Purchasing in-season produce is a great way to maximize nutrition, save money, and enjoy the freshest, tastiest fruits and vegetables the grocery stores have to offer. Shopping for seasonable produce ensures you’re getting high-quality produce at a great price, plus, you’ll be able to find seasonally-specific recipes to improve your cooking skills.
In this article, you’ll find the best fruits and vegetables each season has to offer. When you’re planning on doing some summer grilling, getting the best nutrition for a marathon you plan on running this winter or looking to bake a pie with the best berries of spring, you’ll find a list of vegetables and fruits specific to each season, as well as some helpful tips on how to pick out the best fruits and veggies. Let’s get started!
Winter
Many people mistakenly view winter as the worst time for fresh produce. However, the wintertime provides many nutritious foods we tend to overlook. Many foods we associate with fall continue to harvest into the winter, and some fruits and vegetables may be at their healthiest and most flavorful during this time. Read on for some of the best fresh foods winter has to offer.
Fruits
- Apples
- Avocados
- Bonus tips: Avocados are another fruit (yes, they are indeed a fruit) many people have trouble selecting. Avocados that are hard and green are not ready to eat. However, avocados that have darkened on the outside and give a little when gently pushed into are ready to eat. Ensure you gently handle your fruit to prevent bruising.
- Bonus, bonus tip: To properly cut an avocado, insert your knife into the stem area, and make your way around the fruit length-wise. If you want your avocado in slices, place your halves flat-faced down, and make a shallow, quarter-incision into the shell. You can then easily peel the avocado casing off.
- Clementines
- Grapefruit
- Kiwis
- Kumquats
- Lemons
- Oranges
- Pears
- Persimmons
- Tangerines
Vegetables
- Onions, shallots, garlic
- Bonus tips: Many people consider garlic a kitchen staple and for good reason. However, if you’re like us and hate opening a bulb of garlic only to find half of the cloves have gone bad and mushy, here are some tips to help. Try to buy local garlic when possible, and gently squeeze and sniff the bulbs before buying. You should smell little to nothing, and the heads of garlic should feel very stiff.
- Beets
- Bok choy
- Broccoli
- Broccolini
- Broccoli rabe
- Brussels sprouts
- Cabbage
- Carrots
- Cauliflower
- Celery root
- Chayote
- Chicories (endive, radicchio)
- Collards
- Fennel
- Kale
- Leeks
- Mustard greens
- Rutabagas
- Sweet potatoes
- Swiss chard
- Turnip greens
- Winter squash
Spring
Spring is the most bountiful season for plant life, making it an excellent time for produce. During this time of year, you’ll see the below fruits and vegetables stocked and cheap to purchase. Many local farms also open up to the public for berry picking, which is a great activity to do with family and friends. Read on to get inspired by the best spring has to offer.
Fruits
- Grapefruit
- Lemons
- Mangoes
- Pineapple
- Bonus tips: To pick the sweetest pineapple, ensure your pineapple feels heavy and gives a little when pushed into, but not too much so you don’t pick an overripe one. Additionally, pick up a pineapple and smell the bottom. If it smells sweet, you’ve got a good pineapple on your hands. If you can’t smell much pineapple on it, the pineapple hasn’t ripened yet.
- Rhubarb
- Strawberries
- Bonus tips: If you hate purchasing a package of strawberries only to find a moldy one a few days in, properly inspect your package at the grocery store and ensure there isn’t excessive bruising or mush on any of the berries. Once you’ve purchased your strawberries, organize them into a single layer in a container without washing them. Then cover them with an air-tight lid or plastic wrap and put them in the fridge to extend their shelf life.
Vegetables
- Arugula
- Artichokes
- Asparagus
- Beets
- Carrots
- Fava beans
- Fresh herbs
- Kale, collards, mustard, and turnip greens
- Kohlrabi
- Lettuce
- Morels
- New potatoes
- Nettles
- Peas, sugar snap peas, and pea shoots
- Radishes
- Bonus tip: If you struggle to finish the bunch of radishes you purchase, storing them properly makes a huge difference in getting them to last longer. To store your radishes, pull off the leaves and stems. After thoroughly cleaning them, place your radishes in a jar of cold water. Cover with a lid and stick them in the fridge and your radishes will last three times longer.
- Ramps/wild garlic
- Spring onions/green onions
- Spinach
- Swiss chard
Summer
Fruits
- Berries
- Muskmelons
- Passion fruit
- Bonus tips: Passion fruit is one of our favorites, and if you’re lucky to try one, knowing when to eat it makes all of the difference. Passion fruit that is perfectly round and green is far from ready to eat, but once they’ve darkened into purple, they’re ready to pick. Passion fruit that is browning and wrinkly is the perfect time to eat this sweet and unique fruit.
- Watermelon
- Bonus tips: To pick the best watermelon, look for fruit with consistent stripes and uniform size. You should also look for a bright yellow spot with lots of webbing, which is a good indicator that your fruit is sweet enough for the bugs to try to get in. Additionally, when compared to other melons, your watermelon should feel heavy, indicating it’s ripe and ready to eat. Lastly, choose a watermelon that’s dull looking over the shinier options. By following these tips, you ensure you’ve picked a sweet and ready-to-eat watermelon.
- Stone Fruits (Apricots, Nectarines, Peaches, Plums)
Vegetables
- Asparagus
- Beets
- Carrots
- Corn
- Cucumbers
- Eggplant
- Fresh Herbs
- Lettuce
- New Potatoes
- Peas and Sugar Snap Peas
- Tomatoes
- Zucchini and Yellow Squash
Fall
Fruits
- Apples
- Cranberries
- Grapes
- Pears
- Persimmons
- Pomegranates
Vegetables
- Artichokes
- Broccoli
- Broccolini
- Broccoli rabe
- Brussels sprouts
- Cauliflower
- Celeriac (celery root)
- Chayote
- Chicories (radicchio, endive)
- Greens
- Leeks
- Parsnips
- Rutabagas
- Sunchokes
- Sweet potatoes
- Tomatillos
- Winter squash
The best produce of each season
Buying seasonal produce is a great way to choose fresh and nutritious foods. While we’ve named the best of each season, it’s also important to consider your local region when purchasing fresh produce. By knowing your local area and what each season offers for products in your region, you’re on your way to making sustainable, healthy choices.
About the Author
Ashley Nielsen earned a B.S. degree in Business Administration Marketing at Point Loma Nazarene University. She is a freelance writer who loves to share knowledge about general business, marketing, lifestyle, wellness, and financial tips. During her free time, she enjoys being outside, staying active, reading a book, or diving deep into her favorite music.
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