• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer
  • Home
  • Recipes
  • Blog
  • About
    • Who I Am
    • Philosophy
    • Press
  • Work With Me
  • Contact

Grateful Grazer logo

By Stephanie McKercher, MS, RDN

  • Instagram
  • Facebook
  • Pinterest
  • Twitter
  • Email

September 26, 2018 By Stephanie McKercher, RDN

Seasonal Produce Guide: How to Prep, Store, and Cook Fresh Fruits and Vegetables

Pin
Share
Tweet
Email

Want to eat more fruits and vegetables? I’m sharing my favorite recipes and top reasons to choose local, seasonal produce in this guide. Looking for more? Opt in to receive a free copy of my Seasonal Produce Guide ebook below.

Tomato pizza being cut with pizza cutter and title text that reads, "Seasonal Produce Guide."

Why Choose Seasonal Fruits and Vegetables?

I fell in love with fruits and vegetables once I started cooking with the seasons. Here are five reasons I seek out local produce whenever possible.

Flavor

Peak fruits and vegetables tend to pack more flavor than off-season or non-local produce. Taste a fresh-picked tomato in August or September and you’ll know exactly what I’m talking about.

Nutrition

Many fruits and vegetables start to lose nutrients immediately after they’re picked. You can avoid some of this degradation by opting for local produce that hasn’t traveled long distances before making its way onto your plate. Frozen fruits and veggies are another nutrient-dense option (especially when fresh produce isn’t available—see below).

Cost

It’s often easier to grow a crop during its peak, so you’ll usually see the best prices on fruits and vegetables when they’re in season. Local produce also requires less transportation, and farmers may pass along these savings to you. 

Sustainability

Shopping for local, seasonal produce gives you an opportunity to support the farmers in your community. Sustainable food systems are complicated, because there are so many factors that go into a food’s overall carbon footprint. When growing practices and other factors are comparable, local fruits and vegetables tend to be more environmentally sustainable. This is largely because transportation needs are so much lower.

Variety

Changing up your ingredients with the seasons is an amazing way to add variety to your diet. I always feel a push of culinary creativity when the seasons change. Each one has its own set of unique ingredients to experiment with.

Is Fresh, Seasonal Produce the Only Option?

There’s no need to eat fresh produce 100% of the time.

Frozen and canned foods are convenient and cost-effective ways to add extra nutrients to your meals. Fruits and vegetables are often frozen immediately after they’re picked, so their nutritional content is sometimes even higher than what you can get from fresh!

I use frozen and canned products year-round, but they’re especially useful during the winter, when locally-grown produce is more limited in my area.

How to incorporate canned and frozen fruits and vegetables:

  • Use canned tomatoes to make homemade soup or pasta sauce.
  • Add frozen corn to Mexican-inspired dishes.
  • Sauté or steam frozen broccoli to use in salads and buddha bowls.
  • Add frozen, chopped spinach to curry dishes.
  • Make smoothies with frozen fruit.

What’s In Season Right Now?

(Based on seasonality in Colorado, USA.)

Fall Produce

  • Brussels sprouts
  • Cauliflower
  • Carrots
  • Kale
  • Sweet potatoes
  • Apples
  • Pumpkin
  • Pears
  • Grapes
View Fall Recipes

Winter Produce

  • Turnips
  • Mushrooms
  • Leeks
  • Winter squash
  • Potatoes
  • Grapefruit
  • Oranges
  • Persimmons
  • Pomegranate
View Winter Recipes

Spring Produce

  • Asparagus
  • Radishes
  • Broccoli
  • Green beans
  • Spinach
  • Strawberries
  • Rhubarb
  • Artichoke
  • Scallions
View Spring Recipes

Summer Produce

  • Bell peppers
  • Summer squash
  • Corn
  • Tomato
  • Blueberries
  • Peaches
  • Cherries
  • Avocado
  • Cucumber
View Summer Recipes

More Healthy, Seasonal Cooking Tips:

  • Learn how to properly store fruits and vegetables to maximize freshness (I include tips in my ebook.)
  • Freeze or can to preserve peak-season produce for the off-season
  • Repurpose leftovers to reduce food waste
  • Shop at farmers markets or join a CSA (community supported agriculture)
  • Search for seasonal recipes online to keep mealtimes interesting
  • Grow your own food (a pot of fresh herbs is an easy way to start)

Want more recipes and tips? Click here to sign up for my newsletter and get your Seasonal Produce Guide free. 

Are you trying to eat more plant-based food? This Seasonal Produce Guide is filled with useful tips and delicious recipes for every time of year. There's also a free ebook you can download, too! Bookmark this for next time you're grocery shopping or heading out to the farmers market!
_
#gratefulgrazer #produceguide #ebook #plantbased #flexitarian #eatmoreplants
Pin
Share
Tweet
Email

Related

Filed Under: Cooking

@GratefulGrazer on Instagram

Previous Post: « Weeknight Dinner: Toasted Freekeh and Rainbow Chard with Nuts and Tahini
Next Post: Pumpkin Curry with Crispy Tofu and Broccoli »

Reader Interactions

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Show more posts

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Primary Sidebar

Hey there! I'm Steph, a registered dietitian, recipe developer, and food photographer living in Colorado. I help people cook delicious eco-friendly food at home. Continue reading...

Click on the image to get my free Seasonal Produce Guide recipe ebook:

Tomato pizza being cut with pizza cutter and title text that reads, "Seasonal Produce Guide."

Grateful Grazer has Been Featured On:

Learn how to cook delicious eco-friendly food at home

Subscribe to get recipes and a free Seasonal Produce Guide by email.

Footer

STEPHANIE McKERCHER, MS, RDN
REGISTERED DIETITIAN
RECIPE DEVELOPER
DENVER, COLORADO
Privacy Policy

© 2018 The Grateful Grazer, LLC

This website uses cookies.