When it comes to eating healthy, fruits and vegetables are the first things to come to mind. A month, or maybe even a week, can make a big difference in the quality of a certain vegetable or fruit to a consumer. An important part of enjoying produce is eating them in season, because even if it’s a subtle improvement of taste or quality, it’s still worth trying them.
When guavas are in season, which is every season but summer, they taste amazing. They’re always bigger, softer and much more fragrant. Additionally, the guavas that we grow in our backyard are usually a lot better than anything we’ll buy in a market. We know when to pick them and our family doesn’t usually eat guavas harvested elsewhere. Even if it takes a little waiting, it’s definitely worth waiting for the guavas to ripen on the tree (when their skin starts to soften and turn into a pale yellow color) and picking them when they are at their prime.
Strawberries that we get from the farmer’s market not only look a lot plumper and shinier when they’re in season, but they also taste much sweeter and juicier as well. I find that when my family gets them out of season, they’re smaller, unattractive and taste either watery or sour. Every now and then there’s a good one in the batch, but I would say that usually, if they’re in season, the whole bunch is good to eat. There is so much handling done in between the time the strawberries are harvested somewhere else to when they end up in my family’s refrigerator, that the quality of the strawberries pale in comparison to being able to get them locally.
I think that eating fruits and vegetables when they’re in season is essential to developing a natural taste for them. Even though I personally don’t enjoy pineapples because I think they’re generally too sour and leave my mouth numb, I can’t really fight against the fact that when we get them these days, they taste much sweeter and juicier than usual. I have learned to appreciate eating them more.
Although not everyone is going to know right off the bat when each one is in season, but it definitely helps to do some research before you buy. Some stores have sections dedicated to in-season fruits and vegetables. Ask around. Go to a farmer’s market and check out what’s been harvested recently. It doesn’t hurt to wait for fruits to come into season. It’s always a nice surprise to go into the supermarket and see new produce in the stalls. It’s nature’s subtle way of telling you, “This is the best time to eat these fruits, so enjoy them while you can.”
TCHS School Newspaper