The reasons for consuming in-season fruits & vegetables are well established. They are better for YOU, they are better for the environment, and they typically cost much less than out-of-season varieties. Choosing local, NonGMO & organic when available enhances both the health and environmental benefits. It can be difficult to find local depending on where you live, so I have included a few websites that can help you find Farmer’s markets, Co-ops & farms near you:
https://www.ams.usda.gov/local-food-directories/farmersmarkets. https://www.localharvest.org http://www.coopdirectory.org/directory.htm
Depending on your US hardiness zone, the fruits and vegetables below cover most of the ones that will be in season during late fall and winter:
- Beets
- Broccoli
- Brussel sprouts
- Cauliflower
- Celery Root
- Collard Greens
- Dates
- Endive
- Fennel
- Grapefruit
- Guava
- Kale
- Kumquats
- Leeks
- Lemons
- Limes
- Mandarin oranges
- Myer Lemon
- Onion
- Oranges
- Passion fruit
- Pears
- Pineapple
- Pomegranates
- Pummelo
- Radicchio
- Rutabaga
- Sweet potatoes
- Swiss Chard
- Tangerines
- Turnips
- Winter squash
- and don’t forget the year-round selections – banana, avocado & coconuts.