Knowing when your fruit is thriving is beneficial for your wallet & your health.
Hey guys,
It's probably pretty common knowledge that there are specific times of the year when & where certain fruits are in-season, but do you actually know when your favorite fruits are at their best? If not, no need to trip up over it. Most people don't...because not everyone studies this stuff 24/7, so I got you.
It's something that is pretty important, though, especially if you dig your produce & have a hankering for a healthy diet & a thicker wallet.
So, let's get right into it. The benefits of buying fruit IN SEASON:
Benefit #1. Tastes AMAZING.
In-season fruit is picked at it's peak—AKA, when it's fully ready & ripened. At this time, it's flavor profile is at its max. It's so much sweeter & yummier than when picked before it's ready.
If you're like me and you're picky AF when it comes to picking out produce at the grocery store *sorry, Eric*, knowing which fruits are in season can save you lots of time with this, since you can take that knowledge and can choose them with confidence knowing that the flavors will be there.
Benefit #2. More nutritional value.
When fruit is picked at its peak ripeness, its nutritional value is also at its peak.
When our fav fruits get the necessary amount of sunlight they require in order to fully develop, and are picked at this stage, they've been given the adequate amount of time to produce the maximum amount of vitamins and minerals that they contain. So, when we eat in-season fruit, we get max benefits of the vitamins and minerals they offer us, which is needed for a healthy, well-balanced diet.
Benefit #3. It's cheaper.
If you're ballin' on a budget & you're tryin to keep that bod lookin right all year long, & love fruit because you're not one of those brain-washed 'Keto Krazies', gettin' in on the know of what fruit is in-season will keep your grocery costs low...and help that bod stay on point.
It all comes down to supply & demand. SHOOT, those Econ classes DO come in handy in the real world every now & then.
But yes, SUPPLY.AND.DEMAND.
When there's an abundance of certain fruits available, the cost goes down.
And, when we buy local produce that's in-season, traveling expenses and storage costs are MIA. So, all in all, & in many ways, buying in-season produce=cheaper.
Benefit #4. It's more eco-friendly.
I'm not trying to go all 'hippy vegan' on ya here, but helping to improve our environmental conditions when you can, and with ease, is a pretty solid idea.
In terms of buying in-season produce, this is a more eco-friendly practice because when doing so, the produce comes locally, so there's no need for trucks to transport it long distances, which means...LESS GAS!
You can pass on gas AND support local farms by purchasing in-season produce.
So you help save our planet from further harm AND you can feel good about knowing where your produce is coming from & that you helped your local farmers make a buck!
I've had to come to terms with the fact that here, in the northeast, the summer is behind us.
It's fall, or Autumn, whichever you prefer. So, that said, read on for the produce you should seek out for your harvest hauls.
Fruits fresh off the vine in Fall (for the northeast):
-Apples.
-Bananas.
-Cranberries.
-Figs.
-Grapes.
-Kiwi.
-Oranges.
-Pears.
-Plums.
-Pomegranates.
For those lookin' to do some cookin', your Fall fav veggies:
-Broccoli.
-Brussels sprouts.
-Carrots.
-Cauliflower.
-Eggplant.
-Mushrooms.
-Onions.
-Potatoes (reg. & sweet).
-Pumpkin.
-Spinach.
-Tomatoes.
-Zucchini.
All of the above plus some are easily found at many farmers markets if you're in the northeast during the fall season. So if you have one in your area, hit it up!
Get yourself some delicious, in-season produce and support your local farms & fams!
And if you nerd out over farmer's markets like me, you'll get your fix of Autumn aesthetics that makes fall feel like a freaking fairytale.
Maybe even go with your mom & pretend you're the Gilmore Girls because that's 1000% a fall MOOD.
...yeah, I've taken my mom to the Union Square Greenmarket & pretended we were in Stars Hollow. A girl can dream. Don't judge & don't knock it 'til ya try it.
Anyways, if these benefits & knowledge bombs don't offer all the ammo needed to convince you to buy in-season produce, then I don't know what will.
Feel free to share what YOUR favorite in-season fall fruit is in the comments!
It's a tough choice for me, but mine is probably apples...what's yours?!
xo Mackenzie.