Seasonal Eating Calendar

If you have read the blog post on The Benefits of Seasonal Eating you’ll know that eating foods when they are in season is good for health, flavour and the planet. Seasonal foods vary depending on where you are in the world. Here we’ll focus on what’s in season in most of the UK, Europe and North America during each season. If you are in the southern hemisphere or nearer the equator you are likely to have different fruits and vegetables available to you.

This list is by no means comprehensive – you’re sure to find other foods available at your local farmers market or farm shop. Some foods are available over the winter because they store well rather than because they grow during the winter months. It is fine to include these.  Rather than using botanical categorisations of what is a fruit or vegetable we’ve categorised them according to traditional culinary uses, so tomatoes are classed as vegetables not fruits etc. See blogpost on Autumn Recipes for tasty ideas for what to cook this autumn.

January

Vegetables – Brussels sprouts, cabbage, cauliflower, celeriac, leeks, parsnips, turnip, shallots, squash.

Fruit – forced rhubarb.

February

Vegetables – Brussels sprouts, cabbage, cauliflower, celeriac, chard, chicory, forced rhubarb, kohlrabi, leeks, parsnips, spinach, swede, turnip.

Fruit –  forced rhubarb.

March

Vegetables – purple sprouting broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower, leeks, mooli, broccoli, radishes.

Fruit – rhubarb. 

April

Vegetables – purple sprouting broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower, spinach, chard, mushrooms, wild garlic, radishes, carrots, kale, watercress, spring onions.

Fruit – rhubarb.

May

Vegetables – purple sprouting broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower, broad beans, carrots, asparagus, lettuce, rocket, mizuna, spinach, chard, new potatoes, baby turnips, spring onions.

Fruit – rhubarb, raspberries, strawberries.

June

Vegetables – carrots, beetroot, lettuce, salad leaves, asparagus, peas, tomatoes, courgettes, broad beans, spinach, chard.

Fruit – cherries, strawberries, redcurrants, gooseberries, tayberries, rhubarb.

July

Vegetables – carrots, beetroot, spinach, tomatoes, cucumbers, watercress, lettuce, salad leaves, courgettes, spinach, chard, cauliflower, aubergine, fennel, asparagus, cabbage, celery, mangetout, new potatoes, oyster mushrooms, peas, radish.

Fruit – plums, raspberries, gooseberries, strawberries,  loganberries, red currants, black currants, white currants, blueberries, cherries, nectarines, apricots.

August

Vegetables – carrots, cauliflower, aubergines, cucumbers, spinach, chard, lettuce, salad leaves, peppers, courgettes, sweetcorn, basil, broad beans, runner beans, peas, French beans, tomatoes, potatoes, peppers, turnips, beetroot, Jerusalem artichokes, marrows, watercress, celery.

Fruit – gooseberries, loganberries, blackberries, blueberries, raspberries, strawberries, peaches, nectarines, greengages, plums, pears, apples, red currants, black currants, white currants.

September

Vegetables – aubergines, cabbage, carrots, cauliflower, cucumber, French beans, kale, lettuce, mushrooms, onions, peppers, parsnips, peas, potatoes, pumpkin, spinach, sweetcorn, tomatoes

Fruit – apples, figs, elderberries, blackberries, damsons, grapes, melons, pears, raspberries.

Nuts – cobnuts, hazelnuts, walnuts, chestnuts.

October

Vegetables – aubergines, beetroot, cabbage, carrots, cauliflower, cavolo nero, chard, celeriac,  courgettes, grapes, kale, lettuce, marrow, mushrooms, parsnips, potatoes, turnips, squash, pumpkin, tomatoes, watercress.

Fruit – apples, grapes, medlars, quinces, pears, raspberries.

Nuts – cobnuts, hazelnuts, walnuts, chestnuts.

November

Vegetables – Brussels sprouts, cabbage, pumpkin, squash, swede, cauliflower, potatoes, parsnips, leeks, kale, chard, cavolo nero, beetroot, potatoes, turnips, celeriac, mushrooms.

Fruit – cranberries, medlars, apples, quinces, pears, chestnuts.

December

Vegetables – celery, cabbage, red cabbage, cauliflower, celeriac, pumpkin, squash, beetroot, turnips, parsnips, Brussels sprouts, swede.