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I like to share updates on what produce is in season because it helps me reduce my grocery bill. In season veggies and fruit are almost always cheaper than out of season produce! Look for prices on the below produce to start falling. If gas prices continue to rise, prices for food that travels long distances to get to your grocery store will climb, offsetting in season price drops.
This list comes from FruitsandVeggiesMoreMatters.org, which has more info and recipes when you click on the links below. My favorite spring foods are asparagus, green beans, and snow peas. I’m surprised to see corn and strawberries on the list, which I consider summer produce.
Apricots
Artichokes
Asparagus
Belgian Endive
Bitter Melon
Broccoli
Butter Lettuce
Cactus
Chayote Squash
Cherimoya
Chives
Collard Greens
Corn
English Peas
Fava Beans
Fennel
Fiddlehead Ferns
Green Beans
Honeydew
Jackfruit
Limes
Lychee
Mango
Morel Mushrooms
Mustard Greens
Oranges
Pea Pods
Pineapple
Radicchio
Ramps
Rhubarb
Snow Peas
Sorrel
Spinach
Spring Baby Lettuce
Strawberries
Swiss Chard
Vidalia Onions
Watercress
Welcome to Bargain Babe! I’m Mara, and I’m so glad you’re here. I am an obsessive bargain hunter and penny pincher, and I am determined to live a full life without EVER paying full price.
Strawberries begin appearing in the early spring in SoCal, and I always look forward to getting them at Tapia Bros. produce stand, where they grow their own berries. They also have fabulous tomatoes and corn grown on their property, and get stone fruits from the high desert area near Lancaster. I’m fortunate to live so close to great produce. The green beans are great as a hot side or a chilled salad, and I love a soup made with a combo of snow peas and green onions. Top it with a dollop of plain yogurt and a crumble of crisp bacon, and you have a delicious and cheap lunch!
These food items are also fairly easy to grow, either in the ground or in containers, making them even cheaper.
I second Ellie’s comments. Once I waited for a few minutes while one of the workers actually walked across the street to harvest strawberries for me. Unparalleled fruit and produce.
Located between Burbank Blvd and the 101 fwy, west side of Hayvenhurst. Just across the fwy from the Sepulveda Garden Center community gardens.
Thanks for the link (FruitsandVeggies…). We always INTEND to build our meals around produce, but prices get in the way. It saves on the cost of meat, but keeping a good variety of vegetables year round–that won’t be as expensive as meat(!)–can be challenging.
@Kevin ~ There is a wide variety of choices for substituting other proteins for meat, and also including veggies that give needed vitamins and minerals, as well as flavor. If you use carrots, onions, celery, garlic and olive and canola oils as basics, you already have a good flavor/healthy start. Use beans, lentils, canned tuna and salmon (on sale, of course!), along with kale, spinach, and other dark green veggies for flavor and added nutrition, and you’re on the road to economical food planning as well. These ingredients allow for creativity, and can be prepared in larger quantities for busy people who need to cook once, eat 2 or more times. I’ll try to come up with some recipes that give a basic process, in hopes that will make it easier to expand, based on your own personal tastes.
Thanks Ellie. We already use onions, garlic and olive and canola oils. We’re looking to cook more with beans and lentils, but I’m the only one in my family who likes (or will even eat) spinach.
Might look into canned salmon–the prices even for frozen is out in orbit right now.
BTW, the advice you’re offering is increasingly appearing in medical and health diet related sources.
Kevin, I totally understand how difficult it is at times to get kids to accept new foods, but if you chop the spinach and/or kale, or other green leafy items, small enough, and mix them in with a dish with enough strong flavor, they probably won’t even know they’re eating something they “don’t like.” I forgot to mention petite or small dice canned tomatoes with no salt added. They’re more nutritious than fresh tomatoes, and you can control the sodium if you use the no-salt-added varieties. That goes for canned beans as well.
Oops. “of”;0)