Most fruits don’t get sweeter or develop more flavor after they are harvested, but they will change color and get softer, giving the appearance of a great fruit. When you can’t trust what you see, use your nose. The better they smell, the better they will taste.
It’s also worth a trip to a farmers market. Most farmers offer samples – the best way to ensure you’re spending money on a good tasting fruit.
Cherries
Cherries are at their peak this month, then start winding down and their season ends sometime next month. Now is the perfect time to make a pie.
How to buy & store
- Buy: Look for fruits with plump, shiny skins. If stems are attached, look for green ones, indicating freshness. Avoid shriveled skins, a sign they drying out.
- Store: in a plastic bag in the fridge, unwashed
- Shelf life: 1 week in the fridge
Best cherries for pie
The traditional pie calls for sour cherries along with extra sugar to balance the tartness. Fresh sour cherries can be very hard to find. Sweet cherries like Bing and Ranier work great in pies as well, and require less added sugar.
Both types of cherries soften well when cooked, while retaining their shape. They both make excellent pie, so take your pick. Get a more detailed breakdown and tips for cherry pies.
Recipes
Strawberries
Strawberries are available year round, but have so much more flavor when they are in season. It’s worth seeking them out at a farmers market or upick for the best flavor.
How to buy & store
- Buy bright red fruit with no white or green shoulders. Smell them, they should have a noticeable strawberry smell.
- Store: place in a single-layer on a paper-towel lined plate or tray in the fridge.
- Shelf life: 2-4 days
Why it’s hard to find good tasting strawberries
A lot of factors contribute this fruit’s disappearing flavor over the decades.
- Varieties are bred and planted to resist rot and pests, regardless of their lackluster flavor
- Strawberries are picked early to avoid heavy rains that can ruin a crop
- They can be picked while completely white and will still turn red by the time they reach grocery stores
Strawberries stop developing flavor and sweetness once they are picked. So when they are picked early, they lose out on the chance to build up to their full flavor.
The best way to buy strawberries is from a u-pick, and the next best is from a local farmers market where you can taste a sample. Lucky for us, they grow well in most climates so you should be able to find a u-pick or farmers market with strawberries near you.
Recipes
Blueberries
How to buy & store
- Buy blueberries that are plump with no wrinkles (which indicate they are past their prime). They should be fully blue. White or green parts of the berry indicate they were picked much too early.
- Store them in the fridge on a tray in a single layer so they don’t crush each other or spread mold. Don’t wash before storing, only wash before you eat them.
- Shelf life: a few days to a week in the fridge
How to stop blueberries from sinking to the bottom of muffins
Conventional wisdom says you should toss blueberries in flour before adding them to the muffin batter, in order to prevent them from sinking to the bottom.
But thanks to our desire to put conventional wisdom to the test, we’ve found this trick doesn’t work. As explained in “Blueberry muffins, what could go wrong?” the best way is to add plain batter to the bottom of the tin before adding in the blueberries.
Recipes
Raspberries
How to buy & store
- Buy raspberries that are plump and bright red. Ones that turn slightly purple are past their prime. Avoid containers with juice stains, a likely indication that some of them have started to decompose.
- Store them in the fridge on a tray that’s lined with a paper towel to absorb any moisture. Make sure they are in a single layer so they don’t crush each other. They mold fast so keep an eye out for any that are going bad and remove them from the tray.
- Shelf life: 1 day in the fridge, or you might get lucky and they will last several days in the fridge.
Varieties
Different raspberry varieties are starting to show up at farmers markets and grocery stores.
- Black – sweeter than the red varieties and are not the same as blackberries. They are smaller and have that typical hollow center raspberries are known for.
- Purple – a cross between black and red raspberries
- Golden – their flavor has hints of banana and apricot
- Rose – a pink variety sold by Driscoll’s (I haven’t seen or tasted these, but will update you as soon as I do).
Recipes
Blackberries
How to buy & store
- Buy plump blackberries with no signs of shriveling, a sign they are losing moisture and past their prime.
- Store in the fridge on a tray lined with paper towels. Lay them on the tray in a single layer so they don’t crush each other.
- Shelf life: a few days or up to a week if you are lucky
Why are blackberries bitter?
