Summer Seasonal Foods – What to Eat and What to Make
Have you ever had that feeling of being so content in the summertime? It’s like a special time for us all to taste and enjoy some delicious food. But what foods are seasonal only during this season, such as fruits or vegetables?
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Why eat seasonal food?
Before we look at what foods are classed as summer seasonal foods, let’s take a quick reminder of why eating seasonally can be a good thing. It is a simple idea that involves eating food when it is grown where you live and means you are often eating things when they are at their freshest and most nutritious.
This means that food just tastes better. Modern freezing and transporting techniques are amazing but the food is always best when it has just been harvested. It also means you have lost none of the goodness in each ingredient that can sometimes be reduced by cooling or freezing.
And finally, it is good for the planet. The cost of transporting food around the globe is a big one. But it costs less and uses fewer resources to grab food produced locally compared to something that has come from hundreds or even thousands of miles away.
What are summer seasonal foods?
What foods are in season varies with where you are. I’m going to use the UK as my example because that’s where I am and readers from the US, Canada and other northern hemisphere countries will find your summer seasonal food is much the same.
Apricot
Apricots are in season from around May to September as they need plenty of sunshine to thrive. Cousin of the peach and nectarine, when selecting fresh apricots look for ones with unblemished skin. Avoid ones that have wrinkles, or the very palest colour and the flesh should be moderate firm to the touch.
Asparagus
Asparagus is a real summer seasonal food that is freshest from May to July. Asparagus spears should be straight and firm with the tip being tightly furled. There are different colours from different countries including purple from France, green from the UK and US and white from Spain and the Netherlands.
Bell Pepper
Bell peppers come in a range of colours and can be bought year round but the growing season for them is at a peak from March to October as they like the warmer months. Peppers have a long life, especially when you keep them in the fridge so you can make a range of recipes from a batch. Avoid any with wrinkling of the skin.
Blueberry
We are used to seeing blueberries all year round but their actual season is spring to summer, usually from April until late September. After that, they tend to come from the southern hemisphere.
Blueberry Mint Green Smoothie
- 2 Cups spinach
- 1 Cup almond milk
- 1 Cup fresh blueberries
- 1 Cup frozen blueberries
- 1 Banana
- 3-4 mint leaves
- 1 cup ice
Add spinach and almond milk to a blend then combine. Add the blueberries, banana, mint and ice then blend until smooth. If you want to thicken it, add more almond milk or banana.
Cabbage
Different types of cabbage are available at different times of the year but the traditional time for the crops to mature is during the summer. With any type of cabbage, look for bright and crisp leaves and avoid any with holes in as these are usually from insects. For varieties like green cabbage, look for tightly packed leaves.
Cherry
The peak time for cherries is July although they are often available at different times of the year. Look for plump and shiny fruit that have stalks attached. The flesh should be firm but not hard. Generally, the paler the fruit, the sweeter the flavour. If you are making a cherry recipe, check to see what type it recommends.
Courgette (Zucchini)
Courgette or Zucchini if you are in the US are best from June until September. This versatile vegetable comes from the same family as the cucumber and looks for vegetables that are firm to the touch and have a glossy skin that isn’t soft or squishy. Perfect for those zoodles!
Nectarine
The nectarine is another member of the peach family and originally came from China. It is now grown around the world and the best time for fresh nectarines is from May to September. They don’t ripen once picked so should be fully ripe when you buy them – avoid any with green patches, bruises or broken skin.
Raspberry
Raspberries are a favourite if you want to attempt some ‘grow your own’ at home in the garden and their prime harvest time is from late June to early September. Look for evenly coloured berries with no signs of mould or mushiness. If you buy by the punnet, make sure there are no stains on the bottom as this means the lower berries have been squashed.
Tomato
Tomatoes have a rolling season around the world – for the UK, for example, it is from June to October. Then you can look at ways of saving your harvest to last through the winter – canning and tomato puree are a couple of ideas. Always go for tomatoes with firm, wrinkle-free skin and have a fresh tomato smell. Eat as quickly as possible so buy in batches that fit the recipe.
Cucumber tomato salad
Ingredients:
- 2 Teaspoons coriander seeds
- 2 Teaspoons mustard seeds
- 1 Teaspoon cumin seeds
- 1 Small red onion, thinly sliced
- 1 Cup cider vinegar
- 1 Tablespoon sugar
- Salt
- 3 Large tomatoes, sliced
- 1 Cucumber, sliced
- 1 Tablespoon olive oil
- 1/3 Cup cilantro
Add the coriander, mustard and cumin seeds in a pan until they pop and become fragrant. Add the vinegar, sugar, salt and one cup of water then simmer for two minutes.
