Are you one of those who miss the taste of tomatoes of yesteryear but they want salad every dayThe current abundance is confusing: we can buy almost any fruit or vegetable at any time, and sometimes we forget when each food is at its bestRediscovering seasonal vegetables restores their authentic flavor, improves the nutritional value of your diet, and reduces your environmental footprint.
Fruits and vegetables that arrive in season mature at the pace of nature, without forcing processes with intensive greenhouses or long storage periods in cold storage. This translates into crispier texture, lively aromas and a more reasonable price due to its greater local availability.
Why it is better to eat fruits and vegetables in season
Eating seasonally is a decision with multiple advantages. First, harvesting at the optimal point means more intense flavor and a better sensory experience. Nothing beats a sun-ripened tomato or a juicy orange after the first cold rains.
In addition, seasonal foods tend to retain their properties better. vitamins and antioxidants. By spending less time between harvest and plate, they maintain their nutritional power and reduce the need for preservatives or chambers prolonged.
From an environmental point of view, choose local and seasonal products reduces carbon footprint associated with transport and storage, and favors more agricultural practices sustainable that respect cycles and biodiversity.
It is also an economic decision: the abundance of each era increases the offer and lower the priceYour shopping cart notices it, and so does your palate.
Rotating with the seasons promotes a healthy diet varied and creative: leaves and roots in cold months, juicy fruits and light vegetables in warmer months. More variety means more micro and phytonutrients different throughout the year.
How to use seasonal calendars
A good seasonal calendar helps you know what arrives each month distinguish between months of peak ripening and good months due to early or late harvesting. It is useful to combine two complementary approaches to plan your purchase and the menu.
On the one hand, having a general calendar of the year at hand allows you to see at a glance the optimal months of fruits and vegetables. They are usually marked with a more intense color; the "good" months appear with a lighter color, since the availability by area and microclimates.
On the other hand, the monthly calendars give details of news of each month and of the seasonal products that are especially interesting. It is a practical guide to purchasing wisely and save.
Remember that months are a human convention: meteorology can advance or delay the beginning and end of each product. Climate differences between regions cause some harvests to be longer or shorter, and that is normal.
If you want to go a step further, growing something of your own—in a garden, on a terrace or on a balcony—connects you with the natural cyclesSeeing an asparagus or a strawberry grow at its right moment changes forever the way you choose in the market.
Fruit and vegetable calendar by month (Spain)
This monthly guide brings together the highlights in Spain, combining months of optimal ripening with months still good due to early or late harvesting. Use it as a flexible reference for plan your pantry.
Enero
Fruits: avocado, kiwi, banana, lemon, grapefruit, orange. In sweets and juices, Citrus They shine with their juice and vitamin C.
Vegetables: Swiss chard, celery, thistle, cabbage, cauliflower, endive, spinach, lettuce, leek, broccoli. Perfect for creams, stews and comforting stir-fries.
February
Fruits: avocado, kiwi, banana, lemon, tangerine, orange, grapefruit. The tangerine is usually in a great moment.
Vegetables: Swiss chard, artichoke, celery, borage, squash, thistle, cabbage, cauliflower, escarole, spinach, fennel, kale, lettuce, turnip, potato, leek, radish, beet, carrot. They're starting to show. asparagus early in some areas.
March
Fruits: avocado, lemon, tangerine, orange, banana. Towards the end, the Citrus give their last gasps.
Vegetables: chard, artichoke, celery, pumpkin, thistle, cabbage, cauliflower, escarole, asparagus, spinach, peas, beans, fennel, kale, lettuce, red cabbage, turnip, potato, leek, radish, beet, carrot. It is an excellent month for peas and beans.
April
Fruits: avocado, strawberry, lemon, loquat, banana; there may still be some left late oranges in some areas.
Vegetables: chard, artichoke, celery, cabbage, cauliflower, escarole, asparagus, spinach, peas, broad beans, lettuce, leek, radish, beetroot, carrot. artichoke is experiencing one of its greatest seasons.
Swimming suite
Fruits: Apricot, cherry, strawberry, loquat, peach and early nectarine in some areas, banana, lemon. The euphoria of stone fruits.
Vegetables: Swiss chard, artichoke, celery, borage, asparagus, peas, broad beans, carrots, endives, zucchini, fresh onions, cucumbers, and green beans. The green garden late spring.
June
Fruits: apricot, cherry, plum, raspberry, strawberry, peach, nectarine, Paraguayan peach, watermelon, early melon in warm areas, banana. Colors and juiciness in abundance.
Vegetables: spring garlic, zucchini, green beans, lettuce, new potato, cucumber, pepper, early tomato, carrot, beetroot. Start the kingdom of gazpacho.
Julio
Fruits: apricot, blueberry, cherry, plum, raspberry, late-season strawberry, peach, melon, nectarine, Paraguayan peach, pear, watermelon, tomato as fruit. The fruit is hydration .
Vegetables: Eggplant, zucchini, green beans, sweet corn, potato, cucumber, pepper, tomato, beetroot, carrot, red onion. Ideal vegetables for griddle and grill.
August
Fruits: blueberry, plum, raspberry, fig, peach, melon, blackberry, nectarine, pear, banana, watermelon, early grape. figs They are a brief gem at the end of summer.
Vegetables: Eggplant, zucchini, onion, green beans, lettuce, sweetcorn, potato, cucumber, pepper, tomato, carrot. Perfect raw material for salads and quick stir-fries.
September
Fruits: Raspberry, early pomegranate, fig, apple, late peach, melon, blackberry, pear, tomato as fruit, grape. It is a key month for Vendimias and the return of apples.
