In Season and Out of Season - What's What?

[Rozzer]

Well, I'm just guessing but this does look to me like the right forum for this particular subject. Of course, tell me if I'm wrong or just shift this post somewhere else.

In season and out of season. We've all at least heard of that and some of us might actually know what it means and whether it's an important thing for thrifty cooks to know about.

Different fresh food products seem to be most abundant and therefore cheapest at a specific time of year, at least sometimes, at least some products. And at the very least that's the way things seem to have started out in the old days (e.g., "spring chicken," "Easter lamb"). Then came a truly national economy with fresh food products being shipped to faraway places on a regular basis. And now it's an international food economy. So decades ago, without really thinking about it, I started assuming that in season and out of season didn't exist anymore: everything seemed to be in season all the time.

And then last week I was in the supermarket and noticed that blackberries (which I love) were selling at way below their normal price, something I hadn't noticed before. And then this week the price of blackberries is even lower than it was last week. Hmmm. Which made me start wondering again about in season and out of season.

Anybody know how this seasonal business really works out as a practical matter in the year 2011 in the United States? I do see the price of corn going up and down at different times. And everyone knows that Vidalia onions (but not necessarily other sweet onions, which might come from Peru) are "in season" before, after and during June and July. But I haven't really paid attention to other foodstuffs. Are "in season" and "out of season" different for different parts of the country? Are there any charts splitting up the year and showing when and where particular things are "in season?" Does this affect meat as well as fruits and vegetables?

I'd really like to get to the bottom of this. In whatever forum is deemed correct for this subject. Thanks in advance for your input.

[brigid]

I think it is really hard to get decent peaches or strawberries unless you buy them locally at the peak of their season. The peaches are hard and tasteless, and the strawberries are the same. Fragrance is so important in determining how they will taste. You may be able to buy these fruits from other places during the year, but I don't ever notice them being any good. What I esp hate are the strawberries that are 4 times the size they ought to be. Bigger doesn't mean better.

Just a few days ago I got a pint of really gorgeous blackberries, and when I tasted them, they were like water, and really awful. So you can't always go by how they look. Of course in season and out of season items would vary according to where you are talking about getting them from. The climate differences in the USA can be vast, therefore growing conditions are extremely variable. I just know that getting fruits out of season is never the best idea, imo. Anything you see a really plentiful supply of should be a good indication that it is "in season" for that particular item. Hahaha! But you can't be sure just WHERE it is "in season", unless you happen to know for a fact.

[dazaga]

It does depend where you live.....for example, relatives in the South have their growing season or 'in season' about a month or two before we do in PA. In the South, corn may be ready in May or June, while here it's more like July. You can watch prices or check local farm magazines/newspapers if you live in the country.

[Rozzer]

It does depend where you live.....for example, relatives in the South have their growing season or 'in season' about a month or two before we do in PA. In the South, corn may be ready in May or June, while here it's more like July. You can watch prices or check local farm magazines/newspapers if you live in the country.

Well, I sure don't know how things are up in Pennsylvania, but down here in Florida it's rather time-intensive to survey the supermarkets and prices on meat and produce and figure out when things are in season or not across the board. And so far as I know there are no local farm magazines/newspapers down here. I'm sure we'd know more if we'd been successful in tracking down one or more farmers' markets, and we will be, but we haven't been til now. There IS a kind of chart on the internet, but they're so GENERAL they're of little use (for example, the so-called "In Season" is usually listed as SIX MONTHS OUT OF THE YEAR. I guess you really need to find out what's true in your own state or even more local. Which gives me the idea (I haven't thought of this before) to go visit the Florida Dept. of Agriculture website and the big deal ag school at the University of Florida in Gainesville. Maybe even the county extension people's website. In fact, come to think of it, the county extension people would be the folks to ask. Who would know better than they? And that's probably true throughout the country!

[KarenB]

Thought I sent this to you.sorry

http://www.farmersmarketonline.com/fm/Florida.htm

[CM]

A good indicator when things are in season is when several competing supermarket flyers are listing the same item on sale. When blueberries are in season around here, everyone has them on sale at the same time. And there are lots of them at the supermarket rather than just a few small tired-looking packages (like they have when they're out of season). Local farmer's markets are a good place to find out what's really in season, because local farmers would rather not ship their produce.

There can be items "in-season" from other places, too. Sometimes grapes are in season in Chile, or oranges from Brazil or Israel, and that can lead to a good price, too, since it's really all about supply and demand.

Disasters, poor growing seasons, crop failures, droughts, and other such things can influence pricing. Sometimes the fact that feed prices are going up or water shortages can cause meat prices to drop temporarily in the following weeks.

[KarenB]

That makes sense and with all the rain we had this spring I just might have to open a fruit stand with grapes alone! That is if I can beat the raccoons. Looks like a large crop this year.

[K. Slink]

I just got a great mental image of KarenB staked out in her garden in the middle of the night with flashlights and all kinds of noise makers to scare off raccoons, TOO FUNNY!!!

[Rozzer]

I just got a great mental image of KarenB staked out in her garden in the middle of the night with flashlights and all kinds of noise makers to scare off raccoons, TOO FUNNY!!!

Do you guys get raccoons scuttering around on your roofs like we do? It's quite strange at first, but over the years you get used to it I guess.

[K. Slink]

New England out in the woods, 50/50 chance. More woods, more critters. At the moment I don't think that they are on the roof, however that might explain some strange sounds....hmmmmm.......oh hell!.......!!!!!!