The calendar published by Gastronomía Aragonesa, the Aragonese Government’s food website, shows which fruits and vegetables are in season each month. Comparing September and October reveals several new arrivals and many departures, especially among fruits, and provides a simple guide to the products to look for now in fruit shops and markets.
SEASONAL VEGETABLES IN OCTOBER
The list of seasonal vegetables in October includes garlic, artichokes, eggplant, onions, Brussels sprouts, cauliflower, endives, spinach, turnips, peppers, leeks, beets, mushrooms and carrots. These products can be used to prepare everything from soups and stews to hearty dishes, roasts and recipes suited to the first cool days of autumn.
The main new arrival compared with September is the artichoke. By contrast, five products that were still available last month disappear from the calendar: zucchini, squash, green beans, cucumber and tomato. Other foods such as eggplant, peppers, spinach, leeks and mushrooms remain in season throughout October.
SEASONAL FRUITS IN OCTOBER
This month’s seasonal fresh fruits include blueberries, sloes, pomegranates, limes, lemons, mandarins, apples, quinces, oranges, pears, pineapples, bananas and grapes. The list combines products that still evoke the end of summer with others that are clearly associated with autumn, such as pomegranates, mandarins, apples and quinces.
The change from September is especially clear in this category. Apricots, plums, strawberries, redcurrants, figs, peaches, melons, blackberries, grapefruits and watermelons disappear from the list. October adds no new fresh fruits compared with the previous month, but it consolidates those traditionally associated with the middle weeks of autumn.
PERSIMMONS, COCONUTS AND PASSION FRUIT ENTER THE CALENDAR
The calendar also includes tropical fruits. In October, avocados, cape gooseberries, persimmons, star fruit, coconuts, passion fruit, guavas, kiwanos, kiwis, mangoes, mangosteens, papayas, rambutans and tamarillos are in season. This category retains many of September’s products, although it also records some changes as the new month begins.
The new arrivals are persimmons, coconuts and passion fruit, which appear in October but were not included in September’s list. Conversely, dragon fruit is no longer included. Products such as avocados, kiwis, mangoes, papayas and rambutans remain available, so the tropical variety is barely reduced with the arrival of autumn.
