Where are all the NZ apricots ?

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Stu1

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#315842 21-Aug-2024 19:28

Where are all the NZ apricots gone? When did the kiwi iconic brand watties start using South African apricots?. I miss being able to buy apricot sauce for my pizza and chicken dishes. Were they all wiped out in the cyclone? I can only find South Africa and China apricots in the local supermarkets, even Morewilsons don’t have apricot sauce any more .

keewee01

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#3274216 21-Aug-2024 19:39

All the best NZ fruit, meat, dairy gets sold to international markets. Yay.

Supermarkets carry what is so obviously the seconds - which I would not mind except they sell it at first grade pricing most of the time.

Stu1

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#3274262 21-Aug-2024 20:00

keewee01: All the best NZ fruit, meat, dairy gets sold to international markets. Yay.

Supermarkets carry what is so obviously the seconds - which I would not mind except they sell it at first grade pricing most of the time.

The Watties apricots were about $3.50 a can, I thought that were all NZ fruits shocked to see made in SA . The countdown ones were all china may be ok but rather not

Bluntj

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#3274285 21-Aug-2024 22:18

Stu1:
keewee01: All the best NZ fruit, meat, dairy gets sold to international markets. Yay.

Supermarkets carry what is so obviously the seconds - which I would not mind except they sell it at first grade pricing most of the time.

The Watties apricots were about $3.50 a can, I thought that were all NZ fruits shocked to see made in SA . The countdown ones were all china may be ok but rather not

Taste a bit bland as well.

Eva888

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#3274288 21-Aug-2024 22:53

SA fruit is tasty. I always buy the peaches. The Chinese ones are bland and tasteless. You could make a sauce using dried apricots boiled in water and blended.

sparkyred

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#3274293 21-Aug-2024 23:57

Barker's Apricot and Mango sauce is made with NZ apricots. Likely their Spiced Apricot sauce is too - though harder to find at the supermarkets.

geek3001

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#3274314 22-Aug-2024 07:45

Many years ago, we used to get Roxdale brand canned NZ apricots that were grown in the south island in and around Roxborough if memory serves me well.

They tasted absolutely delicious. Rumor would have you believe it was because of gold in the soil.

The brand was withdrawn from the market with the reason being that the imported and tasteless rubbish from China had a retail cost that was less than the cost of the empty can that the NZ fruit was packed in, so the NZ product disappeared from the market as the Roxdale brand simply could not compete based upon cost on the shelf. No one seemed to care about quality or flavour.

I clearly remember taking equal shares with a small group of shoppers one day in the supermarket, with each of us taking a share of what was left on the shelf at the time the product was announced as being discontinued.

If you can find it, the Anathoth brand apricot jam/preserve is made with south island apricots and has an excellent flavour and can suffice in sweet recipes that require apricots.

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Stu1

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#3274322 22-Aug-2024 08:01

sparkyred:
Barker's Apricot and Mango sauce is made with NZ apricots. Likely their Spiced Apricot sauce is too - though harder to find at the supermarkets.

I don’t like the mango component watties used to make a bit on the side apricot sauce it was great in chicken pizzas

Stu1

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#3274325 22-Aug-2024 08:04

geek3001:
Many years ago, we used to get Roxdale brand canned NZ apricots that were grown in the south island in and around Roxborough if memory serves me well.

They tasted absolutely delicious. Rumor would have you believe it was because of gold in the soil.

The brand was withdrawn from the market with the reason being that the imported and tasteless rubbish from China had a retail cost that was less than the cost of the empty can that the NZ fruit was packed in, so the NZ product disappeared from the market as the Roxdale brand simply could not compete based upon cost on the shelf. No one seemed to care about quality or flavour.

I clearly remember taking equal shares with a small group of shoppers one day in the supermarket, with each of us taking a share of what was left on the shelf at the time the product was announced as being discontinued.

If you can find it, the Anathoth brand apricot jam/preserve is made with south island apricots and has an excellent flavour and can suffice in sweet recipes that require apricots.

What a shame nothing beats a NZ apricot, will keep an eye out for the jam. It’s my go to for raspberry and strawberry. Our local supermarkets are very bland these days with products , might have to venture to a new world in Wellington city

Stu1

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#3274326 22-Aug-2024 08:05

Eva888:
SA fruit is tasty. I always buy the peaches. The Chinese ones are bland and tasteless. You could make a sauce using dried apricots boiled in water and blended.

I check the cans now , I didn’t mind the SA peaches prefer the Watties NZ ones but who knows they could be SA now as well