Eating With The Seasons

It is interesting to eat like our great-grandparents did; with the seasons. Generally, most foods were eaten in season, and not transported long distances. The portion of the harvest that wasn't eaten right away was canned or dried.

With the abundance of food that is now available year round from all over the world, some of us have forgotten what is in season in our area. Here's a list of what is seasonal for the Milwaukee area:

Apples, August through October

Asparagus, May through August

Basil, August and September

Beets, June through October

Bitter melon, August through October

Blueberries, July into August

Broccoli, June through October

Brussels sprouts, August through mid-November

Cabbage, June into November

Cantaloupes, August and September

Carrots, June through October (local harvest available from storage through winter)

Cauliflower, August through November

Celery, August through October

Chard, July through September

Corn, mid-June through mid-August

Cucumbers, July through mid-October

Eggplant, July through mid-October

Garlic, August through November

Grapes, September

Green beans, July through September

Green onions, June through September

Greens (various), June through October

Herbs, July through October

Leeks, August through October

Lettuce (various), June through September

Melons, August and September

Mint, April through October

Onions, August through October (local harvest available from storage year-round)

Parsnips, April and May and again in October through November (local harvest available from storage through winter)

Pea greens, June and July

Peas, July through August

Peppers (sweet), July through September

Potatoes, July through October (local harvest available from storage year-round)

Pumpkins, October

RadishesRadishes, May through October

Raspberries, June into August

Rhubarb, May through June

Rutabagas, October through November (available from storage into spring)

Shelling Beans, September through October (local harvest available dried year-round)

Spinach, May through October

Summer Squash, July through October

Strawberries, June and July

Tomatoes, July through early October

Turnips, August through November (local harvest available from storage through February

Watermelons, August through September

Wild Rice, local harvest available from storage year-round

Winter Squash, August through October (local harvest available from storage through February)

Zucchini, July through October

Zucchini Blossoms, June through August

There is a great visual representation of seasonal produce at this website (look toward the bottom of the home page):

Seasonal Availability of Wisconsin Produce
http://www.farmfreshatlas.org/southeast/index.htm


I encourage everyone to locate a list like this one for their area.