Pick your season, pick your produce

According to healthline.com, “A fruit develops from the flower of a plant, while the other parts of the plant are categorized as vegetables.” Whether you are looking at fruits or vegetables, however, each has its own season.

Some fruits that are available throughout the year are apples, bananas, grapes, kiwis, oranges, melons and avocados, although different varieties are more popular at different times. You can generally find varieties of tomatoes ,peppers, onions, and eggplants year round.

During spring, it is easiest to find things like apricots, grapes and kiwis. In the summer, the produce that is most abundant includes watermelon, strawberries, and tropical fruits like mangos. Some produce has a shorter window, like cherries for instance, while others can move from spring into summer. Pears and apples have a different flavor and consistency, depending on the season and the variety, but they are most abundant during the fall. In winter, the shelves are full of oranges, cranberries and pomegranates.

Vegetables also vary greatly by season. Spring brings out the first of the artichokes and asparagus; summer produce includes the freshness of heirloom tomatoes and crunchy cucumbers. Fall vegetables often grow underground and are ready for harvest in the cooler months – turnips, beets, carrots and more. Some of those transfer into the scarcer months of winter, including the root vegetables and kale.

There is a lot of variety from season to season so there is never a reason not to enjoy plenty of fresh produce.

Mr. Sherwood Fuellas, who teaches Biology, said, “Honestly, all the fruits are good to me as long as they are fully grown and healthy. And for vegetables, the same, just that they are healthier so I eat more vegetables than fruits.”