In a bowl, add onions and the seed mixture then pop in the fridge for an hour. When serving, remove the onions and put the mix in a big salad bowl with tomatoes, cucumber and cilantro then toss with some olive oil.
Watermelon
The best watermelon comes from mid-June until late August although they are usually imported at other times of the year. Look for fruit that sounds hollow when you tap it and feels heavy. Don’t worry if the rind is dull, as long as it feels firm. Avoid any that have cracks or bruises on the rind.
How to make the best of fresh seasonal foods
Finding the right summer seasonal food from any seasonal food list is one thing, then you want some ideas on what you can do with them. Because if you get a whole watermelon, a punnet of raspberries or a bag of bell peppers, you want to have some ideas on how to use them while they are fresh.
With lots of these summer ingredients, two ideas are top of the list – infused water and smoothies. Both provide tasty drinks and let you combine the ingredients in new and different ways. To make infused water, you simply add the chosen fruits to a water bottle and leave somewhere cool and dark, usually overnight. This lets the flavours come out. Then either drink as it is or remove the fruit.
You can also add almost anything into a smoothie, as shown with the blueberries recipe above. It is a great way to use up fruits you have left that might be approaching the end of their lifespan. Make sure you balance the solids with water, milk or other liquids to make a smoothie a drink.
Cold soups for summer
Soup doesn’t seem to be the ideal recipe for the summer but that’s because we assume it is hot. The answer is to use seasonal foods in cold soup recipes!
Cold soups are a little like a smoothie. They often use a high-speed blender to make a smooth consistency or cook the ingredients before chilling them. One of the most famous types of cold soup is Gazpacho but there are lots of other ideas.
Sweet Pea and Avocado Soup
Ingredients:
- 2 Tablespoons butter
- 1 Medium sweet onion, chopped
- 4 Cups vegetable stock
- 10 Ounces frozen sweet peas
- 2 Cups baby spinach
- ½ Cup mint leaves
- 2 Avocados, chopped
- 1/3 Cup lemon juice
- Salt and pepper
In a pan, melt the butter then sauté the chopped onions for a few minutes. Add the vegetable stock and bring to the boil then reduce the heat and simmer.
Add the peas and cook for 4-5 minutes until tender then remove from the heat and add the spinach and mint. Leave to cool before adding the avocado and lemon juice.
Blend the mixture to make it smooth then season with salt and pepper before serving.
Fun ways to use summer seasonal fruits
A classic fruit salad is one of the simplest ways to enjoy summer seasonal foods but there are other ways to make use of the summer harvest.
Dipping different fruits in chocolate is a fun way to make the fruit into something different and is popular with kids. You can melt your favourite chocolate, dip the fruit and let it cool and harden a little before enjoying.
Parfaits are a French dessert that uses custard while the US version replaces this with yoghurt and makes it more of a breakfast dish. You can use almost any fruit layered with the yoghurt to make these dishes and add things like honey and granola to the mix.
Popsicles are where you grab a popsicle mould, blend the fruit and add a little sweetener such as honey then freeze overnight. The next day you have a healthy and tasty way to enjoy the summer fruits.
Summer fruit salad
Ingredients:
- 1 Pound strawberries, diced
- 1 Pound pineapple, diced
- 2 Mangos, diced
- 12 ounces blueberries
- 12 ounces cherries, halved
- 4 kiwis, diced
- 1 Cup peaches, diced
- 2 Bananas, diced
- ¼ Cup honey
- 2 Teaspoons lemon zest
- 2 Tablespoons lemon juice
In a large bowl, toss the strawberries, pineapple, mango, blueberries, cherries, kiwis, peaches and banana.
In a smaller bowl, mix the honey with the lemon juice and zest.
When ready to serve, toss the fruit in the honey mixture.
Enjoy your summer seasonal food
Whether you enjoy early or late summer seasonal food or work through all different ones, there are some really tasty ingredients fresh for enjoying in summer. By eating seasonally, you can get the most possible nutrients from every recipe and enjoy flavours that match the season!
What’s your favourite seasonal ingredient? Tell us what and why in the comments below!
