In honor of autumn’s arrival, I wanted to talk about seasonal eating, that is, eating the fruits and vegetables that naturally grow in any given season. I don’t know about you, but autumn bears most of my favorite fruits and vegetables. Therefore, I figured it was a nice time of year to address this very natural, and healthful, way of eating.
Before the industrial revolution, people were only able to eat what their land provided them in any given season. Certain fruits and vegetables were planted and harvested certain times of year. And those were the ones that were eaten. No genetic engineering. No chemical sprays so they could last longer as they travel halfway around the world. No strawberries in November!
In a society where mass production, not our health, is the primary concern, every bit we can do to minimize our exposure to chemicals in our food is a win. Eating seasonally, and if possible locally, is a wonderful way to do this. Below is a list of the seasonal fruits and vegetables for this time of year (think September-November). I hope you enjoy them as much as I do!
Fruits
- Raspberries
- Blackberries
- Plums
(note: the above three go out in early autumn)
- Apples
- Pears
- Grapes
- Figs
- Clementines (though more of a winter fruit, they start getting good in late autumn)
Vegetables (in alphabetical order)
- Aubergine (Eggplant) still good through September
- Beetroot
- Broccoli
- Brussels sprouts
- Cabbage with us all year round, but thought of as an autumn/winter vegetable
- Carrots
- Cauliflower
- Celeriac Celery
- Chicory Courgettes (Zucchini)
- Cucumbers
- Fennel
- French beans still around until the end of September
- Herbs think thyme, sage and rosemary this time of year
- Jerusalem artichoke arrive by November
- Leeks
- Mangetout (snow peas) finish in September
- Mushrooms think wild mushrooms
- Onions also with us all year round, but considered an autumn/winter veg
- Parsnips
- Peppers red, yellow, orange, green, even purple
- Potatoes
- Pumpkin
- Radishes carry on until October
- Red cabbage appears in October
- Romanesco cauliflower is best in October and November
- Runner beans available through September
- Squash of all shapes and sizes
- Swede
- Sweetcorn