The best way to save money on produce is to buy when each fruit or vegetable variety is in season and is the most plentiful. With abundance prices typically fall providing the best deals on seasonal favorites. Buying in-season also provides the ultimate bang for your buck as fruits and vegetables always taste better when they are harvested at their peak of freshness.
To help figure out the best produce deals by month, we’ve assembled this handy list:
January
Deep winter is the time to buy vegetables such as broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cabbage, cauliflower, kale, leeks, parsnips, rutabagas, and turnips and fruit like grapefruit, lemons, oranges, tangelos, and tangerines.
February
Similar to January, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cabbage, cauliflower, grapefruit, kale, leeks, lemons, oranges, parsnips, rutabagas, tangelos, and turnips remain best buys.
March
Changing up the list a bit, March brings pineapples in season for fruit and adds artichokes, lettuce, mushrooms, and radishes, to the list of seasonal vegetables. Broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cauliflower, leeks, parsnips, rutabagas, and turnips stay steadfast throughout the month.
April
This first full month of spring adds artichokes and spring peas to the list of
vegetables that include asparagus, broccoli, cauliflower, leeks, lettuce, mushrooms, radishes, and rhubarb. Pineapples stay strong for fruit.
May
As spring deepens, the list starts to lengthen in May with apricots, avocados (yes, they are a fruit), cherries, mangoes, pineapples, and strawberries. For vegetables, artichokes, asparagus, lettuce, radishes, rhubarb, and spring peas continue while okra, swiss chard, and zucchini come on the scene.
June
Summer brings a fruit-heavy harvest of apricots, avocados, blueberries, cantaloupe, cherries, kiwi, mangoes, peaches, strawberries, and watermelon while corn, lettuce, swiss chard, and zucchini round out the veggie offerings.
July
In high summer fruit prevails with apricots, avocados, blackberries, blueberries, cantaloupe, kiwi, mangoes, peaches, plums, raspberries, strawberries, tomatoes, watermelon, corn, cucumbers, green beans, lettuce, okra, peppers, summer squash, swiss chard, and zucchini.
August
The bountiful harvest continues in August with apricots, avocados, blueberries, cantaloupe, corn, green beans, kiwi, lettuce, mangoes, okra, peaches, peppers, plums, raspberries, strawberries, summer squash, swiss chard, tomatoes, watermelon, winter squash, and zucchini and adds acorn squash, apples, butternut squash, cucumbers, eggplant and figs to the mix.
September
As summer transitions into fall, the still-warm days add beets, grapes, persimmons, pomegranates, pumpkins, spinach, and sweet potatoes to the list. Acorn squash, apples, butternut squash, cantaloupe, cauliflower, eggplant, figs, green beans, lettuce, mangoes, mushrooms, okra, peppers, swiss chard, and tomatoes continue to be plentiful.
October
The first full month of fall adds cranberries, leeks, rutabagas, and winter squash to the list of in-season produce while acorn squash, apples, beets, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, butternut squash, cabbage, cauliflower, grapes, lettuce, mushrooms, parsnips, persimmons, pomegranates, pumpkins, spinach, sweet potatoes, swiss chard, and turnips remain steadfast.
November
The best time to buy beets, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cabbage, cauliflower, cranberries, leeks, mushrooms, oranges, parsnips, pears, persimmons, pomegranates, pumpkins, rutabagas, spinach, sweet potatoes, tangerines, turnips, and winter squash, in November.
December
As winter sets in, December vegetables include broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cabbage, cauliflower, kale, leeks, mushrooms, parsnips, rutabagas, sweet potatoes, and turnips. Grapefruit, oranges, papayas, pears, pomegranates, tangelos, and tangerines round out the yearend for fruit.
Freeze for Later
Many of the fruits and vegetables on this list freeze well. Even avocados can be frozen for guac, sauces, and smoothies. Whatever your favorite, buy extra while they're in season and freeze so you can enjoy them throughout the year.
