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Home » How To » Cooking with fruit in season: September edition

Modified: Oct 18, 2022 by Vee

Cooking with fruit in season: September edition

September gives us a brief overlap between summer and fall produce, allowing you to cook with the end-of-season blackberries one day, and the first seasonal cranberries the next.

Guide: September seasonal guide for fruits & vegetables

Jump to:
  • Berries
  • Stone fruit
  • Melons
  • Figs
  • Grapes
  • Apples
  • Pears
  • Cranberries
  • Pomegranates
  • Canning & preserving
  • Fruit produce guides

Berries

Strawberry, blackberry, and raspberry season is ending, so enjoy the last of the bounty (or preserve them for winter)

Grilled fish tacos with strawberry pineapple salsa by Simply Recipes
Grilled fish tacos with strawberry-pineapple salsa
Chocolate strawberry baked donuts by Nutmeg Nanny
Chocolate strawberry baked donuts
Muffins with blackberry frosting
Blackberry spice muffin bites
A plate of grilled chicken thighs covered in bbq sauce
Blackberry BBQ sauce & grilled chicken
Mulled blackberry cider - recipe by Rhubarbarians
Mulled blackberry cider
Slices of strawberry chocolate chip bread surrounded by strawberries and chocolate chips
Strawberry chocolate chip bread
Radicchio salad with raspberry champagne vinaigrette on Recipe Runner
Radicchio salad with raspberry champagne vinaigrette
Salted chamomile honey cakes with raspberry ripple cream - by Half Baked Harvest
Chamomile honey cakes with raspberries
Sweet potato cakes with blackberry salsa by How Sweet It Is
Sweet potato cakes with blackberry salsa

Stone fruit

Peaches, plums, and nectarines are slowing down this month, with their season only lasting through the end of this month or beginning of October.

Rosemary roasted pork tenderloin with plum chutney. Recipe by Carolina Girl Cooks
Rosemary roasted pork tenderloin with plum chutney
Chicken drumsticks glazed with plums. Recipe by The View from Great Island
Fresh plum glazed barbecue drumettes
Plum glazed donuts. Recipe by Heather Christo
Plum glazed donuts
baked brie wrapped in a pastry - recipe by Half Baked Harvest
Pastry wrapped baked brie with thyme and butter roasted plums
Peach jam on a charcuterie meat and cheese board
Peach boubron jam, small batch canning
BLT peach pizza with jalapeno honey and gorgonzola by The Inspired Kitchen
BLT peach pizza with jalapeno honey
Boubon peach pancakes by Broma Bakery
Boubon peach pancakes
Nectarine tart with lemon mascarpone filling by The Busy Baker
Nectarine tart with lemon mascarpone filling
Gorgonzola stuffed burgers with grilled nectarines by Williams-Sonoma
Gorgonzola stuffed burgers with grilled nectarines

Melons

The last of watermelons, cantaloupe, and other melons are around in September. Enjoy them before they are gone until next summer.

Spiced cantaloupe tea loaf by Jo cooks
Spiced cantaloupe tea loaf
Watermelon mojitos recipe by The Vintage Mixer
Watermelon mojitos
Thai peanut chicken with lime watermelon, recipe by Half Baked Harvest
Thai peanut chicken with lime watermelon
Halibut tacos with watermelon salsa, recipe by Heather Christo
Halibut tacos with watermelon salsa

Figs

September is in the middle of fig season, which usually lasts into November.

Fresh fig banana bread with a fig syrup swirl
Banana bread with fresh fig-maple syrup swirl
Grilled Romaine hearts with figs, pear, and manchego by Kitchen Sanctuary
Grilled Romaine hearts with figs, pear, and manchego
Balsamic fig-glazed pork with blistered cherry tomatoes & Gorgonzola polenta by Half Baked Harvest
Balsamic fig-glazed pork with blistered cherry tomatoes & Gorgonzola polenta
Oatmeal fig bars recipe by Bakerita
Oatmeal fig bars
Blackberry fig bourbon punch
A pan of chicken thighs with figs
Honey roasted chicken with figs

Grapes

Grapes are for more than just snacking. Try roasting them and adding to crostini or salads.

3 glasses of mulled concord grape cider, recipe by Rhubarbarians
Mulled concord grape cider
Roasted chicken with grapes
Homemade grape juice recipe by Homemade Food Junkie
Homemade grape juice
Roasted grape balsamic crostini
Steak Salad for dinner recipe: Steak salad with farro and roasted grapes.
Steak salad for dinner with farro and roasted grapes

Apples

Peak apple season is here for early and mid-season varieties like Gala, Honeycrisp, Golden and Red Delicious. Later season varieties will start showing up at the end of the month, including Braeburn, Granny Smith, and Fuji (any showing up earlier might have been stored from last year, losing quality in texture and flavor).

