While September is most known for its apples, it is also the final month for most of summer’s harvest. Vegetables will be available well into October.
A few fruits you need to grab before they’re gone: blackberries, blueberries, cantaloupes, peaches, plums, and prunes.
Grapes come into season (and with them, the first crush of wine so that your Beajulais Nouveau is ready for Thanksgiving). Enjoy a fresh bunch of grapes while they’re sweet!
If you’re looking for a new fruit to try, consider the pawpaw. Serious Eats calls the pawpaw “North America’s Best Secret Fruit.” The unassuming fruit has a creamy texture, tastes vaguely tropical, and is a cult favorite fruit. Also known as the custard apple, or the Hoosier banana, this native fruit comes into season in September and may not be easy to find but is sure to be rewarding if you do. Pawpaws bruise easily, so be sure to eat them soon after procuring them.
Raspberry bushes will stay fruitful until the first frost — the first day below 32° F. After that point, their season will be over. Similarly, corn, cucumbers, eggplant, lettuce, lima beans, peppers, radishes, string beans, and summer squash will end with the first frost. The Old Farmer’s Almanac predicts typical fall temperatures for September and October, so hopefully, these fruits and vegetables will stay around a bit longer.
Other vegetables that are in season right now include beets, broccoli, brussels sprouts, cabbage, carrots, cauliflower, celery, celery root, chard, chicories, collard greens, garlic, mushrooms, mustard greens, okra, onions, rapini, rutabaga, shallots, snap peas, snow peas, sweet potatoes, tomatillos, tomatoes, turnips, and zucchini.
Squashes and root vegetables begin to appear in September. Pumpkins — bright and orange — make their grand entrance into the fall season. Sweet potatoes, regular potatoes, turnips, parsnips, and winter squash should also begin showing up in September.
Beyond leafy greens, fresh herbs are still in season and ready to bring flavor to any dish. Available herbs include basil, chives, cilantro, lavender, mint, oregano, parsley, rosemary, sage, tarragon, and thyme.
With all of these available ingredients, it may be hard to know where to begin. Consider a fresh fruit Refrigerator Jam to preserve the sweetness of summer.
Or, for a more savory flavor, try this Endive and Blueberry Salad, or a Creamy Corn Lasagna with Pancetta and Zucchini.
As always, meat, dairy, fish, honey, and bread are available year-round at greenmarkets.
To find a greenmarket near you in Brooklyn, go to GrowNYC.com or JustFood.com.