Vegetables: chard, pumpkin, onion, endive, spinach, beans, lettuce, corn, cucumber, pepper, leek, carrot, zucchini. The cucurbits of autumn
October
Fruits: Persimmon, custard apple, pomegranate, mango (from producing areas), apple, pear, grape, banana. Dense fruits, aromatic and very seasonal.
Vegetables: chard, sweet potato, broccoli, pumpkin, onion, cabbage, cauliflower, endive, spinach, lettuce, leek, radish, beet, carrot. They prepare the body for cold.
November
Fruits: avocado, persimmon, custard apple, pomegranate, kiwi, lime, lemon, mandarin, locally produced mango, apple, quince, orange, papaya in suitable areas, banana, grapefruit. Citrus they enter with force.
Vegetables: chard, celery, sweet potato, broccoli, thistle, mushroom, cabbage, cauliflower, escarole, spinach, lettuce, turnip, leek, radish, beet, carrot. Starring for broths and stews.
December
Fruits: Avocado, persimmon, custard apple, kiwi, lemon, mandarin, orange, local papaya when available, banana, grapefruit. Ideal fruit for breakfast and light desserts.
Vegetables: Swiss chard, artichoke, celery, sweet potato, borage, broccoli, pumpkin, cardoon, parsnip, sprouts (including Brussels sprouts), cauliflower, escarole, spinach, fennel, kale, lettuce, red cabbage, turnip, leek, radish, beet, carrot. Vegetables that provide fiber and micronutrients in cold months.
What each season offers
The seasons draw clear patterns. In the cold months, Citrus, roots and tubers (carrot, turnip, beetroot), cabbage (cauliflower, broccoli, red cabbage), pumpkins and winter leaves (chard, spinach, escarole). They are satiating products, rich in Vitamin C and perfect for slow cooking.
Spring brings stone fruits (apricot, early cherry, medlar), tender greens (peas, broad beans), asparagus and soft leaves such as lettuceLighter dishes, quick stir-fries and careful cooking to preserve their freshness.
Summer is an explosion of juicy fruit: watermelon, melon, peach, nectarine, plum, figs; and raw vegetables: tomato, cucumber, pepper, beans and zucchiniRefreshing recipes predominate: salads, cold soups, grills.
In autumn the apples and pears return, they appear persimmons, pomegranates, late grapes, and many of the vegetables that will mark the winter: pumpkins, cabbages, sweet potatoes, leeksTransitional cuisine with creams and soft roasts.
Some fruits and vegetables have fleeting seasons During the transitional seasons: summer figs, spring medlars, cherries, autumn persimmons. It is advisable to be attentive because outside of this time they are difficult to find. quality.
Tips for buying, preserving, and cooking better
Plan your week with a glance at the calendar and complete your list with local productsChoosing neighborhood markets and cooperatives improves freshness, ensures better prices, and supports nearby producers.
To select, use your senses: search aroma in fruits (fragrant citrus, sweet-smelling melon on the stem), firmness in vegetables (turgid zucchini and cucumber), crisp leaves in chard and lettuceAvoid bumps and watery areas.
Store carefully. In the refrigerator, separate fruits that emit ethylene (apples, bananas) from leaves and cabbage To extend its life, store asparagus in a glass with a little water; wrap herbs in a damp cloth. Freeze surplus tomato crushed, blanched beans or roasted pumpkin for creams.
In the kitchen, adapt the techniques to the season: steaming for broccoli and cauliflower; roasted for sweet potato and squash; sautéed for peas and snow peas; raw and marinated for tomato and cucumber. Use peels and "forgotten" parts (radish leaves, broccoli stems) for broths and stir-fries.
Take advantage of the short season with preserves: strawberry or apricot jams, sun-dried tomatoes, cucumber and carrot pickles. And remember the healthy cooking maxim: the more colors the more there is on your plate, the better.
Climate variability and tropical fruits
Seasonality varies according to altitude, latitude and microclimateA product may be at its best in one province and end or start earlier in another. That's why calendars are understood as flexible guides, not rigid dogmas.
You will also see tropical fruits present much of the year (avocado, mango, papaya, pineapple). This often involves imports with environmental impact. Even so, there are areas of Spain where these fruits have adapted Well, it is preferable to choose those of national origin when they are available.
If in doubt, ask for the origin and if the product is recently harvested. The best clue that you have chosen the right season is the price tight, the abundance in the market and, above all, the flavor.
A downloadable calendar that marks optimal months and good months, together with weekly observation in your fruit shop, is the most practical combination to eat better, tastier and with less simulator.
- Flavor and freshness: harvest at its peak textures and superior aromas.
- Nutrition: less time between harvest and consumption, more Vitamins availables.
- Health: Post-harvest and treatments are reduced, better for the body.
- Sustainability: less Services and energy, smaller footprint.
- Saving: Most offer in season, lower prices.
- Local economy: support for farmers and shops of proximity.
- Variety: seasonal rotation that encourages creative cuisine.
Popular culture sums up this wisdom with proverbs: "In January, the romero"Beetroot you will sow in March, and in November you will harvest," "Already in the Indian summer, the maturity of the quince». The garden has its clock, and following it is a delicious way to take care of yourself and the planet.
Eating seasonal fruits and vegetables in Spain means choosing products that arrive at their perfect point, with better taste, more nutrients, and less impact. With a monthly calendar as a guide, local markets as your ally, and some simple preservation techniques, your kitchen will gain in color, variety and health all year round.
