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Shopping Seasonally
Grocery shop seasonally to get the best quality, flavour and save money! We have put together some helpful tips and advantages to buying food within a growing season, including a seasonal fruit and vegetable availability chart as well as information on economical meat and poultry tips to stretch your food dollar.
What do we mean by seasonally?
Shopping seasonally means buying and eating foods when they are harvested.
Why should I shop seasonally?
- Food bought in the season it is grown tends to have a better flavour. Much of the produce available throughout the year is picked before prime ripeness to withstand shipping; this can greatly affect flavour.
- Shopping seasonally can help you buy more local products. The further food travels, the more expensive it becomes as you are also paying for the cost of shipping.
- It helps support your local economy. Whether you go to farmer's markets, buy straight from a farm or choose to do community-supported agriculture food baskets, they are all ways of knowing that you are supporting local producers.
- It helps you gain an understanding of where your food is grown.
- Greater enjoyment and appreciation of what you are eating will happen when you eat in-season food.
Indoor agriculture, such as greenhouses, has made locally available produce all year. Fruits and vegetables that can be grown indoors include:
- cucumbers
- kale
- lettuce
- micro-greens
- mushrooms
- peppers
- strawberries
- tomatoes
Some produce can be kept cool and stored for long periods with minimal loss of quality. These can include:
- apples
- cabbage
- carrots
- onions
- potatoes and sweet potatoes
- turnips
Although buying food in season tends to be less expensive, produce is strongly affected by the growing season. Very dry or very wet years can cause poor crop yield.
Use the chart below as a guide for when certain produce is in season or more available locally.
Winter |
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Summer |
FallArtichokesBeets
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Affordable Common Meats
Purchasing meat doesn’t have to mean racking up a large grocery bill. We’ve compiled a list of alternative meat cuts that will not only save you a few bucks, but also make a delicious meal!