How to Eat Seasonally and What's Available for Early Spring

Go back a generation or two and the idea of how to eat seasonally would just have been called normal eating. My dad used to work in fruit and veg and he always tells me that certain foods just weren’t around at certain times of the year. Now, with imports and transportation improvement, we can have food from around the world at any time of the year. But if you want to eat seasonally, what kind of foods are available now and for the rest of spring?

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Advantages of trying to eat seasonally

While looking to eat seasonally can be good fun, there are also some solid advantages to following the idea that might work for many people.

Health benefits

To get the most from any fruit or vegetable, getting it as fresh as possible is always the best option. By eating seasonally, you are eating food just after it has been harvested and therefore is getting the very top nutritional benefits from every bite.

Also, there are some people that suggest our bodies need certain nutrients at different times and that the food that is naturally available at these times have higher amounts of these.

Helping local businesses

By eating seasonally, you are boosting local businesses as this encourages supermarkets and other stores to buy the freshest food available nearby. This helps everyone and means you are supporting your local economy as well as getting the best food. Nothing wrong with importing food but it is nice to get good stuff and help your local economy too!

Helps the environment

Another point made by www.eatlocalgrown.com is that if you eat fresh food that is grown locally, the food is more environmentally friendly as it has travelled less of a distance to reach you. This reduces pollution and helps boost the natural seasonal produce that in turns follow the natural cycle of things. An interesting point too!

March food

As we are half way through the month, I thought I would have a look at what kind of foods are classed as March foods. Typically, these are a mixture of foods that have been growing over winter as well as some of the very short term, early spring produce that will appear towards the end of the month.

Most of the food in season for March are vegetables because these grow over winter and are ready for harvest this month. These include:

Cabbage

Cabbage can turn up at any time of the year with different types growing in different countries. However, in the northern hemisphere, they can start to appear from March until late summer. Always choose cabbage that has crisp leaves without any holes (yes, insects cause those!) or is tightly packed when that’s the style.

Cauliflower

Cauliflower is mostly a winter and early spring vegetable, being harvested from December to April naturally. Always look for cauliflower with white heads, no discolouration and crispy green leaves. The whiter the base is, the fresher the vegetable.

Celeriac

Celeriac turns up all year round, but the best crops are from September to April. It has an odd look naturally so don’t be surprised if it isn’t the most attractive veg in the supermarket. Choose ones that have a firm root and feel heavy for the size. Keep away from any that are discoloured.

Chicory

Chicory is also known as endive and is actually grown in the dark which is why it has such a strange colour. It is normally harvested from January until March and leaves should be firm and crisp. Keep away from any with green tips on the leaves as they will have a really bitter taste.

Kale

Kale is the darling of the healthy eating world and is actually a member of the cabbage family (my neighbour always calls it kale cabbage, a bit like Savoy cabbage). It is another all year round crop, but the best harvests are from the middle of September through to late February and early March.

Leeks

Leeks are best from September to March with the young leeks being the only ones that are eaten raw. The vegetable is two-thirds white and form which is the part that is mostly eaten then there are the leaves at the top that are mostly thrown away. Watch for the firm and unblemished white arts and bright green, crispy leaves.

Parsnips

In my head, parsnips are always something extra for Christmas dinner and when you think the harvest season is from September to March, that makes sense! Parsnips can be a fibrous when they are large so aim for small or medium and make sure they are firm. Brown patches can be signs of rot so avoid. Small ones don’t need peeling, just scrubbing before serving whole so less work involved!

Purple sprouting broccoli

Purple sprouting broccoli is a colourful alternative to normal broccoli and turns up in fields from February to April. It is a crunchy addition to vegetable dishes and should have a large green-purple shade – avoid any with yellow florets or wilted leaves.

Sweet potato

Another superfood, sweet potatoes have a sweet-spicy flavour and come in two types, one with that classic bright orange flesh and another, creamy coloured variety. They are often known as yams in the US and can be used for loads of different recipes. The peak growing season for them is from October to March and always watch for unblemished skins.

What’s in season for April?

April sees the start of a few favourites as well as few other ingredients ending their season such as sweet potatoes, cauliflower and celeriac.

Asparagus

Asparagus is one of the more expensive vegetables and actually is a part of the lily family. French asparagus is purple while varieties from the UK and US are green and many varieties from Spain and the Netherlands are white – they are grown beneath the soil. Look for tightly furled and perky tips with straight and firm shoots for the best results.

Grapefruit

Grapefruit is available all year round but is best during winter and spring when they are sweeter and juicier. They are the largest of the citrus fruits, up to 18cm in diameter with a tarter flavour than oranges. There are different varieties from pale yellow through to pink and ruby red, each with their own flavour. Look for fruit that are plump and firm and have a soft sheen on the skin.

Rocket

Rocket is also known as arugula and is a dark green salad vegetable that is often used in Mediterranean dishes. It has a peppery flavour and is best when it is young. There’s a lot of vitamins in it and it works great in a salad, wrap or even on pizzas.

Spinach

Spinach appears all year, but it is best from April until September. Look for the bright green leaves that are tender and crisp and have a fresh smell with no signs of wilting. Young leaves can be eaten raw while older leaves tend to be cooked first – it does dramatically reduce in size when you do this.

Spring onions

Spring onions are also known as scallions or green onions and are simply young onions, harvested before the bulb has grown. Both the green tops and the white bulb are edible, raw or cooked and have a miler flavour than fully grown onions. Look for unblemished bulbs and bright green leaves.

Watercress

Watercress is related to mustard and is one of the stronger green salad leaves with a pungent, slightly bitter and peppery flavour. There’s lots of iron, calcium and vitamins in these leaves and they are great in soups as well as salads and sandwiches.

What’s in season for May?

May sees the start of some of the more ‘summery’ ingredients such as lettuce, mint and nectarines while many of the March and April seasonal foods are still going strong.

Apricot

Apricots are the cousin of the peach or nectarine and have a soft, velvety skin with yellow or orange skin. When the fruit is ripe, the large kernel will pop out easily. They are in season from May until September. Look for fruit with no wrinkles or blemishes and a moderately firm feel when you press them.

Mint

There are quite a few varieties of mint, each with their own flavour and slightly different appearance. Spearmint is a popular one with serrated leaves while peppermint is darker and has a stronger flavour. Look for perky, bright leaves in any variety.

Nectarines

Nectarines are a Chinese version of peach that are a little more acidic and have light pink, yellow or white flesh. They are lower in calories than peaches and have vitamins A, B and C in them. Their peak is from May to September and don’t ripen after picking so should be ripe when they are bought.

Peas

Peas grow in plump pods and as with other legumes, the sugar in them turns to starch just after they are picked so they are best when very fresh. Either that or freeze them! They are in seasonal from May to November.

Radish

Radishes are also members of the mustard family and have a peppery flavour. There are small cherry-sized varieties with red skin and white flesh as well as elongated ones that are pink in colour. There are even black varieties in Eastern Europe that have a stronger flavour as well as carrot shaped varieties such as daikon. They are in season from May to October and should be firm to the touch with no blemishes.

Healthy and seasonal

There’s a lot to be said for eating seasonally and can also be a good fun way to find recipes based around just what is available freshly. Sure, you don’t want to avoid imported foods to do this but it is a good way to boost nutrients, support local businesses and even help make choices when faced with that sea of fruit and vegetables.