Cookbook:Seasonality

Cookbook | Recipes | Ingredients | Equipment | Techniques | Cookbook Disambiguation Pages

The seasonality of an ingredient refers to the period in which the ingredient is available or is at its best. Some ingredients, such as asparagus, are only available several months of the year whereas others, such as cabbages or carrots are available fresh all year long.

These days, there are many ways to get ingredients out of season. Some ingredients, like apples, will simply keep for a very long time, without much extra effort. Others, such as peas, can be frozen directly after harvest to make them available all year round. Other options include growing vegetables and fruit in greenhouses to simulate seasonal conditions or flying produce in from parts of the world where the seasons are reversed (ie. the season for asparagus on the southern hemisphere is six months later than on the northern hemisphere).

Seasonal Eating

edit

Because of the measures that are taken to increase availability of ingredients out of season, buying ingredients according to their season has some advantages:

Flavour
Fresh in-season ingredients are generally considered to taste better than those that are stored, frozen or grown out of season.
Nutrition
Research has shown that most produce has a higher nutritional value in-season
Price
In-season ingredients grown locally will usually be cheaper than those flown in from other parts of the world or grown in greenhouses.
Environmental concerns
Some methods of producing ingredients out of season, such as flying it in from another hemisphere, or artificial heating of greenhouses can take their toll on the environment.

Seasonality Tables

edit

The following tables show the seasonality per ingredient for each month.

As the seasonality of ingredients depends greatly on the climate in which they're produced, these tables are intended to be used as a loose guideline. Depending on the location, the season may be longer or shorter.

When buying ingredients, check the country of origin if possible. Locally produced vegetables that are far out of season are likely to have been grown in greenhouses.

Vegetables

edit
Northern Hemisphere Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec
Acorn Squash                        
Alfalfa Sprouts                        
Artichokes                        
Arugula (Rucula, Rocket)                        
Asparagus                        
Avocado                        
Beet                        
Bell Pepper                        
Bitter Melon                        
Broad Beans                        
Broccoli                        
Broccoli (sprouting)                        
Brussels Sprouts                        
Butternut Squash                        
Eggplant                        
Spinach                        
Sweet Potato                        
Zucchini                        


Southern Hemisphere Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec
Acorn Squash                        
Alfalfa Sprouts                        
Artichokes                        
Arugula (Rucula, Rocket)                        
Asparagus                        
Avocado                        
Beet                        
Bell Pepper                        
Bitter Melon                        
Broad Beans                        
Broccoli                        
Broccoli (sprouting)                        
Brussels Sprouts                        
Butternut Squash                        
Eggplant                        
Spinach                        
Sweet Potato                        
Zucchini                        

Fruit

edit
Northern Hemisphere Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec
Apples                        
Apricots                        
Asian Pears                        
Bananas                        
Blackberries                        
Blueberries                        
Cherries (sweet)                        
Cherries (sour)                        
Pawpaw                        
Pineapple                        
Plums                        
Southern Hemisphere Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec
Apples                        
Apricots                        
Asian Pears                        
Bananas                        
Blackberries                        
Blueberries                        
Cherries (sweet)                        
Cherries (sour)                        
Pawpaw                        
Pineapple                        
Plums                        

Nuts

edit
Northern Hemisphere Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec
Almonds                        
Southern Hemisphere Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec
Almonds                        

Herbs and Spices

edit
Northern Hemisphere Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec
Basil                        
Southern Hemisphere Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec
Basil                        

Meat and fish

edit

Northern Hemisphere

edit
Northern Hemisphere Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec
Turkeys                        

Southern Hemisphere

edit
Southern Hemisphere Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec
Turkeys                        

Turkeys are often eaten for thanksgiving in the fall just after fattening up in the summer. Pigs and other animals are also often slaughtered in the fall after freshly fattened up. Ham is traditionally paired up with the autumn apples. Salmon are popular according to their spawning cycles. In Portugal sardines are a famous festivity as Saint Anthony's day in the summer days of June.

Other

edit

Other examples include certain cheeses and alcoholic beverages. Feta cheese, for example, is aged for at least 3 months at certain conditions. Winter lagers also have to be fermented at lower temperatures for several weeks.

edit