We all think of fruits and vegetables as being seasonal, but in reality, all food types are seasonal including meat, fish and fresh herbs & seasonings. To help you eat and preserve with the seasons this month we’ve put together a list of foods that are ripe and ready in September.

Fruits

Apples, blackberries, damsons, elderberries, figs, grapes, medlar, melons, nectarines, peaches, pears, plums, raspberries and redcurrants.

Vegetables

There are lots of vegetables at this time of year, here is a list of some of them:

Artichoke, aubergine, beetroot, broccoli, butternut squash, carrots, celeriac, celery, chillies, courgettes, cucumber, fennel, french beans, garlic, horseradish, kale, kohlrabi, leeks, lettuce & salad leaves, mangetout, marrow, onions, pak choi, peppers, potatoes, pumpkin, radishes, rocket, runner beans, shallots, spring onions, sweetcorn, tomatoes, turnips, watercress and wild mushrooms.

Herbs & Seasonings

Chestnuts, chives, cob nuts, coriander, oregano, mint, parsley (curly), parsley (flat-leafed), rosemary, sage, sorrel and thyme.

Meat

There is an abundance of meat and game at this time of year, perfect for slow cooking. Make sure you find seasonal beef, duck, grouse, guinea fowl, partridge, lamb, mallard, pheasant, rabbit, turkey, venison and wood pigeon.

Fish & Seafood

The sea temperature in September is often the warmest in the year, so we get a great range of fish and seafood. Look out for clams, cod, coley, crab, dab, dover sole, grey mullet, haddock, halibut, hake, herring, lemon sole, mackerel, monkfish, mussels, oysters, pilchard, plaice, pollack, prawns, red mullet, sea bass (wild), sea bream, shrimp, squid, turbot, whelks, and winkles. September is definitely the time to get into fish and seafood. 

Knowing when foods are in season can not only help you to eat food when it’s at its best, but it allows you to time your preserving and fermenting to ensure you have enough of your favourite foods and drinks to carry you through the winter months. 

For preserving inspiration grab yourself a copy of our Preserving cook book, written by our founder and chef Emma Macdonald. Flick through its deliciously enticing pages and get cooking!