• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Recipes
  • Substitutes
  • Basics
  • Pairings

A Nourishing Plate

menu icon
go to homepage
  • Recipes
  • Substitutes
  • Basics
  • Pairings
  • Subscribe
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • YouTube
  • subscribe
    search icon
    Homepage link
    • Recipes
    • Substitutes
    • Basics
    • Pairings
    • Subscribe
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • YouTube
  • ×

    Home » Basics

    June 19, 2020 Basics

    Seasonal Produce Guide: What to Buy Throughout the Year

    This seasonal produce guide will help you figure out the best time to buy produce throughout the year, and at the best price. Get the most bang for your buck with seasonal produce.

    a variety of seasonal produce

    The more you cook, the more you'll realize the benefits of cooking with produce that's in season.

    And honestly, you likely do this more than you're even aware of.

    Let me guess...

    • You eat and buy pumpkin-everything in the fall until you can’t even stand to look at another pumpkin until next year because you went all out.
    • You load up on citrus during the wintertime to boost your immune system.
    • When the weather starts to warm back up in the spring, you choose fresh green vegetables to add to salads or put on the grill.
    • Fresh berries, melon, and stone fruits are always on your grocery list during summer because it's practically a crime otherwise.

    Why Buying Seasonal Produce Is Worth It

    Seasonal produce can seem like a lot of hype, but if you want to greatly improve the flavor of your meals with minimal effort, it's absolutely worth it.

    Let's look at tomatoes as an example.

    If you buy tomatoes during the summer and early fall when they're in season, they're juicy and can often taste as sweet as candy. Now, if you buy a tomato in the wintertime, its texture is drier and the flavor falls somewhere between mild and bland.

    This explains why many winter recipes call for canned tomatoes, which were picked in peak season at their ripest stage.

    If you’re not a big fan of fresh tomatoes, you’ve likely had them in the wrong season. I challenge you to try an in-season tomato and taste the difference, it's drastic.

    When you’re buying produce that’s in season, the flavor is at its prime.

    This helps you when you’re cooking because the flavor is so good on its own, you don’t have to do much to make it taste even better. All it really needs is a drizzle of olive oil, a sprinkle of kosher salt, and some freshly cracked black pepper.

    If you’re buying produce that’s not in season, it takes more work to make it taste good. You have to cook it down to release the water and add tons of seasoning.

    Make sense?

    Perks of Buying Seasonal Produce

    You’ll spend less money. Who doesn’t love that?

    When you eat seasonally, the supply is high, which drives down the price and you spend far less money than you would if you bought it out of season. Plus, it doesn't have to travel as far to get to you.

    Misconceptions About Eating Seasonally

    Eating seasonally doesn’t mean that you can’t ever buy what’s not in season. Depending on where you live, this may not be an option for you.

    Instead of approaching seasonal produce as an all-or-nothing choice, focus on adding a few more seasonal ingredients to your meals each week.

    Over time, the bulk of what you’re eating will be seasonal, but just know that you don’t have to eat seasonal one hundred percent of the time.

    Fall Produce (Sept 22 - Dec 21)

    VEGETABLES

    • artichokes
    • beets, bell peppers, bok choy, broccoli, broccolini, Brussels sprouts
    • cabbage (green, red, savoy), carrots, cauliflower, celery, celery root, chard
    • daikon radish
    • fennel, frisée
    • garlic, ginger, green beans,
    • horseradish
    • kale, kohlrabi
    • leeks
    • mushrooms (cremini, porcini, portobello)
    • napa cabbage (aka Chinese cabbage)
    • okra, onions
    • parsnips, potatoes, pumpkin
    • radicchio, radishes, romaine lettuce, rutabagas
    • sorrel (leafy greens), spinach, sprouts, sweet potatoes
    • turmeric, turnips
    • watercress, winter squash (acorn, butternut, spaghetti, kabocha)
    • yams

    FRUIT

    • apples
    • coconut, cranberries
    • dates
    • figs
    • grapefruit, grapes, guavas
    • kiwi fruit, kumquats
    • lemons, limes
    • mandarin oranges, mangoes, meyer lemons
    • nectarines (early fall)
    • oranges
    • papayas, passion fruit, peaches (early fall), pears, persimmons, plums (early fall), pomegranates
    • quince
    • tomatillos, tomatoes

    Winter Produce (Dec 21 - March 19)

    VEGETABLES

    • beets, bok choy, broccoli, broccolini, Brussels sprouts
    • cabbage (green, red, savoy), carrots, cauliflower, celery, celery root, chard, collard greens
    • daikon radish
    • endive
    • fennel, frisée
    • garlic, ginger
    • jicama
    • kale
    • leeks
    • mushrooms (cremini, portobello)
    • napa cabbage (aka Chinese cabbage)
    • onions
    • parsnips, potatoes
    • radicchio, rutabagas
    • sprouts, sweet potatoes
    • turmeric, turnips
    • winter squash (acorn, spaghetti, butternut)
    • yams

    FRUIT

    • bananas, blood oranges
    • cara cara oranges (late winter), coconut, cranberries (until mid-winter)
    • dates
    • grapefruit
    • kiwi fruit, kumquats
    • lemons, limes
    • mandarin oranges, meyer lemons
    • oranges
    • passion fruit, pears, persimmons, pineapples
    • tomatillos
    • yuzu fruit

