What's in season: August • Lou's Kitchen Corner

Here’s a quick guide to what’s in season in August.

August is when we get the warmer weather and a whole new crop of heat-loving fruit and vegetables.

For us meat-eaters, it’s when the game season officially begins, on the 12th.

Locally sourced

So, we all know eating locally sourced food is really the way forward.

Or actually, it’s the way back because this is what we used to do until globalisation.

Not only is it better for our planet by shortening the supply chain.

It’s also good for us.

So, where possible, buy seasonal and buy local.

And enjoy the riches of the seasons’ produce.

Economical: eating fruit and veg when there are loads of it means it will be sold cheaper than in the off-season

Health benefits: food that is in season contain the nutrients and minerals that our bodies need at a particular time of year.

e.g. butternut squash and apples are in season in autumn/winter – they are packed with vitamins so help keep away horrid winter colds.

Tastes better: which makes obvious sense. Mass-produced produce tends to suffer from a lack of flavour.

Large commercial farms are about volume and often they are adapted to look uniformed and have a better shelf life so flavour slides.

Fruit	Apples (first of the season) Blackcurrants Cherries Gooseberries Raspberries Redcurrants Rhubarb Strawberries Tayberries Apricots Blackberries Blueberries Damsons Greengages Plums Figs Loganberries Peaches Whitecurrants
Vegetables	Aubergines Beetroot Broad beans Broccoli (summer sprouting and calabrese) Celery Chard Chicory Courgettes Cucumber Fennel (Florence) Green beans (French and runner) Kohlrabi Leeks (baby) Lettuce and other salad leaves Mangetout Marrows Maincrop potatoes (first) New potatoes Okra Pak choi Parsnips Peas Peppers Radishes Shallots Spinach Spring onions Summer Squash Sweetcorn Tomatoes Turnips Watercress [Available most months in good condition: button mushrooms, carrots, cauliflower, maincrop potatoes, onions, rocket.]
Meat	Lamb Venison (wild red deer) Grouse (from the 12th) Hare [Always available in good condition: beef, chicken, pork, rabbit, farmed venison, wood pigeon.]

Discover more quick guides to seasonal food, here.