Old wisdom tells us that home canning is a frantic exhausting chore we wade through in the Fall in an attempt to save the harvest for the coming Winter.
New Wisdom is a little different--we rarely face food shortages in any season. We mostly can at leisure so we have the foods we love when we want them. Canning also allows us to take advantage of extreme deals on produce as we find them. I regularly see great deals on all kinds of produce that gets to grocery stores and must be sold or thrown away, even if it means selling the produce at 50% or 75% off regular prices.
Living in the Pacific Northwest also means that we have fresh fruits and vegetables in our markets all year round. Many fruits and vegetables grown in the Pacific Northwest are stored,
under perfect conditions, for months after the actual harvest. Its like we each have our own vastly huge root cellar!
Fresh Produce Calendar:January-February:
Apples, pears, Asian pears, winter greens and lettuces, winter squashes, potatoes, leeks, onions, garlic, parsnips, cabbages, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, beets, rutabagas, turnips, dried shelling beans, carrots, wild mushrooms.
March:
Salad greens, wild greens, carrots, radishes, broccoli, turnips, potatoes, rutabagas, winter squashes, fresh herbs, garlic, apples, wild mushrooms, dried shelling beans.
April:
Asparagus, radishes, sunchokes, spring greens, garlic shoots, cabbage greens, hothouse cherry tomatoes, cauliflower, wild mushrooms, wild foraged greens, fiddlehead ferns, baby vegetables & greens, nursery stock & vegetable starts, cut flowers, dried beans, rhubarb.
May:
Braising greens, wild greens, lettuces, asparagus, celery, sweet salad onions, potatoes and root veggies, radishes, cauliflower, green garlic, fresh herbs, radicchio, hothouse cherry tomatoes, rhubarb, dried beans and fruits.
June:
Strawberries, cherries, currants, raspberries, sugar snap peas, fava beans, sweet onions, dozens of greens & lettuces, wild mushrooms, wild sea beans, rhubarb, apriums, squash blossoms, pea vines, fiddlehead ferns, shelling peas, radishes, cucumbers, bamboo shoots, carrots, sunchokes, radicchio, hothouse tomatoes, asparagus, celery, cauliflower, scallions, beets, turnips, potatoes, peanuts, fresh herbs (coriander, lemon balm, mint, oregano, chives, thyme, sage, tarragon, basil), hazelnuts.
July:
Raspberries, strawberries, tayberries, blueberries, marionberries, loganberries, red gooseberries, wild black berries, huckleberries, cherries (Attika, Skeena, Summit, Bings, Rainiers, Vans, Baliton, Montmorency), apricots, (Riland, Rival, Perfection), haricot verts, maroon & golden carrots, golden beets, cucumbers, radishes, nectarines, peaches, Romanesco cauliflower, apriums, lettuces (Wildman’s Green, Prizehead, Romaine, Galisse, Red Oak, Sierra, Black Seeded Simpson, Jericho, Red Riding Hood, Merlot, Bronze Arrow, Esmeralda, Capitain, Cardinale, Redina, Red Rumple, Iceberg), braising greens (Pea Vines, Kairan (rare Japanese variety), Chicory, Chinese Spinach, Chinese Broccoli, Red Russian Kale, Lacinato Kale, Tatsoi, Dandelion Greens, Sorrel, Mizuna, Broccoli Rabe, Spinach, Chinese Mustard, Red Mustard, Collards, Arugula, Bok Choy, Shinguko, Shiso, Pac Choi, Mibuna Hanana, Swiss and Rainbow Chard), shelling peas, sugar snap peas, squash blossoms, onions, garlic tops, sunchokes, radicchio, hothouse tomatoes, asparagus, cauliflower, red beets, French turnips, Fava beans, Ozette potatoes, eggplant, sweet corn, peanuts, hazelnuts, fesh herbs (Coriander, Lemon Balm, Mint, Oregano, Marjoram, Chives, Thyme, Sage, Tarragon, Basil).
August:
Pole beans (Romano, Yellow Wax, Green, Haricot Vert, Blue Lake), shelling beans, garlic, sweet and hot peppers, tomatillos, chantrelles, strawberries, blueberries, raspberries, plums, apples, all kinds of melons, cherries, apricots, peaches, nectarines, rhubarb, dozens of lettuces and greens, sweet corn, eggplants, okra, summer squashes, radishes, cucumbers, cabbage, fennel, kohlrabi, carrots, onions, radicchio, heirloom tomatoes, lilac and golden cauliflower, Romanesco cauliflower, broccoli, beets, French turnips, favas, leeks, potatoes, fresh herbs (Basil, Anise Hyssop, Summer Savory, Lemon Verbena, Spearmint Lemon Basil, Purple Basil, Cinnamon Basil, Dill, Rosemary, Cilantro Root, Dill, Coriander, Epazote, Lemon Balm, Mint, Oregano, Rosemary, Marjoram, Chives, Thyme, Sage, Tarragon, Flat Leaf Parsley).
