Facebook Twitter Email Print Facebook Twitter Email Series Fall Produce Guide: What’s in Season Acorn Squash Select acorn squash that are dull and heavy for their size. Avoid squash with soft spots or cracks. Store acorn squash in a cool, dry area away from ex… Asian Pears Select the most fragrant and unbruised fruit with little to no brown spots. Ripe Asian pears are hard and do not soften (unlike traditional pears). They are re… Black Crowberry Choose firm, plump, dry crowberries that are dusty blue to black in color and uniform in size. Refrigerate crowberries for 10 to 14 days in the original… Black Salsify The roots should be black skinned with a creamy colored interior. Select medium-sized roots that are smooth and firm. The leaves should be deeply veined and ha… Belgian Endive Choose belgian endives that are covered to prevent light exposure and that have tight leaves and a crisp, solid head. Refrigerate belgian endives in th… Broccoli Choose odorless broccoli heads with tight, bluish-green florets. Refrigerate broccoli and use within 3-5 days. Low fat; saturated fat free; low sodium; chole… Brussels Sprouts Choose firm, compact, bright green brussels sprouts heads. Buy on stalk when possible. Refrigerate brussels sprouts in plastic bag up to 1 week. Low fat; sat… Butter Lettuce Avoid butter lettuce heads with wilted leaves. Store washed and dried lettuce in the refrigerator in plastic bag for up to five days. Store living lettuce in… Buttercup Squash Select a squash that is firm, heavy for its size and has an even cream color. Avoid squashes that have soft spots, dull and wrinkled skin or that are extremely… Butternut Squash Choose squash that is heavy for its size. Store butternut squash in a cool, dark place for up to a month. Once cut, refrigerate unused portion. … Cactus Pear Choose pears that are firm and free from dark spots or mold. Choose fruit with a bright magenta flesh. Refrigerate unwashed for up to 1 week. A… Cape Gooseberry Choose brightly colored gooseberries with dry capes and without mould or soft spots. Store cape gooseberries unwashed in refrigerator for 5-7 days. Rin… Cardoon Choose straight, rigid cardoon stalks with fresh leaves. Avoid pithy, woody or limp stalks. Should smell fresh, not musty. Store in the refrigerator f… Cauliflower Choose cauliflower with compact, creamy white curdsand bright green, firmly attached leaves.Avoid brown spots or loose sections that are spread out. Re… Chayote Squash Choose firm chayote with smooth, unblemished skin. Refrigerate chayote squash in plastic bag for up to a month. Rinse before using. Fat free, c… Chinese Long Beans Choose fresh, flexible beans that are bright in color and free of blemishes. Avoid beans with swollen pods. Store in the refrigerator, unwashed in a pl… Crab Apples Choose firm, shiny, smooth-skinned apples with intact stems that are free from bruises or blemishes. Apples should smell fresh, not musty. Re… Cranberries Choose cranberries that are firm and not shriveled or decayed. Refrigerate cranberries for up to 2 months or freeze for future use. Fat free, c… Date Plum Look for fruits yellow to orange in color without bruises, cuts, or abrasions. Store at room temperature. Use within 2 months. Cholesterol free… Delicata Squash Select a squash that is firm, heavy for its size and has an even cream color. A ripe delicata squash will be yellow with green striations on its rind. Unripe d… Daikon Radish Skin should be shiny, firm, and smooth with crisp roots. Avoid radishes with cracks and bruises. Wrap daikon radish tightly in plastic and refrigerate… Endive Select endive heads that are crisp and bright green. Avoid heads with wilted or browning leaves. Endive should be stored in the refrigerator for up to… Feijoa Select fruit that is fragrant and gives slightly to gentle pressure. Be very gentle with feijoas because they bruise easily. Ripen feijoas in a paper b… Garlic Choose garlic that is plump, dry and firm. Fresh garlic should be white to off-white. Garlic should be stored in a cool, dark place, but not in the ref… Ginger Root Choose robust firm roots with a spicy fragrance and smooth skin. Ginger root should not be cracked or withered. Store ginger root tightly wrapped in a… Granny Smith Apple Choose apples that are bright green in color and may have a red blush around the top. Make sure the skin is firm, smooth, blemish free and the stem is intact.