With a global food supply and transportation system, we take for granted that we can eat a wide variety of produce at any time of year. But many people have no idea what is in season when or what is grown locally where they live. If you have a big garden, you are definitely more aware than most and this is the ultimate in eating seasonally and locally. But for those of you without a green thumb or who don’t have a garden big enough to meet all of your produce needs, here are some of the best reasons for eating local and in season as well as how to know what is local and in season near you.
Why shop local and in season?
You’ll save money:
Perhaps the biggest tangible benefit of eating seasonally is that you'll save money. When you buy what's in season, you buy food when it’s at the peak of its supply, and produce prices are determined in part based on supply and demand just like many other products. Another factor is the price of transportation. If you buy local, the food has travelled less to get to your store.
It’s tastes better and improves nutrition:
Less travel not only cuts costs, but also improves nutrition and taste as food starts to spoil the moment it is picked. Just think about the difference between a eating a freshly picked tomato from your garden in the middle of summer vs. one that’s traveled a great distance to reach your table in January. Not only does the texture suffer greatly, but it’s also comparatively tasteless and far less nutritious.
It’s better for the environment:
Just think about all the extra gas and carbon emissions and other countless factors involved with transporting food across the country or the ocean. Also better for the environment - choosing organic. All those pesticides, herbicides, fungicides, and other chemicals end up not only in your produce, but also in our soil, rain and ultimately your drinking water.
You’re supporting local farmers:
Eating local and in season also means you’re supporting local, more sustainable farmers, rather than giant corporations or factory farms. Farmer’s markets are great places to shop local, as are CSAs, and many health food stores will highlight the produce that is local (look for signs).
How to know what’s in season near you:
So now let’s talk about what fruits and vegetables are in season from April to early June so you can immediately implement this in your shopping. What’s local will vary quite a bit as warmer locations will have more available locally all year long. Here’s a list of some commonly available spring produce, especially here in the northern part of the country. By focusing on this list, I guarantee you’ll actually INCREASE your variety as you will choose new options that you normally wouldn’t choose.
- Asparagus - comes in green, white, purple and wild. This is a great crop for at home gardeners because it’s perennial. Plan to wait three years after planting to harvest, but thereafter it will come back year after year. When purchasing in the store, now is the best time to buy because asparagus is much less tough when eaten shortly after picking.
- Cruciferous vegetables like broccoli, cabbage and cauliflower - As with asparagus, these hearty vegetables come in different colors and varieties. Consider mixing things up with broccolini, broccoli rabe, or Chinese broccoli and add some color to your garden and dinner plate with red cabbage and purple, orange, or green cauliflower. These vegetables need full sun for growth and plenty of space between each plant.
- Herbs like chives, mint, oregano, parsley, rosemary, sage, thyme – these are little powerhouses of nutrition and flavor. Available year round in dried form, consider cooking with fresh varieties for added flavor, nutrition and color to your plate. Growing fresh herbs takes patience and some planning, but the fresh fragrance and flavor they’ll bring to even the simplest of dishes will make your efforts worth it. When starting from seed vs. seedling, depending on the herb, they are planted indoors anywhere from 6-12+ weeks before the last expected frost. One of my favorites is my sage bush - I planted it several years ago and it keeps coming back strong year after year. I enjoy it fresh during the season, but I also dry large quantities of it in my dehydrator to enjoy dried sage all year long in things such as tomato sauce and fall soups.
- Greens like arugula, collard greens, kale, lettuce, mustard greens, spinach, Swiss chard, and watercress – Greens are one of the most nutrient dense category of vegetables, bursting with antioxidants, fiber, and other vital nutrients on the dinner plate. And bonus, they are often very affordable options. These gifts alone make it worth growing greens; however, an added perk is that greens are tolerant of the cold and will germinate at temperatures as low as 40 degrees F.
- Mushrooms - oyster, porcini and others. The variety of mushrooms available and methods for preparing them are nearly endless. While mushrooms grow year-round and are most plentiful in the Fall, these are some of the varieties that are in season in the spring.
- Peas - Peas grow well in cool weather and reach maturity quickly, so they’re popping through the soil and onto the table earlier than many other spring vegetables. English, snow, and snap are some of the most common varieties. English peas are the sweet little gems removed from their shells and eaten plain or added to salads, soups, and casseroles. Snow peas are eaten whole in their flat, translucent pods. They are often seen in stir fry, but they can add flavor and texture to so many other dishes. Snap peas perhaps offer the best of both worlds in that the peas are plump and sweet, and the pods are fully edible - great for snacking, salads or lightly steaming.
- Strawberries - The sugar in strawberries converts to starch soon after the berries are picked, so fresh is best, making local and in season key! They don’t continue to ripen after they are picked, so if a berry is pale and partially white or green, it will be less sweet than a plump red berry, and it won’t get any more red or sweet with time. Strawberries are planted in March or April and the everbearing varieties will bear fruit into late summer/early fall. Strawberries are one of my favorite thing to grow at home - I love how they come back every year bearing more and more fruit.
- Root vegetables like beets, parsnips, radishes, turnips - Root vegetables are often associated with cold-weather comfort foods like soups and stews; however beets and radishes are great tossed into spring salads, roasted in the oven, or grilled outdoors. They add texture, color, and variety to the spring table. Root vegetables germinate best in soil 50-60 degrees F. Time to germination varies among root vegetables, with radishes germinating in as little as two to three days and others such as carrots and parsnips taking two to three weeks. You can enjoy a continual harvest of radishes, carrots, and beets by continuing to plant into the summer, and carrots, turnips, and parsnips can stay in the ground until fall. In fact, the cooler weather and age will turn them even sweeter!
- Sprouts - Spring brings a bounty of other sprouts including clover, broccoli, pea, and radish. These less common varieties of sprouts aren’t widely available at the typical supermarket, so look for them in produce markets, farmers' markets, and co-ops or consider growing your own! There’s no soil required, they grow indoors and they’re ready to eat in a matter of days!
- Tomatoes - starting in June, several varieties of tomatoes will be available. This is one of my favorite things to grow at home as they bear a lot of fruit and are easy to maintain. At our house we love the all the bite sized varieties - red, yellow and orange. They are easy and tasty additions to salads and also taste great grilled and roasted.
This is certainly not a comprehensive list and items may vary slightly depending on where you live (especially for those of you that are outside of the US). To find a complete list of what’s in season near you, see here: Seasonal Food Guide