tree can develop little gritty bits, called stone cells, just beneath the skin. For this reason, they are picked mature but green, chilled and sold for ripening at room temperature.
At their best: The fine hairs on prickly pears, called glochids, can get stuck in your hands, even through a plastic bag. Use tongs to select fruit and scrub with a brush under running water before eating.
Best buy: Cauliflowers grown in Bathurst are the buy of the week. Time to perfect that cauliflower rice recipe.
In the vegie patch: Pick pumpkins to eat now, but leave those intended for storage until the vine withers.
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