Guide: best apples for everything from pies to salad

Slices of toast with peanut butter and skillet-cooked apples. Recipe by Two Peas & Their Pod
Peanut butter toast with skillet apples
A pan of pasta with apples, bacon, and sage. Recipe by Heather Christo
Pasta with apples, bacon, and sage
A salad with apples, bacon, feta, and chicken. Recipe by Cooking Classy
Chicken, apple, bacon, and feta salad
A plate of whole carrots and apples, roasted with spices. Recipe by Vanilla and Bean
Maple roasted cardamom-spiced carrots and apples
An apple galette topped with caramel. Recipe by The Bojon Gourmet
Apple galette with rum spiced dulce de leche
Spiced apple chips. Recipe by Rhubarbarians.
Spiced apple chips

Pears

Peak pear season is here this month as well. Bartlett and Comice pears are great for fresh-eating. Anjou and Bosc hold their shape really well when baked.

Guide: pear & cheese pairing from USA Pears

Mulled pomegranate cider poached pears and ice cream, recipe by Snixy Kitchen
Mulled pomegranate cider poached pears
Salad with pear, bacon, and brussels sprouts, by Cooking Classy
Pear, bacon, and brussels sprouts salad
Rye bread sandwich with pears and prosciutto. Recipe by Foxes Love Lemons.
Pear & prosciutto sandwich
Waldorf chicken salad with pears. Recipe by Jo Cooks.
Waldorf chicken salad with pears
Pear muffins topped with hazelnuts, by the Smitten Kitchen
Pear and hazelnut muffins
Korean BBQ bowls by Pinch of Yum
Korean BBQ bowls

Cranberries

Fresh cranberries first start to show up in September. Darker red berries are juicier, but not necessarily sweeter. They work out great in stews or when baked.

Baked brie topped with cranberries and pomegranate, recipe by Kitchen Confidante
Cranberry & pomegranate baked brie
Flatbread with cranberries and goat cheese
Roasted cranberry and goat cheese flatbread
A bowl of beef bourguinon with cranberries, recipe by Half Baked Harvest
Cranberry beef burgundy
Grilled cheese with cranberries, by My Diary of Us
Cranberry grilled cheese
Bourbon apple cranberry cobbler on a table with spoons. Recipe by Vanilla and Bean
Bourbon apple cranberry cobbler
Cranberry orange stir fry recipe by Half Baked Harvest
Cranberry orange stir fry

Pomegranates

Fresh pomegranates show up this month. If you can't find whole pomegranates near you, look for juice that has no added sugar (like POM brand), and seeds in the refrigerated area of the grocer's produce section.

Pomegranate steak salad, recipe from the Persiana Cookbook
Pomegranate steak salad from Persiana (Cookbook)
Ginger sesame potstickers with sweet chili pomegranate sauce, recipe by Half Baked Harvest
Ginger sesame potstickers with sweet chili pomegranate sauce
Pomegranate tart with hibiscus, lemon, and almond crust, recipe by Bojon Gourmet
Pomegranate tart with hibiscus, lemon, and almond crust
Cauliflower-feta fritters with pomegranate, recipe by Smitten Kitchen
Cauliflower-feta fritters with pomegranate
Whipped goat cheese pomegranate bites, recipe by Nutmeg Nanny
Whipped goat cheese pomegranate bites
Pomegranate mousse filled donuts, recipe by Heather Christo
Pomegranate mousse filled donuts
Pomegranate cider pork loin roast with rosemary smashed potatoes, recipe by How Sweet Eats
Pomegranate cider pork loin roast with rosemary smashed potatoes
Moroccan meatloaf with pomegranate glaze, by Simply Recipes
Moroccan meatloaf with pomegranate glaze
General tso's chicken wings in a pan, recipe by Lady & Pups
General Tso's chicken wings

Canning & preserving

This is your last chance to can summer fruit if you want to use it in winter or give it as gifts. Figs and grapes are still around for a while, but berries and stone fruit will be gone after this month.

Guide: How to safely can jams, jellies, and preserves

Jars of vanilla bean pluot jam - recipe from The View from Great Island
Vanilla bean pluot jam
Vanilla strawberry jam by Nutmeg Nanny
Vanilla strawberry jam
cover for Ball's All New Book of Canning and Preserving
Ball's All New Book of Canning and Preserving
Peach jam on a charcuterie meat and cheese board
Peach boubron jam, small batch canning
A jar of blackberry jam, recipe by Beyond The Chicken Coop
Seedless blackberry jam
A jar of homemade fig jam
Homemade fig jam

Fruit produce guides

The produce guides on this site cover selection and storage to get the best fruit at the store or market. Specific topics are covered for each fruit as well, like bitterness in blackberries and how to fix it, or how to substitute nectarines for peaches.

Apples, how to choose and store
Apples
Blackberries in season from late spring through mid fall
Blackberries
Cranberries in season
Cranberries
Figs
Grapes
Nectarines are in season from late spring into early fall
Nectarines
Peaches are in season from late spring through mid fall
Peaches
Pears
Plums are in season from late spring into mid-fall
Plums
Pomegranates
Raspberries are in season from late spring into fall
Raspberries
Strawberries are in season from mid-spring through summer and into early-fall.
Strawberries
Watermelons, cantaloupe, and honeydew melons

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