September:
Apples, golden raspberries, peaches, pears, ground cherries, blueberries, blackberries, strawberries, melons (Crenshaw, Charlynn, Cantaloupe, Honeydew, Watermelon (orange fleshed and seedless), Ice Box Watermelon, Yellow Doll Watermelon, Charentais, Butterscotch, Japanese, Bittermelon), Asian pears (20th Century, Ichiban, Kosui, Yakuma, Hosui, Tojuro), plums (Duarte, Burbank, Shiro, Sun, Small “Wild” varieties, Italian Prunes), Pluots, lettuces (Speckled Amish Butterhead, Cherokee Red Crisphead, Wildman’s Green, Prizehead, Romaine, Galisse, Red Oak, Sierra, Black Seeded Simpson, Jericho, Red Riding Hood, Merlot, Bronze Arrow, Esmeralda, Stem Lettuce, Capitain, Cardinale, Redina, Red Rumple, Iceberg), greens (Mache, Squash Vines, Chicory, Purslane, Chinese Spinach, Chinese Broccoli, Red Russian Kale, Lacinato Kale, Tatsoi, Sorrel, Mizuna, Broccoli Rabe, Spinach, Chinese Mustard, Red Mustard, Collards, Arugula, Bok Choy, Swiss, White & Rainbow Chard), artichokes, garlic, edamame, winter squash, sweet and hot peppers, sweet corn, eggplants (Japanese, Purple, Lilac, White, Green Striped), okra, scallions, celeriac, red and white turnips, cucumbers (Pickling, Su Yu Long, English, Lemon), beans (Romano, Yellow Wax, Haricot Vert, Blue Lake, Italian, Dragon Tongue, Conseca, Japanese Long, shelled Flageolet beans), Napa cabbage, fennel, kohlrabi, carrots (Thumbelina, Maroon, Yellow, Orange), onions (Walla Walla, Cipollini, Sweet Onion, Red Torpedo), radicchio, dozens of varieties of tomatoes, cauliflower, broccoli, Romanesco cauliflower, red, golden & chioggia beets, baby turnips, fava beans, leeks, herbs (Anise Hyssop, Summer Savory, Lemon Verbena, Spearmint, Peppermint, Lemon Basil, Purple Basil, Cinnamon Basil, Dill, Rosemary, Dill, Coriander, Epazote, Lemon Balm, Mint, Oregano, Rosemary, Marjoram, Chives, Garlic Chives, Thyme, Sage, Tarragon, Flat Leaf Parsley, Basil).
October:
Squashes (Hubbard, Sweet Dumpling, Sugar Loaf, Spaghetti, Turk’s Turban, Honey Boat, Galeux d’ Eysines, Loofah), baby cabbage, apples (Cox’s Orange Pippin, King David, Cameo, Jonathan, King, Smokehouse, Belle de Boskoop, Egremont Russet), pears (Bosc, Bartlett, 20th Century, Kosui (Honey), Ichiban, Yakumo, Moonglow, Red Bartletts, D'Anjou), wild mushrooms (Chanterelles, Porcini, Lobster, Matsutake), ever-bearing raspberries (red & golden), melons, peaches, nectarines, plums, pluots, quince, hardy kiwis, lettuces, braising greens, artichoke, beets, broccoli, pole beans, peas, carrots, celery, celeriac, sweet corn, chestnuts, edamame, garlic, kohlrabi, shallots, radishes, cucumbers, onions, turnips, cauliflower, eggplant, favas, pumpkins, sweet and hot peppers, dozens of tomatoes, fresh herbs.
November:
Apples (Newton Pippin, Ashmead’s Kernel, Spitzenburg, Winesap, Melrose, Cameo, Jonathan, Belle de Boskoop, Rome, Egremont Russet, Braeburn, Jonagold, Galas, Fujis, Gingergolds, Honey Crisp, Macintosh, Golden Russet, Stayman), pears (Bronze Beauty, D’anjou, Bosc, Bartlett, 20th Century, Kosui (Honey) Asian varieties), plums, pluots, horseradish root, lettuces, braising greens (Arugula, Beet Greens, Bok Choy, Collards, Black Italian Collards, Endive, Mizuna, Mustards, Rapini (broccoli rabe), Radicchio, Sorrel, Spinach, Kale, Chard), Brussels sprouts, Jerusalem artichokes, beets, broccoli, shelling beans (Cranberry, Panda, Cannolini, Black Turtle, Dixie Speckled Butter Peas, Flageolet), carrots, celery, celery root, chestnuts, edamame, garlic, kohlrabi, shallots, radish, cucumbers, onions, turnips, rutabagas, parsnips, cabbages, cauliflower, fava beans, winter squash (Amber Cup, Sweet Dumpling, Sugar Loaf, Spaghetti, Turk’s Turban, Honey Boat, Galeux d’ Eysines, Rouge Pumpkins, Hubbard, Golden Nugget, Fairy Tale, Cinderella, Kobocha, Butternut, Delicata, Acorn, Sugar Pie Pumpkins, Rouge Pumpkins), all kinds of potatoes, sweet and hot peppers, tomatoes (field and hothouse), wild mushrooms, fresh herbs.
December:
Apples, pears, plums, pluots, lettuces, greens, fresh herbs, Brussels Sprouts, Jerusalem artichokes, beets, broccoli, Romanesco Broccoli, beans (dried: Cannolini, Black Turtle, Peas), Carrots, Garlic: Elephant and Spanish Roja, kohlrabi, shallots, scallion, Turnips, Rutabagas, Parsnips, Cabbage, Cauliflower, Fava Beans, Winter Squash (Kobocha, Golden Nugget, Carnival, Acorn, Kuri), Pumpkin Squash (Fairy Tale, Sugar Pie, French Rouge), potatoes, Chantrelles.
Great Sources For Fresh Produce Around Seattle.
Seattle Farmer's Market Alliance
Pike Street Market
Top Banana 6501 15th Ave NW, Seattle, WA 98117-5506 206-783-7786
Mac Pherson's Fruit & Produce 4500 15th Ave S Seattle, WA 98108-1818 206-762-0115
Fermented Salsa(Left) and Cortido (Right)
