Seasonal foods - Everything you need to know
We all love a fridge that’s chock-a-block with brightly coloured fruit and veg. These delicious staples provide the cornerstone of our meal plans and good healthy habits. But, up until this point, has the seasonality of these ingredients ever been a factor that you considered when restocking your fridge?
As you go about prepping all your freshly cooked family meals, the drawer at the bottom of your fridge makes a great go-to source for some dinner time inspiration. Basing your fridge’s fruit and veg selection on the seasonality of the products will not only fill your food with colour, flavour and freshness, but your meals will be more ethical and eco-conscious, too.
Seasonality has always been a big deal amongst all of the top chefs. Their menus are regularly shifted to accommodate the seasons, and accordingly showcase the fruit and veg at its peak. When it comes to home cooking, this more conscious approach to picking out what fruit and veg to use has numerous benefits, including bringing about a new level of freshness to your food that will make it taste even better.
So, if you’re sold on the idea of keeping a full stock of fresh food in your fridge, below we’ve provided you with our handy year-long seasonality calendar. This is the ultimate guide to help you eat what’s in season - so you’ll always know when’s the best time to buy all your favourite types of fruits and veg.
January
Fruit:
Apples and Pears, Blood Oranges, Clementines, Kiwi fruit, Passion fruit, Pineapple and Rhubarb.
Veggies:
Beetroot, Brussels Sprouts, Cabbage, Carrots, Celeriac, Celery, Chicory, Jerusalem Artichokes, Kale, Leeks, Mushrooms, Onions, Parsnips, Spring Greens, Spring Onions, Squash, Swedes and Turnips.
February
Fruit:
Apples, Pears, Bananas (Windward), Blood Oranges, Clementines, Kiwi fruit, Passion fruit, Pineapple and Rhubarb.
Veggies:
Beetroot, Brussels Sprouts, Cabbage, Carrots, Celeriac, Chicory, Jerusalem Artichokes, Kale, Leeks, Mushrooms, Onions, Parsnips, Purple Sprouting Broccoli, Spring Greens, Spring Onions, Squash and Swedes.
March
Fruit:
Bananas (Windward), Blood Oranges, Clementines, Kiwi fruit, Passion fruit, Pineapple and Rhubarb.
Veggies:
Artichoke, Beetroot, Cabbage, Carrots, Chicory, Cucumber, Leeks, Parsnip, Purple Sprouting Broccoli, Radishes, Spring Greens, Spring Onions and Watercress.
April
Fruit:
Bananas (Windward), Kiwi fruit and Rhubarb.
Veggies:
Artichoke, Beetroot, Cabbage, Carrots, Chicory, New Potatoes, Kale, Morel Mushrooms, Parsnips, Radishes, Rocket, Spinach, Spring Greens, Spring Onions and Watercress.
May
Fruit:
Elderflowers, Strawberries, Bananas (Windward), Kiwi fruit and Rhubarb.
Veggies:
Artichoke, Asparagus, Aubergine, Beetroot, Chicory, Chillies, Lettuce, Marrow, New Potatoes, Peas, Peppers, Radishes, Rhubarb, Rocket, Samphire, Spinach, Spring Greens, Spring Onions and Watercress.
June
Fruit:
Blackcurrants, Cherries, Elderflowers, Gooseberries, Raspberries, Redcurrants, Rhubarb and Strawberries.
Veggies:
Asparagus, Aubergine, Beetroot, Broad Beans, Broccoli, Cauliflower, Chicory, Chillies, Courgettes, Cucumber, Lettuce, Marrow, New Potatoes, Peas, Peppers, Radishes, Rocket, Runner Beans, Samphire, Spring Greens, Spring Onions, Summer Squash, Swiss Chard, Turnips and Watercress.
July
Fruit:
Blackberries, Blackcurrants, Blueberries, Cherries, Gooseberries, Raspberries, Redcurrants, Rhubarb and Strawberries.
Veggies:
Aubergine, Beetroot, Broad Beans, Broccoli, Carrots, Cauliflower, Chicory, Chillies, Courgettes, Cucumber, Fennel, French Beans, Garlic, New Potatoes, Onions, Peas, Potatoes, Radishes, Rocket, Runner Beans, Samphire, Spring Greens, Spring Onions, Summer Squash, Swish Chard, Tomatoes, Turnips and Watercress.
August
Fruit:
Blackberries, Blackcurrants, Cherries, Damsons, Plums, Raspberries, Redcurrants, Rhubarb, Strawberries and Tomatoes.
Veggies:
Aubergine, Beetroot, Broad Beans, Broccoli, Carrots, Cauliflower, Chicory, Chillies, Courgettes, Cucumber, Fennel, French Beans, Garlic, Leeks, Lettuce, Marrow, Mushrooms, Parsnips, Peas, Peppers, Potatoes, Pumpkin, Radishes, Rocket, Runner Beans, Samphire, Spring Greens, Spring Onions, Summer Squash, Sweetcorn, Swiss Chard and Watercress.
September
Fruit:
Blackberries, Damsons, Pears, Plums, Raspberries, Rhubarb, Strawberries and Tomatoes.
