Writer(s):
July 27, 2018
I know that summer is a great time to get fresh sweet corn and juicy watermelons, but what else is in season now?
Summer heat and long days make it a good time to indulge in a variety of fresh fruits and vegetables like berries, melons, sweet corn and tomatoes, among a wide range of plentiful produce. Not only are these items extremely fresh and flavorful because they’re in season, they’re also widely discounted because of the abundance of supply based on the time of year.
As mentioned in a previous “Chow Line,” improved technology and agricultural innovations mean that consumers can access fresh fruits and vegetables year-round.
But because fruits and vegetables naturally grow in cycles and ripen during a certain season, produce typically is fresher and tastes best when ripe. Seasonal fruits and vegetables are also typically cheaper to buy because they are easier to produce than fruits and vegetables that are grown out of season.
In fact, the top advertised items on sale in local grocery stores this week were fruits and vegetables, accounting for some 99 percent of sale ads, according to the July 20 edition of the National Retail Report, a weekly roundup of advertised retail pricing information compiled by the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
Blueberries, cantaloupes, cherries, grapes, mangoes, nectarines, peaches, plums, strawberries and watermelons were the top 10 fruit items advertised in grocery store sale ads for the week, according to the report. The top 10 veggies on sale in grocery ads for the week included sweet corn, cucumbers, lettuce, onions, peppers, potatoes, salad, squash and tomatoes.
Summer is also a good time for agritourism, where farmers and producers open their farms to the public for consumers to hand-choose their own produce. Also known as U-Pick farms, these operations not only provide consumers with fresh, locally grown produce but also teach them about the farming industry.
Experts with the College of Food, Agricultural, and Environmental Sciences (CFAES) at The Ohio State University offer a variety of educational programming for producers who want to incorporate agritourism on their farms. CFAES also offers tips for consumers when visiting agritourism operations.
There are several varieties of fruits and vegetables in season now in Ohio.
While this is not an all-inclusive list, generally speaking, the following produce (among others) is in season in Ohio during the summer, according to the Ohio Farm Bureau:
- Apples
- Asparagus
- Lima beans
- Snap beans
- Broccoli
- Cabbage
- Cantaloupe
- Carrots
- Cilantro
- Collards
- Sweet Corn
- Cucumbers
- Currants
- Dill
- Eggplant
- Endive and escarole
- Gooseberries
- Grapes
- Kale
- Leaf lettuce
- Leeks
- Mustard greens
- Okra
- Onions
- Green onions
- Parsley
- Peaches
- Sweet peppers
- Potatoes
- Radishes
- Black raspberries
- Red raspberries
- Rhubarb
- Spinach
- Summer squash
- Winter squash
- Strawberries
- Tomatoes
- Turnip greens
So, now’s the time to enjoy fresh summer produce and, if you are able, to get out there and enjoy learning more about agriculture as you pick some fresh produce yourself.
Chow Line is a service of the College of Food, Agricultural, and Environmental Sciences and its outreach and research arms, OSU Extension and the Ohio Agricultural Research and Development Center. Send questions to Chow Line, c/o Tracy Turner, 364 W. Lane Ave., Suite B120, Columbus, OH 43201, or turner.490@osu.edu.
Editor: This column was reviewed by Jenny Lobb, Family and Consumer Sciences educator for Ohio State University Extension
Writer(s):
For more information, contact:
Jenny Lobb
OSU Extension, Family and Consumer Sciences