What’s In Season: Spring Fruits and Vegetables

by | Apr 11, 2018

Spring Fruits and Vegetables

Spring is about to be sprung!

And that means we get all kinds of fresh vegetables and fruits that come into season. Here are some to keep an eye out for at your local farmer’s market:

Artichokes main harvest takes place in the spring, when the largest thistles are available. Look for artichokes with fresh-cut stems and tight, compact leaves.

Arugula is traditionally a cool weather crop; however it has become available year round due to coastal summer crops and winter green houses.

Asparagus is harvest from March to June. Look for fresh cut stems to ensure tenderness.

Baby Carrots, REAL baby carrots (the thin mild carrots pulled by farmers to thin rows) are only available from spring to early summer.

Fava Beans, often grown by farmers to “fix” nitrogen in the soil, can be found as a “throw away” crop in early spring before the farmer plants the ‘real’ crop they were growing this year.

Fiddlehead ferns are only available from mid-spring to early summer. These unique tiny edible ferns can only be found by foraging, no commercial attempt to grow them has ever been successful.

Grapefruits from Texas, Arizona, Florida and California come into season during the spring and stay good and sweet all the way up to early summer harvest.

Herbs – many of the best soft, summer herbs (basil, parsley, cilantro, thyme) are first available in the spring.

Kale and Kohlrabi both have a short harvest period in the spring, their main harvest comes in the fall.

Kiwis, Kumquats and Lemons are all finishing their availability in spring. They all start to lose flavor by mid-April.

Leeks are at their prime in late March to mid-April.

New Potatoes and Fingerlings are both harvested at this time of year.

Rhubarb is the first fruit of spring, starting to pop out by early March in some climates.

Spring Onions, just like true baby carrots, can ONLY be found in the spring when farmers are thinning their onion rows. The tiny bulb onions have a very mild flavor, compared to the traditional “green onion” found at the grocery store.

Strawberries will peak in April although they will be available with fine quality till mid-June.

Turnips are also found best in the spring, look for ones with un-wilted, bright green leaves still attached

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