seasonal eating; a guide

This year my mum has started growing her own vegetables in the garden, inspired by my granny and grandad who have long grown an assortment of veg in their garden mainly tomatoes, carrots, beets, and leafy greens. She began replacing our old ivy-ridden trampoline patch with fresh nutrient-dense soil. Following my Granny’s advice and Huw Richard’s book Veg in One Bed*, she only planted seeds that would thrive in the current climate, which got me thinking about the importance of not only planting vegetables in line with the current season but also eating seasonally. Eating seasonally is essentially when you are eating foods that are ready to harvest at the same time of year that you are eating them, which often translates to tastier, more nutrient-dense, and generally cheaper produce. Not only that but eating seasonally is great for the planet as the produce will have traveled fewer miles and it is less likely to be wrapped in plastic packaging. An easy way to eat seasonally is to buy your veg directly from a local market, farm shop, or a veg box scheme. To help you find what is currently in season, I’ve collated a simple month-by-month guide to all the fresh fruit and veg on offer each month in the UK.

May

asparagus, basil, broccoli, carrots, chives, coriander, dill, jersey royal, and new potatoes, lettuce and mixed salad leaves, mint, oregano, parsley, peas, radishes, rhubarb, rocket, rosemary, sage, samphire, spinach, spring onions, tarragon, watercress, wild nettles, wild garlic

June

artichoke, asparagus, aubergine, basil, beetroot, bilberries, blueberries, broad beans, broccoli, carrots, cherries, chilies, chives, coriander, courgettes, dill, elderflowers, fennel, french beans, garlic, gooseberries, jersey royal and new potatoes, lettuce and mixed salad leaves, mangetout, mint, onions, oregano, pak choi, parsley, peas, radishes, rocket, rosemary, runner beans, sage, samphire, spinach, spring onions, strawberries, tarragon, thyme, tomatoes, turnips, watercress, wild nettles

July

artichoke, aubergine, basil, beetroot, bilberries, blueberries, broad beans, broccoli, carrots, chilies, cherries, chives, coriander, courgettes, dill, elderflower, fennel, french beans, garlic, gooseberries, jersey and royal new potatoes, lettuce and mixed salad leaves, mangetout, mint, onions, oregano, pak choi, parsley, peas, raspberries, radishes, rocket, rosemary, runner beans, sage, samphire, spinach, spring onions, strawberries, tarragon, thyme, tomatoes, turnips, watercress, wild nettles

August

artichoke, aubergine, basil, beetroot, bilberries, blueberries, broad beans, broccoli, carrots, cherries, chilies, chives, coriander, courgettes, cucumber, damsons, fennel, french beans, garlic, lettuce, loganberries, mangetout, marrow, mint, onions, oregano, pak choi, parsley, peas, peppers, plums, potatoes, radishes, raspberries, redcurrants, rocket, rosemary, runner beans, sage, spring onions, strawberries, sweetcorn, tarragon, thyme, tomatoes, turnips, watercress, wild mushrooms

September

apples, artichoke, aubergine, beetroot, bilberries, blackberries, broccoli, butternut squash, carrots, celeriac, celery, chestnuts, chilies, chives, coriander, courgettes, cucumber, elderberries, fennel, french beans, garlic, horseradish, kale, leeks, lettuce and mixed salad leaves, mangetout, marrow, mint, onions, oregano, pak choi, parsley, pears, peppers, plums, potatoes, pumpkin, radishes, raspberries, redcurrants, rocket, rosemary, runner beans, sage, shallots, spring onions, sweetcorn, thyme, tomatoes, turnips, watercress, wild mushrooms

October

apples, artichoke, beetroot, bilberries, blackberries, broccoli, butternut squash, celeriac, celery, chestnuts, chicory, chives, chilies, cob nuts, elderberries, fennel, garlic, horseradish, Jerusalem artichoke, kale, kohlrabi, leeks, lettuce, marrow, medlar, parsley, parsnips, pears, potatoes, pumpkin, quince, radishes, rocket, rosemary, runner beans, sage, salsify, shallots, sorrel, squashes, swede, sweetcorn, thyme, tomatoes, turnips, watercress, wild mushrooms

November

apples, artichoke, beetroot, butternut squash, cauliflower, celeriac, celery, chestnuts, chicory, cob nuts, horseradish, kale, leeks, parsnips, pears, potatoes, pumpkin, rosemary, sage, shallots, swede, turnips, watercress, wild mushrooms

December

apples, beetroot, brussels sprouts, cauliflower, celeriac, celery, chestnuts, chicory, horseradish, kale, leeks, parsnips, pears, potatoes, shallots, swede, turnips, wild mushrooms

January

apple, beetroot, brussel sprouts, cauliflower, celeriac, celery, chicory, horseradish, kale, leeks, parsnips, pear, potatoes, rhubarb, salsify, swede, turnips

February

brussel sprouts, cauliflower, celeriac, chicory, kale, kohlrabi, leeks, parsnips, potatoes, purple broccoli, rhubarb, shallots, swede, turnips

March

cauliflower, kale, leeks, purple sprouting broccoli, rhubarb, spinach, spring onions, swede, wild nettles, wild garlic

April

asparagus, basil, broccoli, chives, dill, jersey royal and new potatoes, lettuce and mixed salad leaves, purple broccoli, radishes, rhubarb, rocket, samphire, spinach, spring onions, watercress, wild nettles, wild garlic

*affiliate links

Hopefully, you found this helpful! If you have any seasonal recipe recommendations comment the month and the recipe below - Zara