Article and photos courtesy of: POPSUGAR
We’re always sad to see summer go but we couldn’t be more excited to jump right into fall. When we think of fall, we tend to think of pumpkins and squash but we have good news! The fall harvest brings in tons of other fresh, tasty fruits and veggies! These days it isn’t too difficult to find all kinds of produce year round, BUT it is important to know what is actually in season. If you are eating produce when they are not actually in season, chances are you are eating something that was either grown in a hothouse or shipped from across the world. Both methods affect the taste and nutritional value of the produce itself. According to Brian Halweil, author of “Eat Here: Homegrown Pleasures in a Global Supermarket,” “If you harvest something early so that it can endure a long distance shipping experience, it’s not going to have the full complement of nutrients it might have had.” In addition, transporting produce sometimes requires irradiation (zapping the produce with a burst of radiation to kill germs) and preservatives (such as wax) to protect the produce which is subsequently refrigerated during the trip. While no definitive study quantifies the impact of these treatments, Halweil says there is good reason to believe that eating local is really the safer option.
That being said, it is definitely worth it to find out what is in season and stock up on the freshest produce possible. Your tastebuds will be grateful and your body will thank you!
Check out this list of produce that is in season or at it’s best during this lovely time of year!
APPLES // August — November
ASIAN PEARS // July — November
BLACKBERRIES // May — October
BROCCOLI // Year-Round
BUTTERNUT SQUASH // October — December
CRANBERRIES // September — December
CUCUMBER // June — November
EGGPLANT // July — October
FENNEL // Year-Round
FIGS // July — October
GINGER // August — November
GRAPEFRUIT // September — April
GRAPES // July — December
GUAVA // November — April
HONEYDEW MELON // June — November
KALE // Year-Round
KIWI // September — April
KOHLRABI // Year-Round
MUSTARD GREENS // October—March
OKRA // June — November
PARSNIP // October — April
PEARS // August — November
PERSIMMON // November — February
POMELO // November — April
POMEGRANATE // October — February
PUMPKIN // September — April
RASPBERRIES // May — November
MANDARIN ORANGE // November — April
SWEET POTATO // September — March
TOMATO // April — November
TURNIP // September — April
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