Why should we eat seasonal foods?

My family often questions why I try to only use in-season ingredients or why I aim to eat food that’s in season. They can’t help it, sometimes they just have a craving for peaches in December! 

The problem is, summer fruits don’t taste that good in the winter months! They’ve spent weeks in a shipping container, sprayed with preservatives to stop them from ripening and while they are rock-solid when you get them onto your kitchen counter, by the next morning they are a squidgy, mouldy mess.

As the saying goes, absence makes the heart grow fonder, and that applies to your food as well, so forget trying to shoe-horn a vegetable that’s older than this website into your meal plan and cook with locally sourced, in-season foods!

There are so many benefits of eating food that is in season

You’ll be eating healthier foods

Produce that is in season is often more nutrient-dense because it is fresher and has been allowed to ripen fully on the plant. This means that it has had more time to absorb nutrients from the soil.

It’s tastier!

In-season food tends to have a better flavour because it is naturally fresher. Foods tend to lose their flavour from the moment they leave the plant – whether naturally or picked.

It saves the planet!

Cooking with ingredients that are in season can have a lower environmental impact because they do not need to be shipped long distances to reach your plate. This can help to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and other environmental impacts associated with transportation.

There’s less waste!

Not only are you less likely to throw out food that gets mouldy surprisingly fast, that will also be the case for the food that reaches the supermarket in an unfit state, too.

You will save money on your food shop!

Once you consider the lower transportation costs, reduced waste and possibly import taxes, it is clear to see why seasonal food is often less expensive, which in today’s high-inflation world could see you save money on your weekly food shop.

You’ll be helping your local community!

Seasonal food is local food. Sure, we’re not going to be growing too many oranges in the City of London, but shopping at your local farmers’ market will ensure that your money is recycled into next year’s harvest too.

Having said that, sometimes you will come across food that is going out of season and available in bulk, or at bargain prices… so, if you really fancy eating pumpkin pie in May or raspberries in January, you could look to freeze your food as their season ends or get creative with other ways to preserve them!

Here are some ideas for preserving leftover seasonal ingredients:

Freezing

The simplest way in today’s modern world, my favourite use of the freezer is to make pumpkin puree for use as a quick alternative to pasta sauce!

Pickling

Pickling has stood the test of time as a way to preserve food that’s about to expire. Check out this spicy pickled cucumber from an up and coming young chef!

Liqueur

Definitely my favourite in this list, why not make a delicious alcoholic drink such as pineapple whisky from The Spruce Eats?

Oils and dips

This one’s less about preserving a seasonal food and more just taking advantage of its presence. How about playing around with chimichurri or similar?