What tastes best and costs least right now: vegetables, fruit, berries and mushrooms month by month — with the Smakota recipes that put them first. The calendar shows when produce is at its peak, not what a supermarket sells all year.
Autumn · This month
September
The last tomatoes, the first pumpkin, apples, pears and mushrooms.
Vegetables
- Spinach
- Dill and parsley
- Zucchini
- Green beans
- Tomatoes
- Bell peppers
- Eggplant
- Cauliflower
- Broccoli
- Carrots
- Sweetcorn
- Celery
- Beets
- Pumpkin
- Cabbage
- Wild mushrooms
Fruit and berries
- Watermelon
- Melon
- Plums
- Pears
- Apples
- Grapes
Also in season
- New honey
- Walnuts
Autumn
October
Pumpkin, quince, grapes and cabbage — time to roast and braise.
Vegetables
- Spinach
- Cauliflower
- Broccoli
- Carrots
- Celery
- Beets
- Pumpkin
- Cabbage
- Wild mushrooms
Fruit and berries
- Pears
- Apples
- Grapes
- Quince
- Cranberries
Also in season
- Walnuts
Autumn
November
Roots, cabbage and cranberries, the first persimmons and pickling season.
Vegetables
- Beets
- Pumpkin
- Cabbage
Fruit and berries
- Apples
- Quince
- Cranberries
- Persimmon
Also in season
- Sauerkraut
Winter
December
Mandarins, persimmons, walnuts and dried fruit for the holiday table.
Fruit and berries
- Persimmon
- Mandarins and oranges
Also in season
- Sauerkraut
- Beets and roots from storage
- Stored cabbage
- Stored apples
Winter
January
Winter from the store cupboard: sauerkraut, roots and citrus — and hot soups.
Fruit and berries
- Mandarins and oranges
Also in season
- Sauerkraut
- Beets and roots from storage
- Stored cabbage
- Stored apples
Winter
February
Late winter: borscht, cabbage soup, roasted roots and mandarins with tea.
Fruit and berries
- Mandarins and oranges
Also in season
- Sauerkraut
- Beets and roots from storage
- Stored cabbage
- Stored apples
Spring
March
The first greens are still to come: cook from the store cupboard and wait for sorrel.
Also in season
- Sauerkraut
- Beets and roots from storage
- Stored cabbage
Spring
April
Spring begins with sorrel, radishes and the first spinach.
Vegetables
- Sorrel
- Radishes
- Spinach
Spring
May
Asparagus, rhubarb, young greens and the first strawberries.
Vegetables
- Sorrel
- Radishes
- Spinach
- Asparagus
- Rhubarb
- Dill and parsley
Fruit and berries
- Strawberries
Summer
June
Cherries, strawberries, new potatoes with dill and spring cabbage.
Vegetables
- Sorrel
- Radishes
- Spinach
- Asparagus
- Rhubarb
- Dill and parsley
- Spring cabbage
- Green peas
- New potatoes
- Cucumbers
- Zucchini
Fruit and berries
- Strawberries
- Cherries
- Sour cherries
Summer
July
High summer: berries, apricots, cucumbers and the first tomatoes.
Vegetables
- Dill and parsley
- Spring cabbage
- Green peas
- New potatoes
- Cucumbers
- Zucchini
- Green beans
- Tomatoes
- Bell peppers
- Eggplant
- Cauliflower
- Broccoli
- Carrots
Fruit and berries
- Strawberries
- Cherries
- Sour cherries
- Raspberries
- Currants
- Blueberries
- Apricots
- Peaches
Summer
August
The most generous month: tomatoes, eggplant, watermelon, plums and corn.
Vegetables
- Dill and parsley
- Cucumbers
- Zucchini
- Green beans
- Tomatoes
- Bell peppers
- Eggplant
- Cauliflower
- Broccoli
- Carrots
- Sweetcorn
- Celery
- Beets
- Wild mushrooms
Fruit and berries
- Raspberries
- Currants
- Blueberries
- Apricots
- Peaches
- Watermelon
- Melon
- Plums
- Pears
- Apples
Also in season
- New honey
The whole year at a glance
| January | February | March | April | May | June | July | August | September | October | November | December | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Vegetables | ||||||||||||
| Sorrel | In season | In season | In season | |||||||||
| Radishes | In season | In season | In season | |||||||||
| Spinach | In season | In season | In season | In season | In season | |||||||
| Asparagus | In season | In season | ||||||||||
| Rhubarb | In season | In season | ||||||||||
| Dill and parsley | In season | In season | In season | In season | In season | |||||||
| Spring cabbage | In season | In season | ||||||||||
| Green peas | In season | In season | ||||||||||
| New potatoes | In season | In season | ||||||||||
| Cucumbers | In season | In season | In season | |||||||||
| Zucchini | In season | In season | In season | In season | ||||||||
| Green beans | In season | In season | In season | |||||||||
| Tomatoes | In season | In season | In season | |||||||||
| Bell peppers | In season | In season | In season | |||||||||
| Eggplant | In season | In season | In season | |||||||||
| Cauliflower | In season | In season | In season | In season | ||||||||
| Broccoli | In season | In season | In season | In season | ||||||||
| Carrots | In season | In season | In season | In season | ||||||||
| Sweetcorn | In season | In season | ||||||||||
| Celery | In season | In season | In season | |||||||||
| Beets | In season | In season | In season | In season | ||||||||
| Pumpkin | In season | In season | In season | |||||||||
| Cabbage | In season | In season | In season | |||||||||
| Wild mushrooms | In season | In season | In season | |||||||||
| Fruit and berries | ||||||||||||
| Strawberries | In season | In season | In season | |||||||||
| Cherries | In season | In season | ||||||||||
| Sour cherries | In season | In season | ||||||||||
| Raspberries | In season | In season | ||||||||||
| Currants | In season | In season | ||||||||||
| Blueberries | In season | In season | ||||||||||
| Apricots | In season | In season | ||||||||||
| Peaches | In season | In season | ||||||||||
| Watermelon | In season | In season | ||||||||||
| Melon | In season | In season | ||||||||||
| Plums | In season | In season | ||||||||||
| Pears | In season | In season | In season | |||||||||
| Apples | In season | In season | In season | In season | ||||||||
| Grapes | In season | In season | ||||||||||
| Quince | In season | In season | ||||||||||
| Cranberries | In season | In season | ||||||||||
| Persimmon | In season | In season | ||||||||||
| Mandarins and oranges | In season | In season | In season | |||||||||
| Also in season | ||||||||||||
| New honey | In season | In season | ||||||||||
| Walnuts | In season | In season | ||||||||||
| Sauerkraut | In season | In season | In season | In season | In season | |||||||
| Beets and roots from storage | In season | In season | In season | In season | ||||||||
| Stored cabbage | In season | In season | In season | In season | ||||||||
| Stored apples | In season | In season | In season | |||||||||