Blackberries sometimes have a slightly bitter taste, and it is contained in the stem end and the white core. If you don’t like that bitterness, try one of these methods to counter it:
- Add sugar or fat (like whipped cream), which balances out bitterness
- Use them in a savory dish, salt reduces our ability to taste bitterness
- The bitter compounds also break down with heat, so you can cook them down into a sauce or pie
You might also like to read, “Why are blackberries bitter & how to fix it.“
Recipes
Peaches & nectarines
Peaches and nectarines should be available around the country now, with peak season starting sometime this month and lasting into August.
How to buy & store
Peaches, nectarines (and other stone fruits) only develop flavor while they ripen on the tree – once picked, they stop developing flavor and sweetness. However, they will continue to get softer and more aromatic.
They are also don’t ship well when left to ripen on the tree, they are much too delicate. In order to get them in a store near you, stone fruit are picked early, when still hard, sacrificing a lot of flavor.
The best option is to buy them from a farmers market if they are grown in your area.
- Buy stone fruit that are slightly soft and smells fruity.
- Store on the counter for a few days if they are hard. If they are soft, store them in the fridge.
- Shelf life: a few days in the fridge
Nectarines are actually a type of peach
Fun fact: nectarines and just fuzzless peaches. They are genetically the same, other than a recessive gene that removes the fuzz from the peel. Nectarines and peaches can be interchanged in recipes.
In fact, nectarines are sometimes preferred to peaches because the peel doesn’t have to be removed. For example, you can leave peels on in tarts, salsa, or chutneys, without impacting the texture or being distracting like a fuzzy peel would be.
Recipes
Apricots
Apricots have a honey-floral flavor that shines in peak season this month and next. While many farmers grow fruit that looks pretty and ships well, there are still some farmers that make flavor their top priority.
How to buy & store
- Buy: it’s hard to tell how an apricot will taste from visual cues. Instead, turn to your nose – the more apricot or rose-like that it smells, the better the flavor.
- Store: on the counter to ripen, or if using in a few days. Otherwise, store in the fridge.
- Shelf life: several days to a week in the fridge.
Recipes
Plums
Plums (and their hybrids) are at peak season in June and July. They pair well with grilled meats, perfect for summer BBQs.
How to buy & store
- Buy: look for plump fruit with no wrinkles (an indication it’s losing moisture and past its prime).
- Store on the counter to soften or if using within a few days, otherwise store them in the fridge.
- Shelf life: a few days to a week in the fridge
Varieties
- Prune-type plums are commercial grown for drying and for using in jellies and jams.
- Japanese plums are the common type you see in stores and markets, which are eaten fresh. They are widely grown in the US.
- Sloe plums are used to make Sloe gin, but not found in stores.
- Plumcots and pluots are plum-apricot hybrids, with latter having less apricot lineage.
Figs – first of the season
Most fig varieties are avaible now and their season lasts into November.
How to buy & store
- Buy figs with a stem attached that feels like it’s holding on well. Loose stems are a sign of over-ripeness. Normally a wrinkled skin is also an indication the fruit is overripe, but that’s not the case with figs. Plump, slightly wrinkled figs are best, but avoid ones that are shriveled and are oozing through craks in the skin. A sour-smell is also a sign of it being overripe.
- Store: ripe figs don’t last long and should really be eaten within a day or two (in which case, leave them on the counter). You can store them in the fridge for up to 5 days if you are lucky, but the flavor will lessen slightly. If storing in the fridge, do so in a single layer so they don’t crush each other.
- Shelf life: 1-2 days on the counter, 2-5 days in the fridge
Grapes – first of the season
Grapes start to show up in June in some of the warmer states, like Texas. For everyone else, they should start showing up this month.
How to buy & store
- Buy grapes that are firmly attached to the stem. Shake the stem to see if the grapes stay one. Also greener stems mean they are fresher (or were at least stored better).
- Store grapes in the fridge in a perforated plastic bag.
- Shelf life: 1-2 weeks in the fridge
Recipes
Watermelons, cantaloupe, & honeydew
Melons show up at farmers markets in either June or July, depending on where you live.
How to buy & store
It’s hard to pick out the best tasting melons, but there are a few tricks.
- Cantaloupe: when cantaloupe ripen fully, they naturally detach from the vine. So examine the stem end and look for one that is slightly set in to the fruit (a sign it stayed on the vine longer), and doesn’t look like it was ripped or cut from the vine (which would be necessary if picked too early). They should also have more of a golden hue under the netting pattern, rather than a green hue (a sign it was picked to early).
