Previously I wrote about in-season fruits during the summer. I’ve finally gotten around to putting together an infographic that covers in-season veggies for summertime. Sorry it took me so long, somehow I forgot I was supposed to do this. Like it says on the masthead, I’m living the Hectic Life. It’s not an excuse, it’s just a fact!
Vegetables tend to ship and store a bit better than fruits, so there often doesn’t seem to be quite as much difference between the out-of-season and in-season variety when you’re looking at them in the store. Don’t be fooled by the way they look…those veggies that have traveled from South America to your market are nowhere near as fresh and tasty as their local counterparts. Sure, it’s great to be able to get any vegetables out-of-season, but when you can get in-season, local veggies you’re going to be much happier with the taste!
The easiest way to know what’s in season is to either keep the infographic handy or go to your local farmer’s market. It’s kind of hard to fake in-season at the farmer’s market!
To help you know what’s in-season though, you can always turn to the internet. There’s an awesome website that allows you to pick the month and your location and it will tell you when produce is at it’s best.
A second great resource comes from the USDA, although it’s not tailored to regions of the country.
Third, I’ve previously written about the Harvest app. It’s an awesome tool available right on your smartphone. My blog post 5 Things I Learned: Buying Produce talks about the app as well as tips on selecting the best produce.
Finally, I created the handy infographic below to let you know what veggies are in-season during the Summer…
No matter what you’re whipping up in the kitchen…these resources will help you make the most of your grocery dollars and help you get the best vegetable you can buy. Now get to enjoying your summer and make it a great day in the kitchen!
