Peter Damen of the KCB says the basic quality of peppers at the moment is good. On the site he blogs: "On my rounds in week 17 I saw peppers that were sorted into the class I-1. This supposed 'better part' of the class, this not what I found. The basic quality was fine, the sorting work was often not. Broken tips, damage, growths and too colourful fruits, all problems that can sorted out, but which meant that the quality did not meet the I-1 level. The homogeneity in block was also not what you would expect. Sorting fruits based on weight and offering the rest based on mm meant that a segment of a certain size sorting was missing. One party has an average of 22 fruits per box, another has 28 in the same sorting. I noticed that the quality of the peppers offered based on weight were of better quality than those sorted by size.
Tomatoes remain of unchangingly good quality. I saw a few parties of loose tomatoes that looked excellent. Well coloured and without a blemish. Vine tomatoes also looked good. What was remarkable was that there are still Spanish tomatoes, and with an acceptable quality.
Cucumbers are stating to straighten out a little. The first cultivation is coming to an end and you can see this in the heterogeneous image of such parties. Shape and colour differences are causing a lesser image, although the general image was still sufficient.
Aubergines were, as usual, of almost impeccable quality. In the past this was often the period of calyx drying, something almost unseen now. What was string was that a company asked my opinion on fruits with a minuscule touch of calyx drying. My thoughts on this were: noblesse oblige!"
Peter Damen KCB
Quality specialist