Veggies:
Aubergine, Beetroot, Broccoli, Brussels Sprouts, Butternut Squash, Carrots, Cauliflower, Celery, Courgettes, Chicory, Chillies, Cucumber, Garlic, Kale, Leeks, Lettuce, Mangetout, Marrow, Onions, Parsnips, Peas, Peppers, Potatoes, Pumpkin, Radishes, Rocket, Runner Beans, Samphire, Spinach, Spring Greens, Spring Onions, Summer Squash, Sweetcorn, Swiss Chard, Turnips, Watercress and Wild Mushrooms.
October
Fruit:
Apples, Blackberries, Elderberries, Pears and Tomatoes.
Veggies:
Aubergine, Beetroot, Broccoli, Brussels Sprouts, Butternut Squash, Carrots, Cauliflower, Celeriac, Celery, Chestnuts, Chicory, Chillies, Courgette, Cucumber, Kale, Leeks, Lettuce, Marrow, Onions, Parsnips, Peas, Potatoes, Pumpkin, Radishes, Rocket, Runner Beans, Spinach, Spring Greens, Spring Onions, Summer Squash, Swede, Sweetcorn, Swiss Chard, Turnips, Watercress, Wild Mushrooms and Winter Squash.
November
Fruit:
Apples, Cranberries, Elderberries and Pears.
Veggies:
Beetroot, Brussels Sprouts, Butternut Squash, Cabbage, Carrots, Cauliflower, Celeriac, Celery, Chestnuts, Chicory, Jerusalem Artichokes, Kale, Leeks, Onions, Parsnips, Potatoes, Pumpkin, Swede, Swiss Chard, Turnips, Watercress, Wild Mushrooms and Winter Squash.
December
Fruit:
Apples, Cranberries and Pears.
Veggies:
Beetroot, Brussels Sprouts, Carrots, Celeriac, Celery, Chestnuts, Chicory, Jerusalem Artichokes, Kale, Leeks, Mushrooms, Onions, Parsnips, Potatoes, Pumpkin, Red Cabbage, Swede, Swiss Chard, Turnips, Watercress and Winter Squash.
If you try to eat by the seasons, you are making an effort to consciously minimise the amount of time that your fruit and veg has spent getting from the ground (or tree) to your fridge.
Eating out of season means that the product has had to be picked before its prime (so that it can ripen during the course of its journey) or chemical preservatives have had to be used, both of which obviously results in a compromised level of flavour, nutrition and freshness.
Buying fresh food at the time of year that is at its optimum ripeness is a fantastic ethical shopping practice. This all comes down to the fact that (while we’re all far too used to being able to get whatever we want, whenever we want), just because the supermarkets cater to our every whim, this doesn’t necessarily mean that it’s an effortless, natural process on their part.
All too often, we tend to conveniently forget to consider just how exactly we’re actually able to get our hands on strawberries in the middle of a bitterly cold December.
In reality, this out of season produce can take weeks to get to our shelves, as it’s often been transported to our shops from all across the world. So, you can imagine how much carbon dioxide is being pumped into the atmosphere as a result, (versus the comparatively minimum carbon footprint that would be produced by bringing in in-season apples from a UK farm).
By cutting down on this transportation and eating seasonally, you’re also helping to support your local farmers - thereby encouraging the production of this hearty fresher produce and helping bring these profits back to your local community.
Switching out these ingredients in your weekly shop is also a great money-saving venture, as fruits and vegetables are far better valued when they’re in-season. All of this associated cost with transportation, plus the cost of keeping them in conditions that will keep them tasting the way that they should, all get added into the price that you pay at the supermarket. So, if you’re buying local produce that’s in season, you’re cutting down on the cost of growing, transporting and storing these goodies, meaning they’re much more cost-efficient.
Fresh produce, money-saving and eco-friendly practices - it’s not just buying food in seasonally that ticks all of these boxes, so does our own FridgeCam.
You can use this calendar to help you plan your weekly shop - it’ll enable you to decide what bits of fruit and vegetables would be the best choice for you to buy in, then you can consult the FridgeCam to check that it goes well with what you’ve got (or to double-check that you’re not buying in double).
You could also use this list to help you come up with some alternative options if the ingredient that you had in mind for a particular recipe isn’t currently in season. For example, if you were hoping to make a blueberry cheesecake in August, but you realised that they were actually out of season by the end of July, you could take a look at this handy calendar and switch out the blueberries for blackcurrants, blackberries or raspberries (still just as yummy!) in your recipe. It may require a bit of innovation and an on-your-feet kind of cooking, but we promise the results are well worth the effort.
The FridgeCam enables you to effortlessly control your fridge from your phone, upgrading your fridge to a smart kitchen aid that you can use to ensure you’re always eating fresh. Its WiFi capabilities enable you to check what you’ve got in stock, wherever you may be. Through the Smarter app, you can also check on your food’s expiry dates, or receive notifications to let you know if one of your family’s favourites is running low.
The FridgeCam is all about utilising tip top organisational skills to enable you and your family to eat well.
If you’re sold on the idea of revolutionising your food buying practices, let us direct you to our online store, where you can pick up a FridgeCam ready for your next - far more seasonally conscious - food shop.