The days are getting longer, the temperatures are rising and all of a sudden we’re getting a little tired of the winter vegetables we’ve been eating for the past 5 months or so. But no worries! Spring-fresh and nutrient-packed fruits, peas and salad greens are in season now.
This handy guide offers information on picking the best spring vegetables and the health benefits of each. Look for these spring fruits and vegetables at the market for the best flavor (and value) when in season.
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Apricots come into season towards the end of spring in the warmer areas where they grow.
Beets are in season in temperate climates fall through spring, and available from storage most of the year everywhere else. Fresh beets are often sold with their greens still attached.
Carrots are harvested year-round in temperate areas. True baby carrots – not the milled down versions of regular carrots sold as “baby carrots” at grocery stores, but the immature carrots farmers pull from fields to thin the rows – are available in spring and early summer.
Cherries are ready to harvest at the end of spring in warmer areas. Sweet cherries, including the popular Bing and Rainier varieties, are available from May to August. Sour cherries have a much shorter season, and can be found for a week or two, usually during the middle of June in warmer areas and as late as July and August in colder regions.
Grapefruit from California, Texas, Florida, and Arizona comes into season in January and stays sweet and juicy into early summer.
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Lemons are at their juicy best from winter into early summer.
Lettuce starts coming into season in cooler climates (it grows through the winter in temperate and warmer areas).
Peas (garden, snap, snow, etc.) come into season in the spring and continue in most areas well into summer.
Radishes are at their sweet, crunchy best in the spring.
Spinach season varies with your climate – year-round in temperate areas, summer and fall in cooler areas, fall through spring in warmers regions.
Spring onions are simply regular onions that farmers pull from the field to thin the rows in spring and early summer.
Strawberries are mostly grown in California or Florida, where the strawberry growing season runs from January through November. Peak season is April through June. Other areas of the country have shorter growing seasons that range from five-months to as short as a few weeks in the coldest areas.
Sweet Onions have slightly different seasons, but in general they are available in spring and summer.
Turnips have a sharp but bright and sweet flavor. Look for turnips that feel heavy for their size.
