A Month-by-Month Guide to Buying Seasonal Produce

On a budget but want to eat healthy? Here’s a month by month breakdown of when fruits and vegetables are in season and when they’ll likely be the most inexpensive.

When my vegetable garden is in full swing, it’s super easy to supplement our weekly menu with fresh fruits and veggies.  But it’s pretty easy to eat with the seasons all year round if you know what to look for. I came up with a handy dandy guide so you’ll know what’s in season each month of the year, so you can stock up and save big.

Be prepared to take advantage of all that produce while it’s in season. Don’t just enjoy the yummy produce fresh or on the dinner table, but freeze, can, and dehydrate so you have your favorite produce readily available in times where seasonal produce is hard to come by.

I totally rely on my garden and in-season deals I score at farmers’ markets to sustain us through the winter. Plus, not having to buy fresh produce each week will save you a bundle.  On top of produce tasting better when it’s in peak season, it is much more cost effective!

During the long winter months when produce sometimes lacks variety, I’ll trade off what produce items we eat. If I’ve frozen or canned something, I’ll mix it up to keep things interesting, that way we don’t get sick of having the same thing over and over.

Another way to keep from getting sick of in-season produce is to be adventurous with your recipes. Try new things instead of the same old zucchini bread {although I’d never turn down a fresh slice of zucchini bread to be honest!}.

And now, without further ado, here’s your month-by-month guide to buying seasonal produce:

January: Meyer lemons, avocados, broccoli, brussels sprouts, cabbage, carrots, cauliflower, fennel, grapefruit, greens, leeks, wild mushrooms, mandarin oranges, navel oranges, pears, papaya, spinach, tangelos, and tangerines.

February: Broccoli, potatoes, cauliflower, oranges {of every shape and size}, grapefruits, artichokes, avocados {especially around Super Bowl Sunday}, carrots, spinach, greens, cabbage, kiwi, lemons, papayas, sweet potatoes, pears, leeks and lemons.

March: Asparagus, avocado, beets, broccoli, cabbage, leeks, kale, mangoes, oranges {this is kind of the last month for seasonal oranges}, papayas, pineapples, shallots, and turnips.

April: Asparagus, artichokes, avocados, beets, broccoli, cabbages, radishes, lettuce, kale mangoes, papayas, pineapples, rhubarb, shallots, spinach and turnips {all of those cool weather or overwintered crops!}.

May: Asparagus, radishes, lettuce, endive, kale, arugula, cabbage, spinach, beets, strawberries {in warmer climates}, artichokes, onions, broccoli, broccoli raab, rhubarb, sugar snap peas, mushrooms.

June: Asparagus, corn, radishes, lettuce, endive, kale, arugula, cabbage, spinach, beets, strawberries, cherries, artichokes, onions, raspberries, broccoli, broccoli raab, rhubarb, sugar snap peas, green beans {toward the end of the month}, garlic {toward the end of the month}, mushrooms.

July: Some Greens {depending on how hot it is}, beets, strawberries, cherries, peaches, cucumbers, artichokes, onions, raspberries, broccoli, tomatoes, peppers, carrots, cabbage, zucchini, peas, green beans, garlic, potatoes, mushrooms {if you live in a dry area, you may only find dried mushrooms}.

August: Some greens {depending on how hot it is}, raspberries, blackberries, blueberries, beets, pears, apples, corn, apricots, cantaloupe, watermelon, honeydew, peaches, cucumbers, carrots, peppers, artichokes, onions, squash, broccoli, cauliflower, celery, tomatoes, zucchini, peas, green beans, beans, garlic, turnips, parsnips, potatoes, mushrooms {if you live in a dry area, you may only find dried mushrooms}.

September: Some Greens {depending on how hot it is}, raspberries, blackberries, beets, pears, apples, corn, apricots, cantaloupe, watermelon, honeydew, peaches, cucumbers, artichokes, onions, squash, broccoli, cauliflower, celery, tomatoes, zucchini, peas, green beans, beans, garlic, turnips, parsnips, potatoes, mushrooms, peppers, carrots, pumpkins, swiss chard.

October: Spinach, Lettuce, Swiss Chard, Greens, cabbage, pears, apples, onions, winter squash, pumpkins, broccoli, cauliflower, celery, tomatoes {in the earlier part of the month}, zucchini, peas, green beans, potatoes, carrots, beets, turnips, parsnips and lots of other root vegetables.

November: Apples, broccoli, brussels sprouts, sweet potatoes, cabbage, celery, carrots, parsnips, cauliflower, kale, leeks, potatoes, chicory, cranberries, winter squash, most greens, and mushrooms.

December: Avocados, broccoli, brussels sprouts, cabbage, celery, parsnips, cauliflower, fennel, grapefruits, mushrooms, mandarin oranges, navel oranges, pears, spinach, sweet potatoes, pomegranates, cranberries, papayas, and tangerines.

Need help coming up with recipes for what’s in season?  Try Simply in Season.  It has tons of great recipes that walk you through the seasons–whether you have a garden or not.

Do you try to eat seasonally?  Do you ever get bored? How do your preserve your in-season harvest?

~Mavis