Best Times of the Year to Buy Certain Vegetables

Many areas of the country are known for certain foods grown at certain times, but generally, fresh vegetables and fruits are associated with a particular season:Spring: Early fresh vegetables include asparagus, radishes, delicate leafy greens like mache and arugula, fiddleheads (a type of edible fern), ramps (a mild, soft onion), mushrooms, strawberries, and peas – first the shoots and flowers, then pea pods, and full-grown peas.Summer: The produce bounty includes “stone fruit” (peaches, apricots, and nectarines), cherries, raspberries, blueberries, beets, zucchini, summer squash, string beans, cucumbers, carrots, blackberries, Brussels sprouts, eggplant, corn, okra, melons, tomatoes, peppers, and potatoes.Fall: This is the season for apples, pears, broccoli, cauliflower, kale, and mustard greens – heartier produce that won’t die if there’s a cool night.

Winter:
Now is the time for root vegetables, including turnips, winter squash, celery root, parsnips, sweet potatoes, carrots, and rutabagas.