How to eat seasonally - a month by month guide
What does eating seasonally mean? It's sometimes hard to know which foods are in season in the UK, particularly when there's so much available on supermarket shelves throughout the year.
Eating seasonally is when you are eating foods that are ready to harvest at the same time of year that you are eating them. We've put together this simple month by month guide, delicious seasonal recipe ideas and quick tips on foraging and growing your own salads to help.
Locally produced seasonal food is tasty and healthy as nutrients and flavours have fully developed, we've also often found it more affordable. Eating local foods in season offers an environmental bonus as the produce will have travelled fewer miles and it is less likely to be found in plastic packaging. It will also have needed fewer pesticides and inorganic fertilisers to grow. Buying directly from a farm shop or a veg box scheme can be a handy way to help you munch month by month.
May
Asparagus, basil, broccoli, carrots, chervil, chives, coriander, dill, jersey royal and new potatoes, lettuce and salad leaves, mint, nasturtium, new potatoes, parsley, oregano, peas, radishes, rhubarb, rocket, rosemary, sage, samphire, sorrel, spinach, spring onions, tarragon, watercress, wild nettles, wild garlic
Cheap eats: wild nettles can be foraged for free from almost anywhere, use gloves and wash them first. They’re unbelievably delicious and good for you. Wild garlic marks the start of the spring for many and can be found in wooded areas across the country.
June
Artichoke, asparagus, aubergine, basil, beetroot, bilberries, blueberries, broad beans, broccoli, carrots, cherries, chervil, chillies, chives, coriander, courgettes, dill, elderflowers, fennel, french beans, garlic, gooseberries, greengages, jersey royal new potatoes, kohlrabi, lettuce & salad leaves, mangetout, mint, nasturtium, new potatoes, onions, oregano, pak choi, parsley, peas, radishes, rocket, rosemary, runner beans, sage, samphire, sorrel, spinach, spring onions, strawberries, tarragon, thyme, tomatoes, turnips, watercress, wild nettles.
July
Artichoke, aubergine, basil, beetroot, bilberries, blueberries, broad beans, broccoli, carrots, chervil, chillies, cherries, chives, coriander, courgettes, dill, elderflower, fennel, french beans, garlic, gooseberries, greengages, jersey royal new potatoes, kohlrabi, lettuce & salad leaves, mangetout, mint, nasturtium, new potatoes, onions, oregano, pak choi, parsley, peas, radishes, rocket, rosemary, runner beans, sage, samphire, sorrel, spinach, spring onions, strawberries, tarragon, thyme, tomatoes, turnips, watercress, wild nettles.
August
Artichoke, aubergine, basil, beetroot, bilberries, blueberries, broad beans, broccoli, carrots, cherries, chillies, chives, coriander, courgettes, cucumber, damsons, fennel, greengages, french beans, garlic, kohlrabi, lettuce, loganberries, mangetout, marrow, mint, onions, oregano, pak choi, parsley, peas, peppers, plums, potatoes (maincrop), radishes, raspberries, redcurrants, rocket, rosemary, runner beans, sage, sorrel, spring onions, strawberries, sweetcorn, tarragon, thyme, tomatoes, turnips, watercress, wild mushrooms.
Apples, artichoke, aubergine, beetroot, bilberries, blackberries, broccoli, butternut squash, carrots, celeriac, celery, chestnuts, chillies, chives, cob nuts, coriander, courgettes, cucumber, damsons, elderberries, fennel, french beans, garlic, horseradish, kale, kohlrabi, leeks, lettuce & salad leaves, mangetout, marrow, mint, onions, oregano, pak choi, parsley, pears, peppers, plums, potatoes, pumpkin, radishes, raspberries, redcurrants, rocket, rosemary, runner beans, sage, shallots, sorrel, spring onions, sweetcorn, thyme, tomatoes, turnips, watercress, wild mushrooms.
September
October
Apples, artichoke, beetroot, bilberries, blackberries, broccoli, butternut squash, celeriac, celery, chestnuts, chicory, chives, chillies, 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, Jerusalem artichoke, kale, kohlrabi, leeks, parsnips, pears, potatoes, pumpkin, quince, rosemary, sage, salsify, shallots, swede, turnips, watercress, wild mushrooms.
January
December
Apple, beetroot, Brussel sprouts, cauliflower, celeriac, celery, chicory, horseradish, Jerusalem artichoke, kale, kohlrabi, leeks, parsnips, pear, potatoes, rhubarb, salsify, shallots, swede, turnips.
February
Brussel sprouts, cauliflower, celeriac, chicory, Jerusalem artichoke, kale, kohlrabi, leeks, parsnips, potatoes, purple sprouting broccoli, rhubarb, salsify, shallots, swede, turnips.
March
Cauliflower, kale, leeks, purple sprouting broccoli, rhubarb, salsify, spinach, spring onions, swede, wild nettles, wild garlic.
April
Asparagus, basil, broccoli, chives, dill, jersey royal new potatoes, lettuce & salad leaves, new potatoes, purple sprouting broccoli, radishes, rhubarb, rocket, samphire, sorrel, spinach, spring onions, watercress, wild nettles, wild garlic.
Hungry for more?
Have a look at our tips to try something new in the kitchen. A useful trick for when you have a glut of seasonal produce is to preserve it, try our traditional Korean kimchi recipe.