… Grapes Choose plump, firm grapes that are firmly attached to the stem. Store grapes in a plastic bag in the refrigerator for up to 1 week. Fat free; saturated fat f… Guava Select guavas that give to gentle pressure and are unblemished. Ripen guavas at room temperature until they give to gentle pressure. Refrigerate ripe g… Hearts of Palm Choose moist, intact hearts of palm that are unblemished. Avoid or discard bruised or overly soft stalks. Fresh hearts of palm should be refrigerated i… Honeycrisp Apples Look for firm apples with no cuts or bruises. Refrigerate apples in a plastic bag for up to 6 weeks. Fat free, cholesterol free and an excellen… Huckleberry Choose smooth huckleberries without mold. If picking your own huckleberries, make sure you are not picking poisonous berries. After washing and drying… Jalapeno Peppers Choose firm, smooth chilies. “Stretch marks” often indicate hotter peppers. Wrap unwashed jalapeno peppers in a paper towel then refrigerat… Jerusalem Artichokes Select firm artichokes that are free from mold, bumps, blemishes, soft spots, cuts and wrinkles. Refrigerate artichokes unwashed, in a plastic bag for… Jujube The fruit varies from round to elongated and from cherry-size to plum-size depending on the cultivar. The immature fruit is green in color, and the fully matur… Key Limes Choose key limes with smooth, yellowish-greenish, shiny skin that are heavy for their size. Refrigerate limes for up to 2 weeks. Fat free, satu… Kohlrabi Choose firm kolhrabi globes that are heavy for their size and firm, without bruises or cracks. Wash leaves, then refrigerate in a plastic bag wrapped i… Kumquat Choose kumquats that are firm, not soft. Store kumquats at room temperature for a few days or up to 2 weeks in the refrigerator. Low fat, satur… Muscadine Grapes Choose grapes that are uniform in shape and color that are free of soft spots or other blemishes. Store, unwashed, in a shallow container, in the refri… Mushrooms Choose well shaped mushrooms with firm texture. Avoid spots and slime. Refrigerate mushrooms in original container or paper bag up to 1 week. F… Ong Choy Spinach Look for moist green leaves. Avoid dark, dry, or bruised leaves. The stems should be green and crisp. Wrap in damp paper towel and store in airtight co… Passion Fruit Ripe passion fruit has wrinkled skin; purple passion fruit may have brown areas. Ripen smooth skinned passion fruits at room temperature; refrigerate r… Pear Chose firm pears, then “Check the Neck for Ripeness”™ daily by applying gentle pressure to the stem end of the pear with your thumb. When it yiel… Persimmon Choose persimmons that are smooth, brightly colored, plump, glossy, and well-rounded and with their leaf still attached. Avoid cracks and bruises. Yellow patch… Pineapple Choose pineapples with dark green leaves, heavy for size. Avoid soft or dark spots and dry-looking leaves. Eat as soon as possible. Refrigerate cut pineappl… Pomegranate Select pomegranates that are plump, round and heavy for their size. Whole pomegranates can be stored in a cool dry area for about 1 month or up to 2 mo… Pumpkin Select pumpkins that are firm and heavy for their size. Store pumpkins in a cool, dark place for up to two months. Fat free, cholesterol free,… Quince Choose firm quinces without spots. Fuzz falls away as the fruit ripens. Store quinces at room temperature for up to a week or refrigerate for up to 3 w… Radicchio Look for bright maroon/red/purple leaves that are fresh, young, moist, and tender. Leaves that are injured, torn, dried, limp, or yellowed indicate poor qualit… Sapote Select hard fruits free of blemishes or bruises. Store at room temperature for up to 3 days. Chill briefly before serving. Low in fat and sodiu… Sharon Fruit Choose smooth, brightly-colored fruit that is plump and free from blemishes and bruises or any signs of spoilage. Store ripe fruit in the refriger… Sugar Apple Choose green sugar apples with a yellowish color between the knobs on the surface. Red sugar apples should be picked when the color between knobs on the surfac… Sunflower Kernels Look for kernels green to grey in color. They should have a firm texture. Avoid discolored, excessively dry, or crushed kernels. Store in an airtight… Sweet Dumpling Squash Choose squash with a smooth, dry, dull rind that’s free of cracks or soft spots. Choose squash that has a deep color and is heavy for its size. S… Sweet Potato Choose firm, small- to medium-sized potatoes with smooth skin. Avoid cracks, soft spots and blemishes. Store sweet potatoes in a cool, dark place for u… Swiss Chard Select chard with fresh green leaves; avoid those that are yellow or discolored. Store unwashed leaves in plastic bags in the crisper in the refrigerat… Turnip Select pearly, heavy turnips without soft spots and fresh leaves if still attached. Small to medium ones are sweetest. Store turnips in the refrigerato… Yam Choose yams that arm firm and are without soft spots or bruises. Store yams in a cool, dark place away from extreme temperatures. Yams will keep fresh…
