Harvest Crops Across the U.S.

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Harvest Crops Across the U.S.

Fall is the season of plenty. Planted in spring and nurtured all summer long, a colorful bounty of crops pours into farmers markets across the country, making it easier than ever to eat a wide variety of local, seasonal ingredients. Having grown up in the Northeast, I associated fall with apples, pears, and maple syrup. Several years ago, however, I moved to the West Coast, and discovered a whole new fall harvest–from persimmons, to dates, to quince.

That got me to thinking. What other crops are being treasured all over the continental U.S.? What are people in Atlanta, New Mexico, Ohio and New York looking forward to eating?

The following are comprehensive lists of fall crops across the US, highlighting regional stars–from apricots, to wild mushrooms,  to wild rice. One of the easiest ways to eat allergen-free is by cooking from scratch, and cooking from scratch is never as easy as it is when you have an abundance of local seasonal produce to source.  The possibilities are practically endless. Use these harvest shopping lists (as they suit your specific dietary needs), so that no matter what part of the county you live in, you can be sure to base your menu on what’s in season. Happy harvest!

Find your region below:

THE SOUTHWEST

Fall Harvest: apples, beets, collard greens, daikon, dates, edamame, green chilies, gourds, kale, kohlrabi, leeks, melons, peas, persimmons, pistachios, pumpkins, radishes, shallots, soybeans, turnips, winter, squash.

Still in Season: arugula, carrots, Chinese greens, garlic, lettuce, mushrooms, mustard greens, onions, raspberries, salad greens, spinach, Swiss chard, tomatoes, wheat.

THE SOUTHEAST

Fall Harvest:apples, arugula, asian pears, beets, blackberries, broccoli, cabbage, carrots, Chinese greens, collard greens, gourds, grapes, kale, leeks, lettuce, mustard greens, peas, pumpkins, radishes, raspberries, spinach, sweet corn, sweet potatoes, Swiss chard, turnips.

Still in Season: cucumber, eggplant, green beans, hot peppers, okra, salad greens, summer squash, sweet peppers, tomatoes, winter squash, zucchini.

THE MIDWEST

Fall Harvest: apples, broccoli, brussels sprouts, corn, gourds, onions, parsnips, pears, pumpkins, radishes, rutabagas, sweet potatoes, turnips, wild rice, winter squash.

Still in Season: barley, beets, blackberries, buckwheat, cabbage, carrots, cauliflower, cucumber, eggplant, garlic, green beans, green onions, hot peppers, leeks, lettuce, melons, mustard greens, peas, potatoes, soybeans, spinach, sweet corn, sweet peppers, tomatillos, tomatoes, raspberries, summer squash, walnuts, watermelon, wheat, zucchini.

THE NORTHEAST

Fall Harvest: apples, apricots, brussels sprouts, cabbage, cranberries, gourds, hot peppers, kale, leeks, maple syrup, nectarines, peaches, pears, potatoes, pumpkins, radishes, raspberries, sweet potatoes, turnips, winter squash.

Still in Season: arugula, beans, beets, blackberries, broccoli, carrots, cauliflower, Chinese greens, collard greens, corn, eggplant, endive, escarole, grapes, green onions, lettuce, melons, onions, plums, sunchokes, sweet peppers, Swiss chard, tomatoes, watermelons.

THE NORTHWEST

Fall Harvest: apples, asian pears, brussels sprouts, burdock figs, grapes, kiwis, leeks, mushrooms, pears, pumpkins, rice, sunchokes, sweet potatoes, Swiss chard, turnip, greens, walnuts, winter squash.

Still in Season: beets, broccoli, cabbage, carrots, cauliflower, collard greens, corn, cucumber, garlic, hazelnuts, hot peppers, kale, kohlrabi, lettuce, okra, onions, potatoes, radishes salad, greens, soybeans, summer squash, tomatillos, strawberries, zucchini.

THE WEST

Fall Harvest: apricots, almonds, cranberries, gourds, grapes, grapefruit, limes, persimmons, pumpkins, quince, winter, squash, chestnuts, hazelnuts, peanuts, pecans, pistachios, walnuts.

Still in Season: apples, asian pears, avocados, blackberries, boysenberries, carrots, celery, Chinese greens, dates, eggplant, garlic, green onions, kale, leeks, lemons,lettuce, mushrooms, mustard greens, olives, radishes, salad greens, spinach,strawberries, sweet peppers, swiss chard, summer, squash, tomatillos, tomatoes, turnips, zucchini.

8 Responses

  1. […] This post was mentioned on Twitter by nourishingmeals, Cybele Pascal. Cybele Pascal said: Check out Harvest Crops Across the U.S. @ http://www.cybelepascal.com/?p=1597 […]

  2. Andrea says:

    Awesome lists! But, for the southwest, one very important thing was missing. Chili! Green Chili to be more specific. I don’t know if it’s like this outside of New Mexico, but in NM, green chili is practically a food group.

    At this time of year you’ll see trucks with the tailgates down in parking lots, family fruit stands and local grocery stores packed with bushels and bushels of green chili. And each seller has a huge flame roaster and they’ll roast it for you there. There’s nothing like the smell of roasting green chili!

    You’ll usually end up taking a trashbag of it home (yes, a big, black trashbag) gather family and peel it all, put it in plastic baggies, and fill your freezer with the hopes that maybe, just maybe it’ll last til the next autumn.

    And of course, dinner is green chili stew with fresh tortillas!

  3. Hi Andrea:

    Thanks for adding that! I’ll update the list. Do you have a good green chili stew recipe? I’d love to try that!

    best,

    cybele

  4. Also, if anyone else sees that i’ve overlooked a local produce star from their region, please let me know!

  5. […] Harvest Crops Across the U.S. | Cybele Pascal Allergen-Free Cuisine […]

  6. Susan Eve Jacobs Corria says:

    thanks for the info…very helpful

  7. Oh, Andrea, how I wish I could enjoy the roasted green chiles. Oddly, roasting peppers/chiles is one of my major allergies. A few years ago I planned a vacation in September in New Mexico, but changed it to Maine when I discovered that they roast chiles everywhere in NM at harvest time! Just the fumes from the roasting make my throat close up, and it only goes downhill from there. I don’t know if I’ll ever make it to NM!

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