If you’ve ever wondered what produce you can get here in NZ, regardless of the season, then this guide is exactly what you need! It outlines all the fruits and vegetables on offer throughout the year. Including everything from apples and spring onions to watercress and rhubarb. It also highlights the best times you’ll be able to find most of these wonderful items at their most delicious.
There are even a few infographics that you can refer to, for convenience, ease and fun! Because who doesn’t love a bit of illustration?! Not to mention a few recipes and tips to give you some inspiration.
Let’s get to it…
Since we’ve already covered all the exclusive seasonal produce on offer in summer, autumn, winter and spring, let’s take a look at what’s available year-round.
RELATED: NZ Spring Seasonal Produce Guide with Infographics
NZ Autumn Seasonal Produce Guide with Infographics
How to use this NZ Vegetable and Fruit Guide and Infographic:
Before we get into all the details here are some ways you can put these infographics to good use …
- Save this post and keep it somewhere safe like a Pinterest board! Then you’ll be able to refer to it whenever you need it. Such as when you’re planning you’re meals for the week or when you’re out at the supermarket/farmer’s market. That way you’ll know what to look out for and be able to get some inspiration.
- Print out a copy and attach it to your fridge, somewhere in the kitchen is the most ideal! That way you can work it into your meals and don’t forget about it.
- Share it with friends, family, flatmates, housemates or anyone else. Because sharing is caring and everyone can benefit from this. Especially if it means more delicious, nutritious food. Plus I’ve made it super easy, there are buttons at the top, side and bottom of this post and all you’ve got to do is click one of the options.
- Email it to others or yourself as a reminder.
Now it’s time for the fun stuff…
NZ Fruits Available Throughout the Year
There are two major fruits available throughout the year in New Zealand and those are apples and rhubarb. Surprisingly a small amount but they are such versatile options!
Apples are available year-round, thanks to all the different varieties. Generally, they’re at their best between February and May (source).
- Braeburn apples are harvested in late March-April and are available until December
- Granny Smith apples are harvested in late April to early May and are available until December
- Royal Gala apples are harvested in late February to March and are available until September
Rhubarb is best from May to October and you’ll find less from July-August.
3 Fruity Tips:
- Dessert Charcuterie Board! Fresh fruit, particularly apples make such a great addition to a dessert board. Slice them up alongside you’re favourite sweet treats and toppings such as Nutella, peanut butter, almond butter, melted chocolate, nuts and so much more.
RELATED: Galentines Dessert Charcuterie Board
- Roasted Rhubarb! Rhubarb is so delicious roasted in the oven with a gentle sprinkling of sugar. All you have to do is cut the rhubarb into 2-3cm pieces, toss them in some sugar (about 1/4 cup) and then place them on a lined baking tray. Bake in the oven until tender. Then you can serve the rhubarb over porridge for breakfast, with custard, yoghurt or ice cream for dessert, on french toast, alongside panna cotta, with labneh, rice pudding and the list goes on!
- Apple Chips! for a great healthy snacking option. Thinly slice apples horizontally through the core to create rounds and then place them in the air fryer, dehydrator or on a lined baking tray in the oven and bake until crispy. You can even sprinkle over some gingerbread spice mix for a bit of extra flavour and a festive twist.
Fruity Recipes:
- Rhubarb Custard Crumbles (exclusive recipe for subscribers!)
- Buckwheat Apple Galette with maple walnut frangipane from The Bojon Gourmet
- Spanish Apple and Manchego Tapas from Red (If you can’t find manchego cheese use brie, camembert or grilled halloumi instead!)
NZ Vegetables Available Throughout the Year
There are a plethora of vegetables available throughout the year here in New Zealand.
We’ve got everything from microgreens to kumara!
Here’s a rundown of them all:
- Beetroot: plentiful in November through to April
- Broccoli and broccolini
- Cabbage: red cabbage is plentiful in the autumn and winter months.
- Carrot: specifically the more common orange variety is best in winter. Purple and yellow carrots are only in season in winter.
- Cauliflower
- Celery
- Cucumber: the short and apple varieties are plentiful in summer and telegraph cucumbers are most plentiful from May to June
- Fennel Bulb: Limited in autumn and winter and most plentiful through March-August
- Garlic: Plentiful amounts at the end of November through to August
- Ginger
- Kale
- Kumara
- Leek: with limited supplies from November-February
- Lettuce
- Microgreens: the seedlings of herbs, vegetables and leafy greens (source). There are several different types which means they’re available throughout the year. Varieties include chia, mizuna, mustard, red kale and rocket microgreens.
- Mushrooms: with limited supplies of oyster, wood ear and honey fungus varieties.
- Onion: with the red variety plentiful from January through to August
- Parsnip: which can be difficult to get over the summer months
- Potatoes: New-season potatoes are best bought from late August until February.
- Pumpkin: depending on the variety. Butternut is available throughout the year and buttercup is available in autumn and summer.
- Radish
- Silverbeet
- Spring Onion
- Sprouted beans and seeds
- Swede: limited amounts over summer, specifically December and January
- Tomato: plentiful from October to May
- Watercress: plentiful in July-December
3 Vegetable Tips:
- Roasted beetroot! A great way to cook beetroot is by wrapping it whole (with the skin still on) in some tin foil. Place the wrapped beetroot packages on a baking tray and bake at 180°C until tender and a fork can easily pierce through the skin. Then when cool enough to handle you can easily peel off the skin.
- The roasted beetroot can then be used in all types of delicious foods including tossed in a salad, served with labneh grains such as bulgur wheat or quinoa or sliced on some toast with feta and rocket.
- Make a brunch board and fill it with all the vegetables. Including everything from spinach, mushrooms, tomato and spinach to microgreens, watercress and roasted pumpkin! Works perfectly with bagels, crumpets and all your breakfast items.
- Make a tasty salad! There are so many different options from all the incredible produce you have access to. You could make anything from a tasty potato salad with leek and fresh herbs to a base with lettuce, cucumber, leafy greens and tomato (like this Green Salad with Grilled Corn and Spicy Lime Crema).
- Use microgreens as a garnish for quite literally anything! They work as delightfully on an eggs benedict as they do on a chocolate mousse with a chocolate crumb soil and orange segments. They are so versatile and just a small hint of extra flavour, green and some colour to make a dish pop. You’ll often see it in restaurants and you too can use it in your cooking!
Recipes with Vegetables:
- Mac and Cheese with a Bacon Cauli Crumb Topping (you can replace the frozen cauliflower with freshly grated cauliflower!)
A note on these infographics:
*The information summarised in this post has been compiled with research from the following sources:
If you’re interested in learning more about the produce on offer in New Zealand, head over to their sites for more information.
The information in this post is intended as a guide. It’s to inspire you to make the most of the vegetables and fruits available in NZ throughout the year, without limits. Some fruits and vegetables also specify the best times for produce and I highly encourage you to put this knowledge to use.
This post also excludes items such as bananas, mango, coconut, grapes and pineapples which we import from various other countries.
Conclusion
That concludes this post on all the fruits and vegetables available right here in New Zealand year-round!
Hopefully, that’s provided you with a bit of inspiration on some of the recipes you can make any time of the year. As well as some helpful tips to make the most of some great produce. The best part is that they’re all neatly compiled so you can refer to them whenever you need them.
Don’t forget to also make the most of these infographics, save, share and spread them around!
Until next time, stay curious!
