Spring is when our first kumara slips go into the ground, for the next year’s kumara harvest! With only 1 harvest annually, this is a critical time of year to grow our kumara right and plant in good ground so we can provide you with the best tasting produce.

When new season kumara is later on to the market at the start of autumn, this is usually due to wet weather at the start of spring which delays all plantings.

According to old Maori custom, the whole tribe went out to plant their kūmara when the kōwhai bloomed. The Kōwhai tree, a native tree to New Zealand, blooms around the September weeks, where the colder weather is easing off.

So much was this the custom that when they wanted to hint that a man was lazy they would use the proverb, “Where were you when the kōwhai bloomed?”

The season begins with our team carefully washing the kumara that will be planted. These are then laid out in what we call “kumara beds”, where they start to sprout. Shoots emerge from the beds and are carefully cut and collected into crates. These shoots, known as slips, are then planted into moulded rows in the field, where they grow into fully mature kumara plants, ready for harvest a few months later.

Here’s 3 recipe ideas from our collection, for you to enjoy Kumara this spring:

1. Kumara Quinoa Picnic Jars

Great fresh way to enjoy NZ’s iconic vegetable!

Put your dressing on the bottom of the jar to save your salad ingredients from going soggy before you get to eat it.

Either tip onto a plate, or shake in the jar to combine: Kumara Quinoa Jars

2. Kumara can be pretty sweet too!

Try these sweet scones for a tasty morning tea: Kumara Scones

3. Kumara & Mussel Fritters

Fritters are a simple but tasty staple for the family! Try this twist on a kiwi classic; the mussel fritter!

Recipe here for Kumara & Mussel Fritters