I don’t know how many of you have ever thought about seasonal eating, that is, eating the fruits and vegetables that naturally grow in any given season. Since autumn bears most of my favorite fruits and vegetables, I figured it was a good week to address this very natural and healthy 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. You can seek out Farmer’s Markets in your area through the following website: https://www.localfarmmarkets.org/NJfarmmarkets.php or consider a crop share for the future. We do one out of Jackson that gets delivered to our doorstep once/week (called Earthen Harvest). If you have any questions please let me know. See below the for a comprehensive list of fall fruits and vegetables.
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 can still be good in late autumn)
Vegetables (in alphabetical order)
- Beetroot
- Broccoli
- Brussels sprouts
- Cabbage (With us all year round, but I always think of it as an autumn/winter vege)
- Carrots
- Cauliflower
- Celery
- Cucumbers
- Eggplant (Still good through September)
- Fennel
- French beans (Still around until the end of September)
- Herbs (thyme, sage and rosemary this time of year)
- Jerusalem artichoke (Arrives by November)
- Leeks
- Mushrooms (This is the time of year to look out for wild mushrooms)
- Onions
- Parsnips
- Peppers (Red, yellow, orange, green, even purple)
- Potatoes
- Pumpkin
- Radishes (until October)
- Red cabbage (Appears in October)
- Romanesco cauliflower (best in October and November)
- Runner beans (Available through September)
- Rutabaga
- Snow peas (finish in September)
- Squash
- Sweetcorn
- Zucchini