It’s inevitable that with every seasonal change, I find myself coming back to this list to get a reminder of all the fresh, local produce that will be making their appearance in the marketplace, to help us celebrate the end of one season and the beginning of the next.
Cooking with fresh seasonal ingredients is an essential component of effective culinary practice. Here’s a guide to help you enjoy each season’s fresh harvest at its prime. Please note that the seasonality and availability will vary slightly in each country.
Eat simple. Eat fresh. Eat local. Make it real. Make it good.
n = new in season ~ p = peak of season ~ w = winding down
Spring (March, April, May)
March
| Vegetables |
artichoke (p) ~ asparagus ~ broccoli ~ cabbages (p) ~ carrots (p) ~ cauliflower (p) ~ celeriac / celery root ~ celery~– chard, collards (p) ~ fennel (p) ~ garlic (p) ~ greens: braising mix, frisee, mustard, nettles, tat-soi, kale ~ leek ~ mushrooms, morels (n) ~ onions / spring ~ peas, edible pods (n) ~ radish ~ spinach ~ salad mix, spring mix(n) ~ sunchokes (w)
|
| Fruits |
avocado / Haas ~ berries: strawberries ~ cherimoya (w) ~ kiwi (w) ~ kumquat (w) ~ lemon, meyer ~ lime, Key ~ orange, Navel (p) ~ rhubarb ~ tangerine
|
April
| Vegetables |
artichokes (p) ~ asparagus (p) ~ beans, fava (n) ~ beets (n) ~ broccoli ~ cabbages ~ carrots ~ celeriac/celery root ~ chard (w) ~ fennel ~ garlic (w) ~ greens: collards, dandelion, lettuces, nettles, kale (w) ~ leeks (w) ~ mushrooms, morels (p) ~ nopales ~ onions, spring ~ onions, sweet (n) ~ peas: Edible pod (p) ~ English/shelling (n) ~ spinach (w) ~ spring salad mix (p)
|
| Fruits |
avocado, Haas ~ grapefruit ~ orange, Navel (w) ~ rhubarb, field (p)
|
May
| Vegetables |
artichokes (w) ~ asparagus ~ beans, fava (p) ~ beans, green (n) ~ beets ~ broccoli (w) ~ cabbages (w) ~ carrots ~ cauliflower (w) ~ celery (w) ~ celeriac/celery root (w) ~ chard (w) ~ corn (n) ~ fennel (w) ~ garlic (w) ~ greens: arugula, dandelion, fiddlehead fern, lettuces, mizuna, mustard, kale (w) ~ mushrooms, morels (w) ~ onions: fresh/spring (w), sweet: Vidalia (p) ~ peas: edible pods (p), English/shelling (p) ~ potatoes, new (n) ~ radish (w) ~ ramps (p) ~ salad mix (w) ~ sorrel (p) ~ spinach (w) ~ squash, zucchini (n)
|
| Fruits | apricots (n) ~ avocado ~ berries: blackberries (n), raspberries (n), strawberries, cherries (n) ~ grapefruit (w) ~ melons: cantaloupe (n), honeydew (n), watermelon (n) ~ peaches (n) ~ rhubarb, field (w) |
Summer (June, July, August)
June
| Vegetables |
beans, green (n) ~ beets (w) ~ carrots (w) ~ corn (n) ~ cucumber (n) ~ garlic (n) ~ eggplant (n) ~ greens: kale ~ lettuces (w) ~ onions: sweet, Vidalia (p), Walla Walla (w), red ~ peas: English/shelling (w) ~ potatoes ~ squash, summer (n)
|
| Fruits | apricots (p) ~ berries: blackberries (p), blueberries, boysenberries (p), loganberries, plallieberries (n), raspberries (p), strawberries ~ cherries (n) ~ figs, Black Mission (n) ~ grapes (n) ~ limes (p) ~ melons: cantaloupe (n), watermelon (n) ~ nectarines (n) ~ peaches (n) ~ pineapple ~ star fruit (n) ~ tomatoes (n) |
July
| Vegetables |
basil (n) ~ beans, green ~ corn (p) ~ cucumber (n) ~ garlic ~ eggplant (n) ~ okra (n) ~ onions: red (p), sweet, Vidalia (w), Walla Walla (w) ~ peppers, sweet/bell (n) ~ squash, summer (p) ~ potatoes
|
| Fruits | berries: blueberries (p), gooseberries ~ cherries (w) ~ figs: Black Mission ~ Calimyrna grapes ~ limes ~ melons: ambrosia, canary, galaxy, galia, watermelon ~ nectarines (p) ~ oranges, Valencia (n) ~ peaches (p) ~ pears: Asian (n) ~ Bartlett (n) ~ French butter (p) ~ pineapple ~ plums (n) ~ tomatoes (n) |
August
| Vegetables |
basil ~ beans, green (p) ~ beans, fresh shelling such as cranberry, black-eyed pea (n) ~ corn (p) ~ cucumber (p) ~ garlic (p) ~ eggplant ~ okra (p) ~ onion (p) ~ pepper, bell ~ squash, summer ~ Tomatillo
|
| Fruits |
