In-Season Produce: Your Guide to Summer Vegetables and Fruits

In-Season Produce: Your Guide to Summer Vegetables and Fruits

Buy only the best when you shop for produce this summer. Read on for a rundown of all the fruits and vegetables that are in season in the summer months. Click the link (or scroll down) for everything you need to know about the fruit or veggie, from selecting pieces at the store to keeping it fresh for longer in your kitchen.

Summer Vegetables

Asparagus

Beets

Carrots

Corn

Cucumbers

Eggplant

Fresh Herbs

Lettuce

New Potatoes

Peas and Sugar Snap Peas

Tomatoes

Zucchini and Yellow Squash

Summer Fruits

Berries

Muskmelons

Watermelon

Stone Fruits (Apricots, Nectarines, Peaches, Plums)

Summer Vegetables

The following vegetables are at their very best in the summer.

Asparagus begins to peak in late spring, but you can continue to find great asparagus through early summer. Shave asparagus into ribbons for anelegant salador coat and roast spears for atasty snack.

SelectionSelect bright green spears with tight heads that don’t look limp or soggy. Asparagus size is a matter of preference: Choose thick spears for roasting and thinner spears for quick steaming.Check the tips and ends. Ultra-fresh asparagus tips will have a slightly purplish hue. Ends that look pale or woody will be fibrous and tough.

StorageStore spears like a bouquet of flowers. Trim asparagus ends, then place ends-down in a large jar of water in the fridge for up to three days.

Beets

Give beets a chance: One of the sweetest vegetables around, beets make excellent additions tosaladsand are especially delicious whenroasted.

SelectionSelect small to medium beets. (Larger beets will be more fibrous and less sweet.) They should be plump and firm, with smooth, undamaged skin. Check any greens attached. They should look perky. Limp, wilted greens have already started tapping the attached beets for moisture.

StorageCut away greens and taproots, as these will pull away moisture. Store in the fridge crisper up to two weeks.

Carrots

Carrots can do almost anything:dips,cakes,soups,salads, and evenhot dogs.

SelectionThere should be no signs of wrinkling or molding. Check any greens attached. They should look perky. Limp, wilted greens have already started tapping the carrot for moisture.

StorageRemove tops or leaves, and store in the fridge crisper up to two weeks.

Get cooking inspiration from our roundup ofFinger-Licking Corn Recipes.

SelectionLook for bright green, tight-fitting husks with brown, slightly sticky tassels at the end. Rather than peeling back the husk to see the kernels (a farmers market faux pas), gently squeeze to feel the corn through the husk. Kernels should feel firm and plump, not dented or deflated.

StorageLeave one or two layers of husk on the corn and store in a loose-fitting plastic bag in the fridge for up to three days.

Though botanically a fruit, cucumbers are treated as a vegetable in the culinary world. Slice and dice them up forrefreshing salads,veggie sushi, orstarchy bowls.

SelectionLook for firm, bright cucumbers with wrinkle-free skin.

StorageWrap cucumbers tightly to store. Extreme cold makes cucumbers mushy, so they should be kept in a warmer part of the fridge, such as the door.

Enjoy eggplant instews, baba ghanoush, andsaucy Italian dishes. Eggplant is also great for makingveggie “steaks” to grill.

SelectionSelect small- to medium-size eggplants with smooth, firm skin and no soft spots or tan patches. Large eggplants may be bitter. Check the stem, which should be green and supple. Look for a shine; eggplant skin turns dull over time.

StorageStore at room temperature for up to three days. The humidity in the fridge isn’t ideal for perishable eggplant.

Fresh herbs are at their best in the summer, and they can bring out the best in myriad other produce on this list. Check out ourguide for pairing fresh herbs and producefor some of the most delicious combos.

SelectionWhen buying fresh herbs, select bright green bunches with thin, tender stems and no signs of yellowing or browning. Check the stem bottoms. They should be bright and firm, not brown and gooey.

StorageStore like a bouquet for five to seven days in a jar or vase filled with water on the counter or in the fridge (except basil, which gets brown in the fridge). Change the water regularly.

Lettuce is available all year round, but it peaks from late spring and early summer. Follow the general shopping and storage tips here, or check out ourcomprehensive guide to lettucefor the scoop on different varieties and how to choose and use them.

SelectionSelect greens that look crisp, dry, and ruffly with no browning, yellowing, or wilting leaves.Check for symmetrical heads that haven’t had outer leaves trimmed away. The cut stem end should look dry with only a little browning.

StorageStore whole in a large mesh or paper bag in the crisper drawer for up to three days. Washed and dried leaves will keep for up to three days in the fridge. Remove any wilting or browning leaves.

New potatoes have waxier skin than fully grown potatoes, so they hold their shape better when cooked. Try them inpotato salad. Check outour guideto cooking with every type of potato.

SelectionSelect firm, smooth-skin potatoes that don’t show signs of sprouting, cuts, or black spots.

