From meaty mushies to rhubarb, the best July produce on offer

The best seasonal produce to look for in July Fri 3 Jul 2026 at 4:30am The colder months are well and truly upon us. That means peak growing conditions for some hearty winter veg and fruit, which are "sweetening up nicely", according to producers across the country. Here's what they recommend keeping an eye out for and how to make the most of the produce in the kitchen. So, what can you look for? Vegetables: - Carrots - Parsnips - Swedes - Corn - Beans - Silverbeet - Spinach - Leeks - Mushrooms - Rhubarb Fruit: - Custard apples - Pears - Citrus — lemons and grapefruit - Apples — pink lady and granny smith Carrots, swedes, beans and corn Brisbane/Meanjin based fruit and vegetable wholesaler Paul Joseph, from Alfred E Chave, says a milder start to winter in Queensland has meant good growing conditions and quality produce. "[We've got] capsicums at this time of the year in Queensland, as well as tomatoes, rock melons, honeydew melons, beans, and corn, are excellent," he says. He says if shoppers are looking for affordability, broccoli, cabbages and lettuce are in abundant supply and are "very affordable". "It's tough times, but you look at fruit and vegetables, it pales as a cost," he says. "If you took $100 into a fruit shop, you'd come out with a lot of fruit and veggies if you had a discerning way of shopping. "That $100 won't go very far in a chocolate shop or a fast-food outlet these days." Market garden producer Michael Collins, from Plenty Valley Produce in Flowerdale in Victoria/ Taungurung lands, recommends including pumpkin, swedes, carrots, leek and parsnips on your shopping list this July. He says swedes and parsnips are at peak season across the country and are largely coming out of Victorian and Tasmanian growing regions. "Unfortunately, we've had a bit more rain than we wanted to [have]," he says, so there's a few more blemishes on them right now. "But they're a root vegetable that really sweeten up in the winter." If you're looking to try other vegetable varieties, he recommends looking for kabocha and honey nut pumpkins (a type of butternut). "I've got a kabocha pumpkin, which has a chestnut flavour, and is a really deep orange, and it caramelises up really well during cooking. "And then I've got a honey nut pumpkin, which, when you slow cook it and then put it under the boiler right at the end, you get treacle [flavour] over the top of it." Meaty, flavoursome mushrooms If you want to beef up your dishes without adding meat, mushroom producer Emma Court says there are plenty of varieties in season right now. The owner of Rocky Creek Mushrooms, based on the Sunshine Coast/Kabi Kabi lands, recommends looking for supermarket varieties such as: - Oyster - Shiitake - Enoki "Typically, white oyster mushrooms have a mild, slightly sweet flavour and, depending on the size of the cap, can be fairly meaty," Ms Court says. "I make these into crispy hot honey oyster mushroom burgers or nuggets dredged through a seasoned batter and then seasoned crumb. "Drizzled generously with a hot honey sauce, [it] completely changes the texture and creates a yummy meaty dish." She says shiitake mushrooms are also a "meatier type" and are popular in Asian-style hot pots and stir-fries. The enoki have a crunchier texture and are used mostly in soups. "I really love these dredged through a seasoned cornflour batter of a thin consistency and then fried," she says. "It gives double the crunch and is delicious with a good dip." Ms Court says gourmet mushrooms such as pioppino and lion's mane are also good "meaty" winter varieties. She says the sign of a good mushroom is a "firm cap" and "they don't look wilted or wrinkled". She recommends storing them in a brown paper bag, or with a damp paper towel on top. Versatile rhubarb in high demand Winter is a great time to purchase citrus, such as lemons and grapefruit, pink lady and granny smith apples, as well as pears and custard apples. But rhubarb is a sweet alternative to help mix things up, according to Queensland producer Michael Crane, from MacBeth Farms, based at Blackbutt in the Burnett region. Botanically, rhubarb is a vegetable, but its thick, fleshy stalks are treated as a fruit, despite its tart flavour. Mr Crane says rhubarb is available year-round, but his produce is in peak demand in winter as people look for alternatives to citrus and apples. "We supply into both Coles and Woolworths and through the Brisbane Rocklea markets," he says. "On average [at] this time of the year, we're supplying a tonne and a half each week." Mr Crane says rhubarb is commonly used in desserts such as pies or crumbles, but he says it is very versatile. "When I ask people what they think about rhubarb, they go, 'Oh, grandma used to do a rhubarb and apple crumble,'" he says. "And I say to them, 'Have you ever thought about putting it on your roast pork?' "It's great on pork bellies, roast pork or even roast lamb." Mr Crane says it can also be used on baked hams, in jams, puddings and cakes, as well as to make rhubarb tea. He recommends keeping rhubarb wrapped in a plastic bag in your fridge's crisper to keep it fresh. [Image text:] Capsicom $19/