apple, Gravenstein (n) ~ avocado, Haas ~ berries: blackberries (w), blueberries (w), raspberries (p) ~ figs: (p) Adriatic, Black Mission, Brown Turkey, Calimyrna, Kadota ~ grapes: Red Flame (p), Thompson seedless ~ limes (w) ~ melons (p) ~ nectarines (w) ~ orange, Valencia (p) ~ peaches (p) ~ pears, Asian (n), Bartlett (p) ~ plums (p) ~ tomatoes
|
Autumn (September, October, November)
September
| Vegetables |
artichokes (n) ~ basil (p) ~ beans, fresh shelling (p) ~ celeriac/celery root (n) ~ cucumber (p) ~ eggplant (p) ~ garlic (p) ~ kale (n) ~ kohlrabi (n) ~ okra (p) ~ onion ~ peppers: (p) Bell, chile ~ potatoes (w) ~ squash: summer (w), winter (n) ~ Tomatillo (w)
|
| Fruits | apples (p) ~ figs (w) ~ grapes (p) ~ melons (w) ~ orange, Valencia (p) ~ pears: Asian (p), Bartlett (w) ~ persimmons: (n) Fuyu (firm), Hachiya (soft) ~ plums (w) ~ pomegranate (n) ~ quince (n) ~ tomatoes (p) |
October
| Vegetables |
artichokes (p) ~ basil (w) ~ beans: (w) fresh shelling, green ~ beets (n) ~ broccoli (n) ~ brussels sprouts (n) ~ cabbages (n) ~ cardoon (p) ~ celeriac/celery root ~ chard (n) ~ daikon (n) ~ eggplant (w) ~ garlic (w) ~ greens: turnip, beet, parsley, lettuces, escarole, arugula, komatsuna (n), kale ~ kohlrabi ~ parsnip ~ peppers: (w) sweet, hot ~ potatoes: white, sweet (n) ~ pumpkin (p) ~ radish (n) ~ rutabaga (n) ~ spinach (n) ~ squash, winter (p) ~ turnips (n) ~ yams (n)
|
| Fruits |
apples (p) ~ avocado: Haas (w), Fuerte (n), Zutano (n) ~ berries, cranberries (n) ~ kumquat (n) ~ lemons (n) ~ orange, Valencia (w) ~ pears: (n) Bosc, Comice ~ persimmons: (p) Fuyu (firm), Hachiya (soft) ~ pomegranate (p) ~ quince (p) ~ raspberries (w) ~ tomatoes (w)
|
November
| Vegetables | artichokes (w) ~ beans, green (w) ~ beets ~ broccoli ~ cabbages (n) ~ bok choy ~ brussels sprouts ~ carrots (n) ~ celeriac/celery root ~ celery (n) ~ chard (n) ~ daikon (p) ~ dill (p) ~ garlic (w) ~ greens: mustard, endive, kale ~ kohlrabi (w) ~ leek ~ parsnip ~ peppers: (w) hot, sweet ~ potatoes: white, sweet (p) ~ radish (w) ~ rutabaga ~ squash, winter (p) ~ sunchoke (n) ~ turnip (n) ~ yams (p) |
| Fruits | apples (w) ~ avocado: (n) Fuerte, Zutano ~ berries: cranberries (p), huckleberries (p) ~ guava (n) ~ pineapple (n) ~ kiwi (n) ~ kumquats ~ lemons (n) ~ mandarins, tangerines (n) ~ orange, navel (n) ~ pears: Anjou (n), Bosc (p), Comice (p) ~ persimmons: Fuyu (firm) (p), Hachiya (soft) (p) ~ pomegranate (w) ~ quince (w) |
Winter (December, January, February)
December
| Vegetables | broccoli ~ cabbages: Bok choy, brussels sprouts (p), green, Napa, red, Savoy ~ carrots ~ cauliflower (n) ~ celery ~ celeriac/celery root ~ Daikon (w) ~ kale ~ mushrooms, wild (p) ~ parsley ~ parsnip (w) ~ potatoes: white, sweet/yams (p) ~ rutabaga ~ spinach ~ squash, winter (w) ~ sunchoke ~ turnips (p) |
| Fruits |
avocado: Fuerte, Haas (n) ~ berries: cranberries (w) ~ cherimoya (n) ~ currants, red ~ dates, fresh (p) ~ grapefruit (n) ~ kiwi ~ kumquat ~ lemon ~ mandarins/tangerines (p) ~ oranges, Navel (n) ~ pears: Anjou, Bosc (p), Comice (p), Winter Nellis ~ quince ~
|
January
| Vegetables | broccoli ~ cabbages: Bok choy (w), brussels sprouts, green, Napa, Savoy ~ carrots ~ cauliflower ~ celery ~ celeriac/celery root ~ chard ~ collards (n) ~ Daikon (w) ~ fennel (n) ~ greens: kale ~ leeks ~ mushrooms, wild ~ onions, green (n) ~ potatoes, white (w) ~ rutabaga (w) ~ spinach ~ squash, butternut (w) ~ sunchoke ~ turnips (w) |
| Fruits |
avocado: Fuerte (w), Haas (n), Zutano (w) ~ grapefruit ~ kisi ~ kumquat ~ lemons (p) ~ mandarins, tangerines (p) ~ oranges: Blood (n), Naval (n) ~ pears: Anjou, Bosc (w), Comice (w) ~ rhubarb, hothouse (n)
|
February
| Vegetables |
artichoke (n) ~ asparagus (n) ~ broccoli (p) ~ brussels sprouts (w) ~ carrots ~ cauliflower ~ celery ~ celeriac/celery root ~ chard ~collards ~ fennel ~ greens: mustard, turnip, watercress, kale ~ leeks ~ onions, spring ~ potatoes: red, russet, white ~ radish (n) ~ spinach ~ sunchoke (w)
|
| Fruits |
avocado, Haas ~ berries: raspberries (n), strawberries (n) ~ grapefruit (p) ~ kiwi ~ kumquat ~ lemons ~ mandarins/tangerines ~ oranges: Blood (w), Navel (n) ~ pummel ~ rhubarb (n)
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