- Honeydew: you can’t use the stem as an indicator of quality. Your best bet is to pick the most floral honeydew smelling melon you can find.
- Watermelon: these are really difficult to pick out at a store. Neither the stem nor smell are good indicators. If you’ve heard of the trick to thump it, that doesn’t work (sorry!). Your best bet is to look at the patch of rind where it sat in the dirt while ripening on the vine: a creamy / slightly yellow spot indicates it ripened longer, whereas one with a whiter / greenish spot was not.
If a melon was chilled when you bought it, put it in your fridge. If you bought it at room temperature, you can store it on your counter. However, you’ll want to store cut melons in the fridge.
Shelf life: 1 week on the counter, or 2 weeks in the fridge.
Recipes
Grapefruit – last of the season
Grapefruit season nearly over, but California still has a small crop to ship across the US this month.
How to buy & store
- Buy grapefruit heavy for its size, a sign of high water content. Scarring on the peel is normal.
- Store on the counter if eating soon, otherwise the fridge.
- Shelf-life: a week on the counter, a few weeks in the fridge
Grapefruit varieties
Citrus fruit cross breed really easily, making a lot of interesting varieties. Sometimes they are a random surprise from nature, other times planned breeding from farmers. Most new grapefruit varieties are selected for an increase in sweetness over the previous generation, as well as lower bitterness (which increases the perception of sweetness).
Learn more about the different grapefruit varieties, from the popular Ruby Red to the rising star Oro Blanco.
Recipes
Rhubarb
Rhubarb, a vegetable masquerading as a fruit with its tart-sweet flavor, is a spring and early-summer favorite.
How to buy & store
- Buy crisp stalks with ends that aren’t dried out.
- Store stalks in a plastic bag in the fridge, and cut off any leaves (which will draw moisture from the stalk).
- Shelf life: 1-2 weeks in the fridge
Is red rhubarb sweeter?
Not necessarily. The color is dependent on the variety and doesn’t indicate sweetness or ripeness. While some red varieties are sweeter than green, not all of them are. Think of it like apples, with the vast amounts of green, blush, and red, they all have their own traits.
Recipes
Corn – first of the season
Corn season start to show up later in June in the hotter climates. For the more northern states, local corn becomes available in July or sometimes not until August.
How to buy & store
- Buy: corn is best when eaten right after being harvested, when it is sweetest. The sugars convert to starch the longer it is stored, so go to a farmers market for the freshest-picked corn. Look for tassels that are silky and not dried out.
- Store corn in the fridge. Old advice used to suggest storing it on the counter, but multiple scientific tests confirm the fridge is best.
- Shelf life: 3 day to a week in the fridge.
Recipes
Cucumbers: now in-season
While you can easily buy cucumbers year-round, when they are in-season their refreshing flavor really comes through. They start to show up at farmers markets this month.
How to buy & store
- Buy firm cucumbers with bright, shiny skin.
- Store on the counter, as temperatures below 50F degrees will make them spoil faster, according to UC Davis. However, if your house is hot, you are better off storing them in the fridge, wrapped in a dry paper towel to absorb moisture and sealed in a plastic bag.
- Shelf life: 4-10 days
Tomatoes – first of the season
The earlier tomato varieties started showing up last month, like cherry tomatoes. Most varieties should be available this month or in August (depending on where you live).
How to buy & store
- Buy tomatoes that look plump and have no shriveled skin ( a sign they are past their prime).
- Storage depends on the ripeness: if not fully ripe, or fully ripe but being consumed within a couple of days: store on the counter. If fully ripe and you need to extend their shelf life, store in the fridge. The colder temperatures of the fridge can turn the flesh mealy, but ripe tomatoes are less susceptible to damage from cold storage. When storing tomatoes, you should also store them upside down, which prevents moisture loss through the stem-end. (Read full experiment, with pictures, on Serious Eats.)
- Shelf life: 2-7 days on the counter, 5-10 days in the fridge
Zucchini & summer squash
Zucchini and other summer squash are everywhere this month.
How to buy & store
- Buy zucchini that are firm and heavy for their size (heavier ones have more water content, a sign they are fresher). Zucchini that are about 8 inches long have the best texture and flesh-to-seed ratio. Larger ones can be de-seeded and used in soups or shredded into quick breads and quiches.
