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What’s in season at the farmers market this fall

The best fruits and veggies to shop at the farmers market this fall

Rebecca Wolken
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Your backyard garden isn’t always able to grow everything you need to feed your family, but that doesn’t mean you can’t get farm-fresh foods for your table! Farmers markets are an excellent way to find fresh, locally grown food. There are several benefits to buying from sellers in your area, like stimulating the local economy, supporting smaller and local farms, accessing more fresh and healthy foods, getting to know the people who grow your food, and much more.

Some studies even show that veggies at farmers markets are more nutritious because what it takes for a local farmer to pick and sell that product is significantly less than in big grocery stores. This means the food is more fresh, which in turn means it retains more of the nutrients.

So what should you look out for on your next trip to the market? What’s in season right now? Find out what farmers market fall foods are in season.

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Pumpkins sitting in the sun

Pumpkins

Pumpkins aren’t just for fall decoration; they’re also great for roasting. Pumpkins are delicious and their seeds can even be harvested and baked in the oven to make a tasty, healthy snack.

Acorn squash

Squash

Similar to pumpkins, three varieties of squash reach peak freshness during the early fall months. Acorn, butternut, and delicata squash are what you should be looking out for around this time of year. They can be baked, roasted, and made into soups.

swiss chard plants

Swiss chard

Often overlooked, Swiss chard is a beautiful leafy green that brings so many benefits to your table and your health. It’s best when sauteed with garlic and onions and served as a side dish.

Large Eggplant And Mushrooms

Mushrooms

Mushrooms come in a wide variety of shapes, sizes, and intensities of flavor. They’re so good for you and are excellent additions to many recipes. On their own and freshly picked, mushrooms are great on salads or with a cheese tray. They can be made into delicious soups or sauteed with butter for steaks, burgers, and more.

Cut ginger on a table

Ginger

This rhizome can be found in many Asian dishes and will bring a whole new level of flavor when freshly ground or shredded. You can even make medicinal tea with fresh ginger to improve your health and make a winter cold not so terrible to endure.

Pears on cutting board

Pears

You shouldn’t just be looking out for vegetables this time of year. Pears are in peak season during these cooler fall months, and if you’re lucky enough to have an orchard around, you don’t want to miss out on the soft and tasty fruits. They can be eaten fresh, baked in pies or crumbles, or even sliced onto crackers or bread with a wide range of cheeses and honey.

Kale

Kale

A dark, leafy green that’s sure to boost your health and make you feel like your healthiest self, kale is a plant that doesn’t mind being a little chilly. It’s good in soups, fresh on salads, or blended with fruits for a green smoothie.

Apples

Apples

Apples also reach their peak ripeness during this time of year. There’s almost nothing better than biting into a freshly picked apple, and you can find those at the farmers markets if you’re lucky enough to have an orchard selling at yours. Eat these fresh on their own or with peanut butter, or bake them into pies and crumbles.

Beets laying on a table

Beets

Good for your gut health, beets are a deep purple root veggie that can be made into soups, roasted as a side, or even pickled to eat on sandwiches. You can even eat the greens of this plant and get some extra bang for your buck.

Person looking at fennel

Fennel

Fennel is similar to onion in flavor and can be used in similar ways, but it has a much milder flavor and isn’t as good fresh. Our favorite way to cook fennel is by slicing it and keeping its rings together, then roasting those slices with a bit of parmesan cheese for an appetizer at your next party.

Turnip

Turnips

While they have less versatility than other veggies on this list, turnips are still an excellent choice to pick up at the market. They can be thrown in when roasting other root veggies, such as sweet potatoes, beets, carrots, and onions. You can also throw some olive oil and garlic on the pan with turnips for a healthy and delicious side dish.

Sliced sweet potatoes

Sweet potatoes

Sweet potatoes can be fried, roasted, pureed into soups, mashed, baked, and so much more. The vegetable can be served as the side, the main dish, or as dessert! You can even cube it, roast it, and throw it together with black beans, corn, rice, avocado, and a dash of lime for a delicious Mexican-inspired lunch.

You might not be able to find all of these at your local farmers market, depending on where you live, but you’re sure to see some of them, and we encourage you to try them out if you haven’t before.

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Sweet, juicy, and crispy pears are not only versatile in recipes, but they’re also some of the easiest fruits to grow in a home garden. They resemble apples in look and taste (well, slightly), but pears tend to be much more resistant to pests and diseases. Plus, pears are full of fiber, vitamin C, and potassium for added benefits to your health.

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Apples are some of the tastiest, most abundant fall harvests. If you're overwhelmed with how many bushels of apples your trees have yielded and are trying to use them up in more than just pies, look no further. Below, we've gathered several ideas to help you figure out what to do with a bunch of apples to make sure none of your fruit goes to waste.

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So, what can you do with a bunch of apples? As your fall harvest of apples begins to pile up, you might get overwhelmed with what to do with them. Here are some new and unique ways you can prepare apples to enjoy them all through the season.
Crisps and pies
Of course, there is the classic apple pie or apple crisp. These are great ways to use up apples because they often call for six or more apples. You can bake a few pies or crisps for friends, family, or neighbors and share your harvest with those around you.
Cake and muffins
Less famous than pies but still a favorite among apple lovers, apple cakes and muffins are delicious and can also serve as a breakfast snack with your morning coffee. You can always make a big batch of apple muffins and freeze them for later.
Butter and sauce
You probably reach for a jar of apple butter at the fall hayrides every year, but you can also make this yummy topping at home. Making apple butter uses up a bunch of apples, so you can reduce your huge pile at home. In addition, you can make some homemade applesauce as well. Here is a recipe from MidwestLiving for awesome apple butter.
Fried
While the above ways to eat apples might be our favorites, they can get boring. So here we have a recipe from Tikkido.com for fried apple rings. These rings are thin slices of apples fried in a pancake-like batter and then sprinkled with powdered sugar. They're easy and will become an instant favorite. They go great with ice cream after a holiday meal or with a cup of tea or coffee before breakfast with your family.
Salads
You can toss a handful of thinly sliced apples into almost any salad, but a unique way to eat apples is in this yummy cabbage salad with apples and walnuts by Mom's Kitchen Handbook. It's colorful and offers a different way to enjoy your favorite fruit on a healthy salad.
Roasted
Roasted apples are a sweet treat without all the sugar of a pie or crisp. These roasted apples by Martha Stewart only call for a small amount of sugar and cinnamon. You can add them to a bowl of vanilla ice cream or eat them on their own as a sweet and delicious snack.
Slow cooker
Similar to roasted apples, you can use a slow cooker to soften apple slices. Add some butter, cinnamon, and sugar to a bowl of sliced apples, then put them in the slow cooker for an hour or two. What you'll have is a soft, saucy, and spice-filled treat that's great on its own or on top of ice cream.
Cheese board
Charcuterie boards are a trendy way to serve guests before a big meal, and we love to add fresh fruits to ours. Apples are an excellent choice. Their crisp juices cut through the creamy cheeses and cleanse your palate. Thinly slice a mix of red and green apples for a range of sweet and sour, then add all your favorite cheeses, crackers, jams, olives, and nuts. Have some fun setting it up and watch as friends and family enjoy. Or maybe make one just for yourself!

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