Seasonal fruit and vegetables
Why you need to be eating them NOW
Asparagus are very much in season right now and if you have a good source to buy them from, such as a local farm shop or home grown then you are on to a winner!
We are so fortunate in this day and age to be able to choose from the many exotic fruits and vegetables available to us from around the world. However during long transits essential vitamins in the produce are lost and worryingly the food is often sprayed with nasty chemicals to stop them from ripening on the journey to the UK, these chemicals can then be ingested by you.
Eating fruit and vegetables that are in season have many benefits:
- Flavour. Food that has been left to naturally ripen in the sun and picked tastes much better than those that have been forced all year round. Take home grown tomatoes for instance, the delicious flavours straight from the vine are gorgeous and far superior to those grown in water all year round!
- Nourishment. When the fruit or vegetable is fully developed and ripe, you can be sure that it has a higher lever of nutrients and antioxidants.
- Environment. Seasonal food uses less harmful pesticides and herbicides which can make the soil toxic, contaminating the soil and our health. Locally sourced, it can reduce the load on our environment due to transportation or food mileage.
- Economy. Farmers can keep the prices down due to supply and demand. Buying British means supporting your economy and local farmers who help keep our countryside the way we want it.
- Harmony. Living in tune with nature's rhythm makes us more aware and appreciative of the beauty around us. We can live in balance with our surroundings instead of constantly living in conflict with nature. Embrace the natural rhythm of things and simplify your life!
Food bought from a local grocers shop or farmers market will have more nutrients and taste even better than the supermarket equivalent, therefore shop at these whenever possible. Also having seasonal vegetables delivered weekly is a great idea. Companies like ableandcole.co.uk, barcombenurseries.co.uk or ashurst-organics.com will often give you a free trial box and seasonal recipes.
Foods that are in season now are apples, apricots, asparagus, avocado, bananas, cabbage, carrots, cauliflower, celeriac, celery, garlic, grapefruit, lettuce, mushrooms, new potatoes, onions, pak Choi, pepper, pineapple, pomegranate, potato, purple sprouting broccoli, radicchio, rhubarb, sorrow, spinach, spring greens, Spring onions, strawberries, Swiss chard, turnips and watercress.
Don't forget, if they are not organic, wash them with a couple of drops of apple cider vinegar with water.