Best Times to Purchase Produce By Month
I have been trying to write articles this week on the food we all eat or drink on a daily or weekly basis. I really wanted to post about the best times to purchase our produce each month. Are you like me and you see some oranges and you buy them and take them home and start to peel them and they either taste really good or sometimes there is no flavor? This is why today’s post may help us all by buying our fruits and vegetables in season. Hence, they may be juicer and more flavorful.
Fruits and vegetables are a staple in any home. Finding out when the best time to buy fruits and veggies is essential. Here is a helpful guide to ensure your fresh produce will be healthy and delicious! Many of the fruits and vegetables on this list freeze well. If you desire to enjoy some of them all year long, stock up so you can enjoy them even if they aren’t in season.
The nice thing about buying or growing excess produce, we can freeze it, dehydrate it or bottle extra fruits and vegetables at the peak of their flavor. I can still remember our daughter, Heidi, grabbing a quart jar of peaches we had bottled the summer before and we would toast some homemade bread to go with it. I bet you can almost smell the bread baking, right? Here’s my post about making my no-fail bread recipes.
If you have freshly ground wheat flour, bread flour, yeast to name a few items you’ll need, you can make bread, I promise. There is nothing more awesome than punching down a bowl of bread dough and forming it into bread or dinner rolls. Oh, and don’t forget the cinnamon rolls. Cinnamon Rolls by Linda and Bread Recipes by Linda
I realize if we have a garden we can sometimes plant and produce some vegetables before they hit the store. I’m thinking fresh peas, for one. I can almost grow russet potatoes year-round. Not quite but it’s close. Once you grow Non-GMO Organic potatoes you can never buy them again at the store. I will tell you this, freshly picked potatoes taste so much better than the ones that are shipped to the grocery stores. I still buy those occasionally, but they are not as moist as my homegrown ones.
I grow them in pots that are about 18 inches tall and 18 inches in diameter with a spigot that waters them. There is nothing I love more than watching my grandkids dig for potatoes. I love it, every time!!!
The great thing about having a garden is you can replant and overlap planting your plants or seeds to keep producing for several months.
My dream is to have a lemon tree, I would love to go out my back door and pick some lemons. Do you have fruit trees? Our home/yard here is too small to have fruit trees like we use to have. I look for land all the time. I can dream!
Do you have a fruit you wish you could grow or plant, whether a bush or tree? I would love to pick blackberries and raspberries for sure. I love avocados, and wouldn’t it be fun to pick some of them when ripe in your backyard? Maybe you do! If you have them, I’m jealous in a good way.
Produce In Season-Best Time To Buy
January
Fruits:
Lemons, grapefruit, tangelos, oranges, kiwis, pears, avocado.
Vegetables:
Split peas, broccoli, carrots, cauliflower, celery, cabbage, spinach, kale, brussels sprouts, leeks, parsnips.
February
Fruits:
Raspberries, strawberries, kiwis, grapefruit, oranges, lemons, avocado, and tangelos.
Vegetables:
Broccoli, brussels sprouts, cabbage, cauliflower, kale, leeks, parsnips, turnips, onions, potatoes, artichokes, asparagus, carrots, celery, chard, spinach, and kale.
March
Fruits:
Pineapple, lemons, limes, raspberries, strawberries, oranges, and tangerines.
Vegetables:
Artichokes, broccoli, cauliflower, lettuce, mushrooms, radishes, turnips, leeks, brussels sprouts, celery, and swiss chard.
April
Fruits:
Pineapple, grapefruit.
Vegetables:
Lettuce, mushrooms, asparagus, peas, broccoli.
May
Fruits:
Apricots, bananas, cherries, mangoes, blackberries, strawberries, raspberries.
Vegetables:
Carrots, onions, peas, okra, swiss chard, zucchini.
June
Fruits:
Blueberries, cantaloupe, cherries, kiwi, peaches, watermelon.
Vegetables:
Corn, lettuce, zucchini.
July
Fruits:
Blackberries, blueberries, kiwis, mangoes, peaches, plums.
Vegetables:
Summer squash, cucumbers, corn, zucchini.
August
Fruits:
Apples, cantaloupe, mangoes, kiwi, peaches, tomatoes.
Vegetables:
Swiss chard, acorn squash, butternut squash, green beans, peppers.
September
Fruits:
Apples, cantaloupe, grapes, mangoes, pomegranates, and pumpkins.
Vegetables:
Acorn squash, beets, butternut squash, cauliflower, green beans, lettuce, mushrooms, spinach.
October
Fruits:
Cranberries, apples, grapes, pomegranates, pumpkins.
Vegetables:
Beets, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, butternut squash, cabbage, cauliflower, leeks, lettuce, mushrooms.
November
Fruits:
Oranges, cranberries, tangerines.
Vegetables:
Beets, broccoli, brussels sprouts, cabbage, leeks, spinach, turnips.
December
Fruits:
Pears, grapefruit, oranges, papayas, tangelos, tangerines, pomegranates.
Vegetables:
Broccoli, brussels sprouts, cabbage, cauliflower, kale, leeks, mushrooms, parsnips.
