Strawberries and asparagus feature on our shelves for a limited time each year but Kiwis still manage to down tonnes of the popular produce each season.
The arrival of asparagus on supermarket shelves heralds the arrival of spring and the first appearance of locally grown strawberries shortly after provides another sign winter is behind us.
In the three months asparagus is in season, more than 2000 tonnes of the seasonal green spears are devoured in New Zealand.
And we eat about 4800 tonnes of the summer berry, roughly two thirds of the 7200 tonnes grown by the Kiwi industry every season.
This year the season got off to an early start, which bodes well for good crops, Marcus Turner, from the Asparagus Council told the Herald last month.
Alex Boyd of Boyd's Asparagus Industries sends his produce from farm to supermarket shelves within 24 hours of harvest.
About 60 per cent of the asparagus that Boyd's produces is destined for the local market and 35 per cent is exported, including to Japan and the United States. The rest is frozen or canned.
Foodstuffs North Island produce manager Brigit Corson said. "Our strawberries are picked, packed and in store within hours to ensure they're as fresh as possible when you get them home."
Countdown supermarkets produce manager Steve Sexton said strawberries were the number one product sold in the weeks leading up to Christmas, one of the few times of the year bananas weren't in the top spot.
"Aucklanders buy the most cherries and strawberries, with Cantabrians closely contesting second place."
Countdown was also starting to make room for the first of the season's apricots, nectarines, peaches and cherries to hit stores.
Grower John Garelja has been in the strawberry business for 43 years.
Despite wet weather hampering ground preparation earlier in the year, Garelja said this season was shaping up to be a belter.
"The berries are looking big and juicy - the best I've seen in about four or five years. The spring fruit is going to be really good."
"Our production naturally peaks in early December and then tails off, which is why strawberries are always a bit harder to get at Christmas time."
Source: www2.nzherald.co.nz