september picks

If you eat seasonally, you’re in for a treat this month. September is a bountiful time for fresh produce choices as well as a transitional time for our taste buds. There may still be some hot days and nights lingering as summer gets her last hurrah, but cooler weather is on the way. Right now it shouldn’t be too hard to find bumper crops of plump, sweet fruits right next to early autumnal items.

If you preserve or freeze fruits and veggies for a taste of summer during the gray days of winter, now is the time to stock up and do it! If you want to try your hand at it, there are many resources on the Web, and there’s always the “For Dummies” series to get you started: www.dummies.com/how-to/food-drink/canning-preserving.html.

Here are the fruits and vegetables that should be aplenty—and very affordable—this month at your local farmers’ market and grocery store: apples, artichokes, blackberries, blueberries, broccoli, cabbage, carrots, cauliflower, chili peppers, cucumbers, curly kale, figs, French beans, garlic, horseradish, leeks, mushrooms, nectarines, new potatoes, peaches, pears, plums, pumpkins, red onions, spinach, squash, sweet corn and tomatoes.