Thanks for stopping by today, it means a lot to me. I hope this post inspires you to grow your own food. Please try and use organic soil, plants, seeds, and trees. We must be self-reliant and grow our own food. I’m extremely worried about our food chain. Please watch some Netflix food documentaries, and decide for yourself what food is right for you. I know what I will eat. Yes, it includes processed chocolate, but besides that, I want to eat only healthy whole foods. Thanks for being prepared for the unexpected. May God bless this world.
fruit trees were my goal.. lived on 15 acres and a 9 room house built in the 30’s with anything they could find for walls, a maze but cheap enough that I could afford it, I planted and planted but everything died.. then found out that the boron was so strong in the well water that it killed any plants.. so for 35 years I was on a baron area… finally as I aged and couldn’t do it all anymore we got town water to the street… but by then I couldn’t keep up the fix and repair daily on the place so sold it.. buying a place near town in a place that every 60 feet there is another piece of property. so began my quest to grow…. I used pomagranite to make a hedge on the south side.. with thompson seedless grapes on the fence and growing up and over the area, planting fig and Meyer lemon in the area and then started built up planting areas for tomatoes and other veggies.. shade the tomato area with cami netting and also slows down the birds that love to find a treat in the baron desert.. built a lean to greenhouse about 20 by 10 off the west side of the house, my place to putter and coddle the plants, and kept planting in the front east side of the house.. and not much on the north side as I have a small vacation trailer and a 38 foot 5th wheel all fenced in . can’t take them out and pay the license fee each year to the state of Calif.. It is a joy to go out and see the deep rich green and the bright red on the pomegranate trees, Yes about 12 foot high didn’t get them pruned last year and only have to water them about 3 times a year !!! The grapes have gone wild and grapes are small because I am afraid to try to girdle them to get large grapes… I could kill them and dont want to take the chance.. Lost one lemon and two orange trees this year, weather was crazy.. right now my grapes are all leafing out thinking it is spring. and the cold will throw them back into dormant… praying that they will all go along with this insanity of the weather and able to come back to the norm in spring.. I say plant even if crowded, as long as you can trim enough to get around an in between them… The taste of a ripe tomato on the vine will make you not want to buy the ones that were picked green and ripened in transit to the store. the flavor fades after they are picked and you will find the ones on the plant are so delicious.. Swiss chard grows all year round here and tomatoes do well also, dying out as the weather turns cold.. mulch, llama beans , co co coir, alfalfa crumbles after the hens eat all the green, and Epsom salt.. makes a great difference in growing, keeping the desert sand into a good growing medium… If nothing else, start a tomato from the seeds of a fresh tomato and grow it in a 2 gallon container, I get all the free 2 and 5 gallon pastry frosting buckets from the local bakery for free.. or they dump them in the trash… put a couple of small holes about a inch from the bottom and start growing.. if in the house near a window where the sun can get to it, put a pretty piece of material around the bucket, I use burlap on the outside patio ones, have sweet potatoes in 5 gallon bucket on the patio, growing so pretty and get so many comments on the plants, and I will be able to reap the sw potatoes too..So get out the seed packs and start planning and go to the local nursery and see what young trees you fall in love with…
Oh Jeanne, I love your comment, I can picture the fruit in my mind. I can grow tomatoes here very well. I LOVE your comment! Linda
If you want to grow food and don’t have much experience doing so, see if your county has an Agricultural Extension Office., sometimes called a County Extension Office. Most places do. They often have Master Gardener-type programs where people have taken classes to become Master Gardeners. These people have a mission to help others become better gardeners (everything from growing veggies and fruit trees to landscape design that is suited to your area to rainwater harvesting and more). Here is a link where you can check for programs by state: ahsgardening.org/gardening-resources/master-gardeners
They often have plant sales where you can buy plants–including veggies–that are suited to your area and can save you a ton of money in suggesting what varieties do well in your area and when to plant them. In addition, they often do inexpensive soil testing and give classes on how to compost and improve your soil and more. In Texas, we have a very active Master Gardener program, and they offer inexpensive classes to the public on all sorts of topics. I’m sure other states do the same. Good luck!
Thanks Cheryl, Linda
Hi, Linda! Have you thought about miniature fruit trees you can grow in pots? I have lemon, lime, orange, and tangerine trees, a banana, and Top Hat blueberries all growing in containers. I can put them out on the porch during the warmer months and then move them inside when night time temps start to fall. They all make beautiful house plants and all but the banana are producing moderate to good yields. The banana is just a year old and is quite beautiful, but won’t produce fruit for another year or two.
Due to the short growing season up here,
I purchased an indoor greenhouse so I am able to grow herbs, tomatoes, peppers, and some other vegetables year round. I have three heirloom roses growing in there, as well. It’s also a great place to start plants for planting outdoors when the weather allows.
Hugs to you, Mare
Mare, WHAT??? You live close to me, I’m all over this!! I am going to buy the brands you bought! Oh my gosh, you made my day! And the inside greenhouse!!!! Hugs, Linda
I am fortunate to live in an agricultural area with lots of small farms that participate in farmers markets. At one time I sold 12 varieties of garlic at the market! Even If you can’t grow your all or some of your own food, you are an important part of the food system as farmers markets can’t exist without regular consumers. You will find what is in season in your locale at great prices and very high quality. Many markets accept SNAP cards and WIC coupons and some have incentives that stretch those programs’ purchasing power even further.
On another note, participating in a community garden is fun and spreads the work. Maybe there’s something you love to eat but can’t grow – but your neighbor has it in their garden. You could work together to swap veggies or buy from them. Some people aren’t in a position to grow but they all need to eat and finding creative ‘shopping’ methods is a great alternative.
Hi, Debbie. oh, how I love you thoughts today!!! I hope a lot of people see this because if we could work together and share, wow, I would love it. There is nothing better than a homegrown fresh tomato! Linda
We have apple trees, peach trees. We grow strawberries. I hope to get an electric fence before next year, so that I can have a garden next year. The deer have eaten so much of it this year, that I don’t see the point without an electric fence. We did plant garlic this fall, and have chives and oregano that are there every year. My husband is trying to get spearmint going out back. It is so nice to have your own food.
Hi, Janet, oh having a garden is so nice. Spearmint is really easy to grow here, in fact, it will take over your garden. LOL! It smells and tastes so yummy! It really is nice to be able to grow our own food. Linda