A visit to the iconic Rusty's Christmas markets in Cairns

This my friends is just a very quick little post which I couldn't resist after a visit on Friday to Rusty's markets in Cairns, in tropical Far North Queensland. Fresh as and sweet as, the range of exotic tropical produce was impressive. My biggest challenge when visiting such a market is being able to resist buying a sample of everything exhibited amongst the rich bounty presented by the variety of local stallholders. Local produce, delicious street food, local artisan goods, and quite the carnival atmosphere created by local buskers, gives this market an appealing allure for tourist and Cairns locals all at the same time.

This market really captures the essence of Cairns and is well located in a huge barn between central Sheridan and Grafton Streets. Whenever we visit Rusty's, I am thrilled to find that my favourite stallholder is still there located in the centre of the market. The produce on her large tables is always so fresh, with the root vegetables coming from one family farm near Innisfail, and the leafy and other fresh vegetables from another family farm at White Rock near Cairns. The delightful grand-daughters of the stallholder gave me this information. There are no seconds being sold on their stall unlike some of the others. So we came home with mangoes, eggplant, a pineapple, basil (although all of the fresh herbs were available), avocadoes, a free capsicum thrown in, and that was just for starters. Fresh herbs from a market don't always keep that well in the tropical heat, and need to be used within a couple of days.

Whilst I sometimes wish I had the opportunity to visit some Christmas markets in snowy Europe at this time of year, where the scent of roasting chestnuts or the allure of fresh pastries is too strong to resist, and all of those very distinctive European craft items make gift shopping very easy, I love visiting the iconic Rusty's fruit and vegetable markets in Cairns. Why would I shop for fresh produce at the local supermarket when there is so much variety available at the market for very reasonable prices.

Each year I write a quick post about Rusty's when we visit Cairns for Christmas, and whilst I didn't buy any fresh okra this time, I think I was distracted by just everything around me, a couple of years ago I did buy okra, and featured where I roasted some okra and eggplant and it was delicious.

2023 after a visit to Rusty's

Fresh delicious Bowen mangoes, and the aroma of ripe mangoes in the frig, are synonymous for me with a tropical Christmas.

Lots of mangoes

Many varieties of eggplant are available on the wide selection of market stalls

A bottle of the Sugo Pronto tomato sauce came home for a planned pizza in the evening

Lots of delicious deli items available for purchase here.

Plentiful locally grown pawpaws

Pineapples and lots of herbs

Perhaps fresh herbs aren't much cheaper than the supermarkets, but they are very fresh.

Fresh and beautiful beetroot for pickling. You can find my recipe for delicious Pickled Beetroot  here.

Fresh basil purchased for the evening pizza

The coffee and pastry bar is always popular from Olive Tree Fine Foods

Plentiful passionfruit for the Christmas pavlova, 3 for $2.00.

Red dragonfruit

Just a friendly warning from a very keen market shopper, when visiting such a large market, don't go alone, you will need someone to help you carry all of the produce home. Mr. HRK is always happy to accompany me to the Christmas market as he is quite addicted to mangoes and is happy to carry these weighty fruits to the car for me.

 Mr. HRK also bought two watermelons, wish I had taken a photo of him carrying those as well, hee hee, but he resisted the lychees, as they seemed a little bit old. We will try and visit Everett's lychee farm on the Atherton Tablelands before Christmas, where the freshest lychees are to be found.

Rusty's is open from Friday to Sunday most weekends from 5 am, but my tip is to visit on Friday, when all the produce is still very fresh. However, it is open for the rest of today (Sunday) until 3pm, when there will be more reductions of the produce available.

Will you visiting your local market before Christmas this year? I hope you have access to a good one.

Once again, Merry Christmas, 

Warm wishes,

Pauline