Staying in Season

You’ve probably heard the expression that it is best to eat with the seasons. But you might wonder why, when we live in a country that can ship in any kind of produce at any time of year. Well, here are a few reasons why it benefits YOU to shop in season.

First of all, by buying seasonal foods, you eliminate a lot of  environmental damage that takes place when you ship food thousands of miles. Produce that has been shipped across the globe just doesn’t taste as fresh as from a nearby farm. Your dollar is also going to shipping and processing costs, which can be easily eliminated by buying local and having your money go straight to the farmer.

Not sure which foods are best in which season? Here’s an easy guide

Fall and Winter:

• brussels sprouts
• cabbage
• carrots
• celery
• onions
• leeks
• potatoes
• pumpkins
• radishes
• greens
• turnips
• apples
• winter squash

Spring:

• asparagus
• beets
• spring onions
• peas
• peppers
• artichokes
• rhubarb
• strawberries

Summer:

• broccoli
• cabbage
• cucumber
• eggplant
• okra
• corn
• summer squash
• apricots
• berries
• tomatoes
• zucchini
• cherries
• melons
• peaches
• figs

Did you also know that food is actually nutritionally better for you when it is ripe? If you pick a fruit or vegetable before that (like they do when they ship them out), you are picking it when it has not yet achieved its full nutritional state. And if you wait and pick something after ripening, the nutritional value goes down as well.

The moral of the story? Hunt for local produce to be healthy and save money. Blueberries never are as sweet as they are in the summer, and yet we continue to pay exorbitant prices to have them on our mid-winter oatmeal….