How do you know which food is in season?

thriftlady_2

Ladyhawk wrote: »

Yes - generally they do... but things like sugar snap peas, baby corn and beans etc are flown in

Of course, but why would you want to eat those when the British asparagus season is just around the corner?

I buy f&v from a farmshop. Tomorrow I'm expecting to pick up purple sprouting broccoli, leeks, cherry tomatoes, spinach, carrots and spuds all from local growers.

ERICS_MUM

Bitsy_Beans wrote: »

I am growing some Lolla Rosa lettuce this year, you can buy it from probably most garden centres and it's lovely You just cut and it grows again. Also grew some little gem lettuce last year, far nicer than the tastless icebergs in the shops.

I've never had much luck with tomatoes for some reason I think my hanging basket just wasn't deep enough in previous years and growing it in a terracotta pot last year I don't think I watered it enough

Spot on. I've had good crops over the years by planting them deep - either in the garden beds or in large tall pots so they've got a lot of root space.

They need a lot of water from the start - to get the fruit forming and then while the fruit are getting bigger. Watering has to be regular otherwise the skins get tough and next time you water the skins will burst. It's worth it IMO, the smell and taste of home grown toms, ripened in the sun rather than in a greenhouse, is unbeatable.

Linda xx

Dustykitten

thriftlady wrote: »

Of course, but why would you want to eat those when the British asparagus season is just around the corner?

I buy f&v from a farmshop. Tomorrow I'm expecting to pick up purple sprouting broccoli, leeks, cherry tomatoes, spinach, carrots and spuds all from local growers.

That is great if you live in a farming area, in Hertfordshire very little is grown locally. We can get a few things from neighbouring Bedfordshire like potatoes. One nursery is starting to grow it's own stuff but it is a bit of a drive away.

Can you really get local grown cherry toms at this time of year? It must cost loads to heat the greehouses.

oystercatcher

Dustykitten wrote: »

That is great if you live in a farming area, in Hertfordshire very little is grown locally. We can get a few things from neighbouring Bedfordshire like potatoes. One nursery is starting to grow it's own stuff but it is a bit of a drive away.

Can you really get local grown cherry toms at this time of year? It must cost loads to heat the greehouses.

I'm so glad it's not just me who wonders where all these farm shops are. Or do other people make a 20 odd mile trip to get their fresh veg, that's just not practical in my mind.

Dustykitten

Ok been inspired by the seasonal asparagus and have just bought some - best way to cook it for tonight please - it's going with cheesy leeks (homegrown leeks) and gammon (nitrate free british bought online) and a rhubarb cake (friends rhubarb as I've just moved mine).

Always do a bit of fruit and veg myself but I'm going to try even harder this year. Even thinking of turning the old sunken sandpit into an asparagus bed - hence the trying it now (I know it takes a few years to get going but we're here for a while).

thriftlady_2

Dustykitten wrote: »

That is great if you live in a farming area, in Hertfordshire very little is grown locally. We can get a few things from neighbouring Bedfordshire like potatoes. One nursery is starting to grow it's own stuff but it is a bit of a drive away.

Can you really get local grown cherry toms at this time of year? It must cost loads to heat the greehouses.

Yes, it must. Still they seem to get earlier and earlier each year.

I don't know, buying food is a minefield of ethical decisions these days. I never buy fresh imported tomatoes so when I see the British ones I jump on them. Should I wait until later in the season when they need less heat or should I support a local grower? My kids adore them and they are so good for them or should I stick to cabbage which they loathe but which doesn't require heat?

Yes, I'm lucky to live in an area abundant in fruit and veg. I do live in a city though and my nearest farmshop is actually in the city. My favourite one is a 15-20 min drive away but I often combine it with a visit to the butcher too. I'd rather shop there than my nearest shop which is Tesco.

Supermarkets stock seasonal fruit and veg too. I've seen British cherry toms in the supermarkets recently as well as purple sprouting, rhubarb and all the other basic British veg.

frosty

Bitsy_Beans wrote: »

I am growing some Lolla Rosa lettuce this year, you can buy it from probably most garden centres and it's lovely You just cut and it grows again. Also grew some little gem lettuce last year, far nicer than the tastless icebergs in the shops.

I've never had much luck with tomatoes for some reason I think my hanging basket just wasn't deep enough in previous years and growing it in a terracotta pot last year I don't think I watered it enough

Have you tried planting a tomato plant called "hundreds and thousands"they grow really well in hanging baskets,we plant 6 each year and we have heaps and heaps of tomatoes.

westcoastscot

Hi,
This is an interesting thread - on the one hand I wonder how cauliflower can be "in season" at this time of year? must be grown under heat of some sort. Food buying is an ethical minefield - my approach is to grow as much as I can and supplement that with low food miles food, so british if possible, scottish even better.
WCS

Ladyhawk

What make British or even Scottish better?

westcoastscot

for me, Scottish is more local since i'm in Scotland, British next-local - I prefer my food home-grown if poss
WCS