    HERBS

    • chervil (French parsley)
    • marjoram
    • oregano
    • parsley
    • rosemary

    Spring Produce (March 19 - June 20)

    VEGETABLES

    • artichokes, arugula, asparagus
    • beets, bibb lettuce (also called Boston or butter lettuce), bok choy, broccolini
    • carrots, celery, chard, collard greens, cucumbers
    • endive
    • fava beans, fennel, fiddlehead ferns, frisée
    • garlic, ginger
    • horseradish
    • jicama
    • kale
    • leeks
    • mushrooms (cremini, morel, porcini, portobello)
    • napa cabbage (aka Chinese cabbage)
    • onions
    • peas (late spring), potatoes
    • radicchio, radishes, ramps, romaine lettuce, rhubarb (late spring), rutabaga
    • snap peas, sorrel (leafy greens), spinach, sprouts, sweet onions
    • turmeric, turnips
    • watercress
    • zucchini

    FRUIT

    • avocados
    • blood oranges, blueberries
    • cara cara oranges (early spring), cherries (late spring), coconut
    • grapefruit
    • kiwi fruit
    • lemons, limes
    • mandarin oranges, mangoes, meyer lemons
    • nectarines (late spring)
    • oranges
    • passion fruit, peaches (late spring), pineapples, plums (late spring)
    • strawberries
    • tomatillos
    • yuzu fruit

    HERBS

    • chives, chervil (French parsley), cilantro
    • dill
    • mint
    • oregano
    • parsley
    • rosemary
    • sage
    • tarragon

    Summer Produce (June 20 - Sept 22)

    VEGETABLES

    • artichokes, arugula
    • beets, bell peppers, bok choy, broccolini
    • celery, celery root, chard, chile peppers, corn, cucumbers
    • eggplant
    • fava beans, fennel, frisée
    • garlic, ginger, green beans
    • horseradish
    • kohlrabi
    • lima beans
    • mushrooms (cremini, porcini, portobello)
    • napa cabbage (aka Chinese cabbage)
    • okra, onions
    • radicchio, radishes, ramps, romaine lettuce, rhubarb,
    • scallions (also called green onions), shallots, sorrel (leafy greens), spinach, sprouts, sweet onions, summer squash
    • turmeric, turnips
    • zucchini, zucchini blossoms

    FRUIT

    • apricots, avocados
    • blackberries, blueberries, boysenberries
    • cantaloupe, cherries
    • figs
    • grapefruit, grapes, guavas
    • honeydew, huckleberries
    • lemons, limes, lychees
    • mangoes
    • nectarines
    • oranges
    • papayas, passion fruit, peaches, pineapples, plums
    • raspberries
    • strawberries
    • tomatillos, tomatoes
    • watermelon

    HERBS

    • basil
    • chervil (French parsley), chives, cilantro
    • dill
    • marjoram, mint
    • parsley
    • rosemary
    • sage
    • tarragon, thyme

    Feel free to save this blog post and peep back to it anytime you need a refresher about what’s in season.

    More Cooking Basics

    • Almond Ricotta
    • Creative nacho topping ideas such as zucchini corn salad, nectarine salsa, cashew queso, and marinaded mushrooms.
      15 Unique Nacho Topping Ideas
    • A spoonful of homemade granola oat butter on top of a jar.
      Granola Butter (Nut-Free, Oat Spread)
    • Slices of oven baked crispy prosciutto in a bowl.
      Oven Baked Crispy Prosciutto

    Reader Interactions

    Rate & Review Cancel reply

    Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

    Recipe Rating




    Primary Sidebar

    Hi, I'm Lindsey. My goal is to teach you how to become a better cook, rely less on recipes, and be more adaptable in the kitchen depending on what's in season, in your pantry, or to fit your dietary needs. All recipes are dairy-free but come with a "make it your way" substitution section to get you started.

    More about me →

    Spring Recipes

    • A large bowl of potato and asparagus salad with roasted garlic dressing.
      Potato Asparagus Salad With Roasted Garlic Vinaigrette
    • A loaf of carrot cake cut with a couple of slices in the front.
      Carrot Cake Loaf With Zesty Citrus Glaze
    • Lavender Lemonade
    • Sautéed Garlic Scapes with squeezed lime
      Sautéed Garlic Scapes with Smoked Sea Salt and Lime

    Popular Posts

    • A small bowl of spicy sushi mayo with a spoon.
      Japanese Spicy Mayo (For Sushi, Poke, And Beyond)
    • pouring vegan oyster sauce into a glass jar
      Vegan Oyster Sauce Recipe
    • What Goes With Spinach?
    • A short glass of overnight chia seed pudding topped with fresh fig slices and dukkah seasoning.
      Overnight Chia Seed Pudding

    Footer

    Get Started

    Capsule Pantry
    Cooking Basics
    Ingredient Pairings
    Substitutes

    Explore By Seasons

    Fall Recipes
    Winter Recipes
    Spring Recipes
    Summer Recipes

    Connect

    About
    Contact
    Subscribe
    Work With Me

    As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

    Privacy policy. Disclaimer. Copyright © 2022 A Nourishing Plate LLC. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.