We’re lucky to live in a time and space, where we have all kinds of fruits and vegetables available to us. Our ancestors were not as blessed with different products and had to stick to what the seasons offered them. Of course, it is not possible to fully ‘go back to the good old days’ and invent a time machine, but it is very conscious to bear in mind what all these different and out of season products do for our environment.
What are seasonal products?
Seasonal products, as you guessed, depend on the time of year and switch in availability depending on weather conditions. There are some crops that grow throughout the whole year and remain stable without fluctuations in their quantities and prices. These are not seasonal products. Products that only thrive and grow in summer, spring, fall or winter are seasonal.
But why exactly is seasonal food good? We’ll give you four solid reasons:
It’s fresh. The less time it had to travel to us, the fresher the products.
Good for the local market. Because seasonal foods can grow in our own country, it promotes local and small farms over imported products from foreign farms.
Saves money. As you’re buying food at the peak of its supply, the prices will be in your advantage.
Good for the environment. Your ingredients didn’t need to travel over the world which means a smaller carbon footprint!
Do’s and Don’ts in The Netherlands
Time has gone by so quickly, and before we knew it, it was the new year. Even though the winter season has been mild on us so far, it is still good to enjoy a nice hot meal when it’s pouring outside! Good thing local & seasonal fruits and veggies support our desire for these comfortable dishes.
Vegetables
Some good and local options this season are:
Potatoes, Jerusalem artichoke, celery, kale, Chinese cabbage, celeriac, cucumber, kohlrabi, parsnip, pumpkin, purslane, leeks, beetroot, red cabbage, oxheart cabbage, Brussels sprout, onions, lamb's lettuce, white cabbage, chicory, and carrots.
Some out of season foods to evade:
Bush and runner beans, gherkins, green peas, Swiss chard, turnips, and sweet corn.
Think of dishes like onion soup, dumplings with kale, marinated beetroot with potatoes, roasted Brussels sprouts, or grilled vegetables such as carrots, parsnips, and onions. Yum!
Fruits & Nuts
Good and local:
Apples, Kiwi, Pear, stewed pears, hazelnuts & walnuts.Some out of season foods to evade:
Apricots, blackberries, strawberries, blueberries, raspberries, cherries, peaches, nectarines, plums.
Fruits are perfect for breakfast, snacks, and desserts. Why not use apple in your early oatmeal with cinnamon? Spread some walnuts on top and you have a perfectly seasonal breakfast.
Want to stay up-to-date with your grocery shopping? Check out this overview to see which crops and fruits are best for each month.
We hope you got some inspiration from this to start cooking wonderful wintery meals whilst helping the planet doing so. Check out this informative video below for more recipes and meal ideas, and start writing your shopping list for this week:
Written by Suze van As
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