StorageCheck for same-size tubers that will cook in the same amount of time. Store at room temperature in a cool, dark cupboard or drawer for up to three months. Refrigeration can affect potatoes’ color, flavor, and texture by causing their starches to convert to sugars.

Peas are a simple way to bring subtle sweetness tocasserolesand pasta dishes, but did you know they can also be blended into delicioussandwich spreadsand evenhummus? Sugar snap peas add a bit of crunch tograin-and-veggie bowlsorcreamy pasta dishes.

SelectionSelect firm, full, small- to medium-size pods that are a uniform bright green. Check the tips. Just-picked pods will have ends that are green and look fresh, not brown or dry. If buying shelled peas at the farmers market, ask when they were shelled. Once out of their pods, peas’ naturalsugars quickly turn to starch, which can make them mealy.

StorageStore peas and sugar snap peas in a breathable (mesh or paper) bag in the fridge crisper drawer to allow humidity to circulate without trapping moisture. Shell or stem just before eating.

Check out our roundup of tastyplant-based recipes that center on tomatoes.

SelectionLook for plump, shiny, brightly colored tomatoes that show no signs of bruises, punctures, or cracks. A ripe, juicy tomato is fragrant and feels tender-firm and heavy for its size; a relatively lightweight tomato is still maturing. Tomatoes continue to ripen at room temperature, so if you’re buying a bunch, select tomatoes at various ripeness stages so they will last several days.

StorageStore at room temperature. Avoid refrigeration if possible; temperatures colder than 55 ̊F will change tomatoes’ taste and texture.

Make the most of summer bumper crops zucchini and yellow squash, and don’t overlook thesquash blossoms!

SelectionSelect squash with firm, smooth, shiny skin that are about 8 inches long. Larger specimens have more seeds and can be bitter or watery. Check for firmness by giving the squash a gentle squeeze. Soft squash may have a dry, cottony texture.

StorageStore unwashed in a breathable (mesh or paper) bag in the refrigerator for up to five days. Summer squash will also keep for one to two days in a cool place away from direct sunlight.

Summer Fruits

Fresh fruit will help keep you healthy, happy, and hydrated through the dog days of summer. Here are the best fruits to buy now and how to select and store them.

Berries are a healthy and delicious way to sweeten up a wide range of dishes, includingsalads,baked desserts,chilled desserts, and evensavory entrees. Check out our roundup ofYummy Summer Strawberry Recipes.

SelectionSelect vibrant, evenly colored berries that show no signs of softening. A whitish bloom on blueberries or small hairs onstrawberries, raspberries, and blackberries indicate extra freshness: Both get brushed away with long storage and repeated handling. Check bottoms of containers for “weeping” juice—a sign that some berries may be crushed or starting to mold.

StorageStore berries uncovered in the fridge for up to three days. Wash only when ready to eat. Water rinses away delicate berries’ protective coating, and moisture speeds molding.

Grill melons fora sweet summery side dishor puree for a delightfuldessert soup.

SelectionSelect muskmelons that feel heavy in your hand with skin that has yellowish (not green) undertones. Press the blossom end (opposite the stem end); it should give a little under gentle pressure and have a ripe fragrance. Check the stem end (the round indentation) for bits of stem or gashes, which are signs the fruit was cut off the vine too soon.

StorageStore muskmelons at room temperature for one to two days to develop flavors. Refrigerate for up to one week.

Nothing says summer like a perfectly ripe watermelon. Watermelon is a delicious snack in its own right, but it’s also phenomenal ingazpacho soup,chilled desserts, andfruit salads.

SelectionChoose watermelon with a large, creamy yellow spot on its side, which means it fully ripened in the field. For cut watermelon, look for flesh that is firm, not grainy, with dark brown or black seeds (if any). Check the skin for cracks indicating overripeness. Give the fruit a thump with your finger; it should sound hollow.

StorageStore watermelon in a cool, dry spot for up to two weeks before cutting it. Wrap watermelon slices in plastic wrap and place cubes in an airtight container, then refrigerate up to three days.

Stone fruits are highly seasonal, so be sure to load up on the summer varieties while you can. The decadently sweet fruits are great incobblersandsalads.

SelectionOpt for pink- and golden-hued peaches and nectarines, golden-orange apricots, and deep-colored plums with smooth skin and no signs of green, browning, or bruising. Freestone varieties have pits that easily pull away, making them easier to slice. Check the aroma, which should be sweet and fragrant. Stone fruits should not be rock-hard but give a little, though they will continue to ripen. Freckle-like “sugar spots” on peaches and nectarines indicate sweetness.

StorageStore stone fruits for up to three days at room temperature to ripen and improve flavor and texture, then refrigerate up to a week.

For more advice on preserving produce, see Best Tips for Storing Fruits and Vegetables.

This article was originally published on Jun. 11, 2020, and has been updated.

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