It’s March… so what is seasonal produce now?

I have to admit, every time I’ve heard someone say that I should buy seasonal fruits and vegetables, I’ve sighed. It sounds too hard to monitor. Why can I only have my favourite fruits for three months of the year? And why do I need to go to that much effort to plan what I buy based on the season?

Well, it’s quite an important issue, and the best thing for your health as well. According to a study conducted by the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries & Food in London, nutrient content in food that is harvested when it is in season is vastly different to when it grows outside of season. Besides that, farms use far more pesticides and herbicides trying to make crops grow out of season.

By buying seasonal, you are guaranteed less transport (which means a lower carbon footprint), a product harvested at the peak of its freshness, and the maximum nutrition available. Plus, it’s good for your wallet: seasonal produce is generally better value because of lower production costs.

So what is in season in autumn?

Between March and May, try looking in your supermarkets for the following:

Fruits: avocado, apple, blackberries, banana, cumquat, custard apple, feijoa, fig, grapefruit, grapes, guava, kiwifruit, lemon, lime, mandarin, mango, mangosteen, nashi, orange, papaya, passionfruit, peach, pear, persimmon, plum, pomegranate, prickly pear, quice, rambutan, raspberries, rhubarb, strawberries, tamarillo.

Vegetables: artichokes, Asian greens, beans, beetroot, broccoli, brussels sprouts, cabbage, capsicum, carrot, cauliflower, celery, Choko, corn, cucumber, daikon, eggplant, fennel, leek, lettuce, mushrooms, okra, onion, spring onions, parsnip, potato, pumpkin, shallot, silverbeet, spinach, squash, swede, sweet potato, tomato, turnip, watercress, witlof, zucchini.

Herbs & spices: basil, chervil, chilli, chives, coriander, dill, garlic, ginger, kaffir lime, lemongrass, mint, oregano, parsley, rosemary, sage, tarragon, thyme.

If you’re looking to plan your meals around seasonal produce, check out some awesome seasonal recipes here!

Image via GoodtoKnow.