United States

Produce is always cheapest when you buy it in season for your location. While I can not list every single area of the country and what is in season, this is a general over-view of what is currently in season for most of the United States. If you only buy local produce, not all of this will be available to you, but if you do purchase from stores, this is what should be the least expensive and the most fresh right now, even if it’s being trucked in from another state. Use this as a guide for  purchasing large amounts from non-local farmer’s markets for canning, freezing, lacto-fermenting, dehydrating and preserving. If you can purchase locally and it is within your budget, please do. However, if you are new to eating seasonally or don’t have a local farmer, this list will help you make the best purchasing decisions.

Anjou pears (end)
Artichoke
Asparagus (early)
Avocado, Haas
Broccoli
Brussels Sprouts
Cabbage
Carrots
Celery
Cauliflower
Collards
Fennel
Grapefruit
Green onions
Kale
Kiwi
Leeks
Lemon
Mandarin orange
Mustard greens
Navel orange
Potatoes
Radish (end)
Rutabaga
Shallots
Spinach
Swiss Chard
Tangerines
Water chestnuts

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KerryAnn Foster runs Cooking Traditional Foods, the longest running Traditional Foods Menu Mailer on the internet. KerryAnn has over nine years of traditional foods experience and is a former Weston A. Price Foundation chapter leader. Founded in 2005, CTF helps you feed your family nourishing foods they will love. Each mailer contains one soup, five dinners, one breakfast, on dessert and extras. You can learn more about our Menu Mailers at the CTF website. For a free sample Menu Mailer, join our mailing list. You can also join our forum to chat with other traditional foodists and learn more.