What's in Season?

I'm sure you all have heard the advice to eat seasonally, that is, eat fruits and vegetables that are ripe and ready to eat during the current season. But visiting the modern grocery store makes that really difficult since they are able to get most fruits and vegetables year round. Of course, even though you can get them year round doesn't always mean that they taste the best or are at their healthiest. For the best tasting, most nutritious produce, you should strive to get the them at the peak of their natural, local growing season.

To help you figure that out, here is a general list:

Winter: Carrots, chicories, chard, oranges/citrus, turnips, greens (kale, turnip, mustard and collard)

Spring: Carrots, cauliflower, greens (kale, turnip, mustard and collard), lettuces, radishes, rhubarb, strawberries, turnips

Summer: Asparagus, basil, beets, blackberries, blueberries, broccoli, cabbage, carrots, figs, beans, lettuce, peaches, summer squash, corn

Fall: Basil, carrots, chicories, chard, greens (kale, turnip, mustard and collard), green beans

This is by no means a complete list, however, it is a good general list. Make friends with the produce manager at you local grocery store, or even better, make friends with your local farmers. They will be able to tell you when and where your produce was picked. Your taste buds and body will thank you!