Seasonal Fruit and VegetablesEnjoy produce at its very best, when you follow the seasons.  There's something very special about going into the greengrocer's and seeing the very first bundles of asparagus, or a few little punnets of raspberries. I know we're in for a real treat when I buy seasonal fruit and seasonal vegetables. For list of the different fruits and veg in season through the year: FOOD MILES MATTERYes, of course these items and thousands of others are available virtually every month of the year, as food is flown in from around the globe, and sometimes – but by no means always – these imports even taste pretty good.But how long has their journey taken? Just how long ago were they picked, and how have they been kept 'fresh'? How much pollution have the cargo planes kicked out, and under what conditions do workers pick and produce them? The answers to many of these questions are often unpalatable. It's time to stop mindlessly buying foods from everywhere, and choosing only seasonal fruit and seasonal vegetables, preferably locally produced, in the season in which nature meant them to be eaten. Serving seasonal fruit and vegetables, especially when they're locally grown, is a real pleasure. Shop for them at farmer's markets, local outlets or through organic box schemes. Enjoy the cycle – the first few deliveries of a new crop, gradually becoming a glut (if you're lucky), then gradually fading again, to be replaced by something different. hen you're shopping for your five a day, by buying fresh fruit and vegetables in their season, you're getting the best possible nutritional value as well as the best flavour. |