- Storage: optimal storage temperatures are between 41 and 50F degrees, which is warmer than a fridge (37F) but cooler than your counter top. You can store them on the counter if eating soon, otherwise, put them in the fridge.
- Shelf life: 2-7 days on the counter, 5-10 days in the fridge
Eggplant – first of the season
Eggplants will be available this month in hotter climates and last through October (even in cooler climates)
How to buy & store
- Buy eggplants with shiny skin and firm flesh. Wrinkly skin and soft flesh are a sign they are deteriorating (which can turn bitter and have a bad texture). Heavier eggplants have more water content which is a sign they are fresher.
- Store in a cool place in your house, but not the fridge. Their ideal storage temperature is 55F degrees, but your fridge is around 38F degrees, which will reduce their quality. As long as your house isn’t hot, the counter is fine.
- Shelf life: 2 days, up to a week
Recipes
Green beans – first of the season
Green beans are actually a summer vegetable, even though we associate them with Thanksgiving. With proper commercial storage they last later into fall for availability throughout November.
How to buy & store
- Buy green beans that look firm enough to snap in half (rather than bend). Avoid ones with brown spots or that look wilted.
- Store in a perforated bag or open container in the fridge.
- Shelf life: about 1 week
Recipes
Bell peppers
Peppers love hot weather, so they show up first in the warmer climates. However, peppers ship very well, so you can get high quality peppers anywhere in the country.
How to buy & store
- Buy firm peppers with tight, shiny skin. Wrinkled skin and soft spots indicate a decline in quality
- Store in a perforated bag in the fridge.
- Shelf life: 1-2 weeks for red, orange, and yellow bell peppers. Green bell peppers last long, from 1-3 weeks.
Hot peppers
Jalapenos, habaneros and other hot peppers need more heat to grow, so they start showing up mid-summer, this month.
How to buy & store
- Buy firm peppers with shiny, tight skin
- Store them in the crisper drawer in the fridge in an open plastic bag
- Shelf life: about 1 week
How hot are hot peppers?
A pepper’s heat is measure in Scoville units. Here are popular hot peppers in order from least to most spicy.
- Shishito: 50-200 Scoville (very mild)
- Padron: 500-2,500 Scoville
- Poblano: 1,000 – 2,000 Scoville
- Jalapeno: 2,500 – 8,000 Scoville
- Serrano: 10,000 – 23,000 Scoville
- Cayenne: 30,000 – 50,000 Scoville
- Habanero: 100,000 – 350,000 Scoville
Recipes & resources
Peas
Peas don’t like intense summer heat, so the yields are smaller in July and August, picking back up in September through fall.
How to buy & store
- Buy peas with plump pods, wrinkling is a sign of them drying out. White scars are ok and not an indication of quality.
- Store in plastic bag in your fridge.
- Shelf life: a few days to a week in the fridge
What are the types of peas, and how to they differ?
There are three main types of peas: snap peas, snow peas, and shelling peas.
Snap and snow peas have edible pods. Snap peas are plump, sweet and crunchy. Snow peas are picked when the peas have barely formed, and the pod is still tender and edible.
Shelling peas have to be removed from their pod, as the pod is not edible. You can sometimes find labeled as English peas. These are also what you’ll find in the freezer aisle.
Sweet onions
While regular onions can be found all year, sweet onions are only in season in spring and summer.
How to buy & store
- Buy onions with no soft spots or mildew under the top outer skin.
- Store on counter in a dark place
- Shelf life: 2 weeks (they don’t last as long as regular onions)
Sweet onion varieties
All sweet onions are pretty similar in flavor and the most widely available varieties are Vidalia (from Georgia), Maui (from Hawaii), and Walla Walla (from Washington).
Vidalia and Maui onion seasons start in April, although Maui onions can sometimes be found all year if they are imported into your area. Walla Walla onions should be available this month.
What’s available year-round?
Fruits: Avocados, lemons & Limes
Vegetables: Beets, broccoli, cabbage, carrots, cauliflower, fennel, garlic, herbs, mushrooms, onion-family, potatoes, radishes, sweet potatoes, turnips, salad greens and herbs.
Other seasonal guides?
Check out the seasonal produce guide for August to see what’s coming up soon, or what might still be around from June.
For a full list of other months and all of the detailed produce guides, go to the in-season page.
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