Hass Avocado

The type of avocado most likely to be found in Australian kitchens is the Hass variety, which makes up more than 75% of all avocados grown. Hass avocado is more oval than other varieties and has distinctive pebbly skin which turns a rich purple when ripe. On average, this type has a small seed, weighs about 140 – 340 g and contains a good amount of edible flesh. Hass avocados grow almost all year round in different regions of Australia.

Shephard Avocado

Shepard avocados have smooth green skin and golden buttery flesh which doesn’t turn brown when cut. The average weight of a Shepard avocado is 200 – 320 g. Produced only in the warmer Bundaberg and Atherton regions, his variety is available early in the autumn, with peak growth from February to April.

Nova

Nova intensely flavoured, with moderate acidity, high sugars, and high essential flavours, mostly orange flavoured in nature, but with a good, sprightly mandarin bite.

Murcott Mandarin

Murcott Mandarins are also called Honey Murcott Mandarins and have a yellow-orange glossy and smooth skin. The skin is thin and tight and the fruit has a distinctive sweet taste.

R2E2

R2E2, a large (600g – 1kg) round mango with firm lemon-yellow flesh which has a sweet, mild flavour and deep orange skin tinged with an orange-red blush, due to its long shelf life, the R2E2 is much sought after in export markets, available from November to February.

Kensington Pride

Kensington Pride, a soft medium-sized (300g – 600g) mango with golden flesh with a sweet, tangy flavour and a rich orange skin tinged with a pink or red blush. The most popular variety grown in the sub-tropical and tropical regions of Australia, making up 70% of all trees planted. Available from late September to March.

Sah Keng

Sah Keng, “Sah Keng” produces large and small seeded fruit,. Fruit are large (30-35 g), heart-shaped, with purple-red skin. The skin segments are swollen and protuberances blunt. The flesh is soft and sweet. Seeds are variable, often small, giving a flesh recovery of 75 %.

Kwai May Pink

Kwai May Pink (B3) Fruit are medium (18-22 g), and round, with very rough thick skin. The skin changes from yellow to yellow-pink to orange-pink with maturity, with some green on the shoulders (Plate 3). Fruit are over-mature when fully coloured. Shoulders are usually flat, but one is sometimes raised along the suture line. Flesh is firm, crisp, sweet, juicy and aromatic. Fruit are sweet well before full maturity. Seeds are variable, with up to 70 % chicken tongues. Flesh recovery is 67 to 77%.

Some of the most popular varieties are (in order of maturity):

Merchant:A great early maturing variety, it had large sweet fruit with excellent flavour.

Bing:
“Bing is King” is what they say around the world. This variety excels in flavour and eating quality and is the predominant export variety from Australia and the USA.

Stella: These cherries can be huge, they look great just in time for Christmas with a meaty dark texture.

Lapins: This variety extends the season into the new year and can be massive in size and taste.

Sweetheart: A newer heart shaped variety that is one of the last maturing in the season, it is redder in colour but as the name suggests is “sweet”.

Green Grapes

Menindee Seedless: Light green to yellow oval-shaped grape with deliciously sweet, firm flesh and no seeds.

Thompson Seedless: Small to medium yellow-green oblong shaped grape with a soft berry skin, firm juicy pulp, and a sweet flavour.

Red Grapes

Red Globe: Pinkish-red grape that is very large, round and seeded. The berries have a crisp skin, fleshy pulp, and a very sweet taste.

Crimson Seedless: Light red, oval-shaped grape with a thick skin, firm crisp flesh and a sweet neutral juicy flavour.

Flame Seedless: Round, bright red in colour.

Black/Blue Grapes

Autumn Royal: A hybrid seedless black grape with crisp sweet flesh. The fruits are large and oval shaped with blue black skin and delicious translucent yellow-green flesh.

Midnight Beauty: Seedless black grapes boast extremely large berries, a crisp texture and tend to be redder in colour than conventional black grapes.