Jamaican Cookery

May Pen market . I went to the market early Saturday morning. I often go to the market as early as 6am at that time of the morning few people are in the market. It is very expensive to live in Jamaica. Food items are not cheap.

Prices

Small oranges $600 per dozen

Medium-size oranges $ 800 per doz.

Large oranges $1000 per doz.

I purchased 1 dozen medium-size. The orange is sugar sweet, and it is the Valencia variety

Sweet potato $120 per lb… It is the yellow belly (yellow flesh ) variety

Carrot $100 per lb.

Pumpkin $150 per lb.

Cabbage $100 per lb.

Green banana $120  per doz

Ackee $100 per doz.

Sweet pepper $400 per lb.

Onion $120 per. lb

Onion (purple) $200 per lb.

Ripe banana $400 per doz.

Hot pepper $300 per lb.

Garlic $150 per bag (5  in the bag)

Skellion (red stalk) $500 per pound

White stalk  skellion $250 per lb.

Lettuce $400 per lb.

String beans (green beans) $100 per lb.

Pineapple (sugarloaf) $150 per lb.

Slicing tomato $300 per lb.

cooking tomato (plummy) $70 per lb

Dry coconut  $300 for large size

I already had cucumber at home and my husband purchased a big watermelon from a farmer in Porus. I live in a working class housing scheme. Therefore, tall trees are not allowed. I have a dwarf coconut tree, loaded with coconuts, and I have a small garden with calaloo, hot pepper and tomato (young suckers). My grandparents live in the rural community with big land. I go there for sour sop, mangoes, sweetsop, sugarcane, guinep, etc. However, most fruits are not in season as yet. Can you believe that I am paying $10,000 per year for land tax, OMG!