Uncover all the vegetables and fruit in season this NZ summer with this seasonal produce guide and infographic! Featuring all the produce available during December, January and February. Allowing you to enjoy the best quality fresh fruits and vegetables on offer with great prices and even better taste, so you can eat some flavourful food!
Summer brings in an abundance of produce with all sorts of wonderful treats including berries, greens and even Maori potatoes.
So much produce in fact that it almost didn’t all fit within these infographics!
Similarly, to the autumn, winter and spring seasonal editions, this summer produce guide features both fruit and vegetable infographics for your convenience. The perfect visual reminder of what’s in store over the next few months!
How to use this Vegetable and Fruit in season NZ guide and Infographic:
Here are some ways you can put these infographics to good use …
- Save this post! so that the next time your meal planning you can find ways to work them into your week. It’ll also give you a bit of inspiration for what to buy/ look out for during your shop or farmer’s market visits. They’ll be of the best quality and value.
- Pin it to a Pinterest board for referencing later, in a place that’s easy to access wherever and whenever you need it. That way it’s stored in a safe place for you to whip out when you’ve forgotten what it was you were looking for.
- Print out a copy and attach it to your fridge, somewhere in the kitchen is the most ideal! It’s not only the perfect seasonal decor item but also works as a functional piece of art. Frame it up and you may just have yourself a great gift.
- Share it with friends, family, flatmates, housemates or anyone else. To all your fellow followers and Facebook friends if you would like. Everyone can benefit from this knowledge and it’s always great to share the goods (sharing is caring!). 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 of all the things to look out for over December, January and February.
Whether you do one or all of these, with your vegetables and fruits in season NZ guide, you’ll be prepared for the plethora of seasonal summer goods before you!
It all starts with the small things and that small thing can be as simple as sharing what you know. And now that you know what you’re looking for, it’ll all be more obvious to spot! You can then begin celebrating the summer, indulging in fruity mocktails or cocktails, fresh green salads and some grilled or even barbecued beautifulness.
Let’s dive into all the exciting treasures the summer’s got ahead for us, shall we? Let’s take a look at all the vegetables and fruit in season in NZ…
Summer Fruit in season NZ
Summer brings in a bucketload of berries over the next few months, along with some special fruits including apricots, blackcurrants, cherries, gooseberries, raspberries, redcurrants and kiwi berries (which look like mini kiwifruits). There is no short supply of items on offer this part of the year!
Apples, avocados, lemons, oranges and strawberries carry on from spring. While you’ll begin to see the appearance of blackberries, blueberries, rockmelon, nashi pear, nectarines and watermelon. These also continue throughout some of the autumn months.
Related: NZ Spring Fruit and Vegetable Guide with Infographics
Last chances…
Although there are plenty of fruits carrying over to autumn, there are a few that will start to diminish. These include apricots, blackcurrants, boysenberries, cherries, gooseberries, honeydew melon, yellow peach, plum and redcurrant. This does seem like quite a few fruity varieties, so if you want to eat these, eat them plentiful in the December, January and February months to make the most of them!
3 Tips for making the most of fruit this summer:
- Put it in a smoothie/ smoothie bowl! Not only refreshing, to cool off from the summer heat but also a great way to get in your fruit and vegetable intake for the day. Plus you can even top them with some fun toppings, like this maple and pistachio almond granola, pumpkin seeds, toasted nuts, grains, crushed-up cookies, brownie bits, coconut flakes, chocolate, peanut butter and any other goods you can think of really.
- The best part is it’s all customisable and you can make it as indulgent or healthy as you like.
- Tip: freeze fresh fruits to add to your smoothie bowl for a thick consistency without the need for ice.
- Make fruit kebabs the ultimate BBQ, shared plate situation, when you need something quick and easy. Yes, you could make a fresh fruit salad, if you would like less of the hassle. But there’s something about a fruit kebab that just screams party and gathering as one, whether you are doing either of those things or not. Imagine poolside/picnic-worthy fanciness…
- Go the extra mile and make some rainbow fruit kebabs with summer fruits! How can one be sad with such a pleasant gift, that you can eat? Not to mention so visually pleasing and maybe even a little fun to construct/ throw together.
- Make ice cream/ sorbets! Similar to how you would blend frozen bananas (like in this chunky monkey-inspired banana pecan smoothie bowl), you can freeze and blend your favourite summer fruits and turn them into a simple and healthy ice cream/ sorbet/ refreshing fruity ice blend.
- Freeze your selected fruit into small chunks, deseeded and without the skin (if inedible)- to allow for quick and easy blending. Once frozen solid, add into a blender. Then combine with a small amount of liquid such as water or milk until well blended into a thick consistency.
- Try giving it a go with any apricots, strawberries, nectarine, plum, watermelon or any berry.
Recipes with Summer Fruit:
Summer Vegetables in season NZ
In the summer months ahead of us, the introduction of purple asparagus has got to be one of the highlights! Followed closely by baby sweetcorn – (only the cutest tiny little vegetable), beans, buttercup pumpkins, chilli, eggplant, sweetcorn and Maori potatoes. Shallows also have their prime in February.
Carrying on from spring we’ve got globe artichokes, asparagus (but this time more variety aka the purple version), butternut pumpkin, capsicum, courgette and courgette flowers and fresh peas.
Last chances…
The list of vegetables available dwindles just a little as we transition over to autumn. Globe artichokes and asparagus will, unfortunately, be phased out along with baby sweetcorn, beans, fresh peas and Maori potato. Time to do all that dip making, salad making and grilling of asparagus these coming months while you still can!
3 Tips for making the most of vegetables this summer:
- Make a salad! It’s pretty much too hot for anything else anyway and a quick, easy and delicious salad is often the way to go, especially if it’s been chilled.
- Include sliced avocado, corn kernels, fresh peas and thinly sliced chilli along with some leafy greens.
- Don’t be afraid to add some fruit into the mix too! Strawberries, oranges, apples, blackberries, cherries, nectarine and watermelon all make for fabulous salad additions with a little bit of difference. You could even finish with a squeeze of fresh lemon.
- Make a potato salad with Maori potato – also known as taewa (source) with its distinct purple colour. This will make for a unique change, that stands out. You can also roast or steam Maori potatoes as an alternative.
- Throw it on the BBQ or grill! Nothing says summer like a little grilling. Drizzle vegetables with olive oil, season with salt and pepper, maybe even a little herbs or spices and give it a toss to coat. Then give it a lovely light charring and serve it up on a platter!
- This works especially great for sweetcorn, asparagus, beans, capsicum, courgette and eggplant.
Recipes with Summer Vegetables:
- Roasted eggplant salad with apple cider vinaigrette from Food to Love
A note on these veg and fruit-in-season NZ infographics:
*The information provided in this post has been summarised with research from several sources including:
If you’re interested in learning more about the produce on offer this summer, wander over to their sites for more information. There are tips on how to store, prepare and cook vegetables and fruits as well as their nutritional values.
This infographic features fresh vegetables and fruit in season NZ, reflecting the major months and highlights of each item when they’re in plentiful supplies. There is a possibility you may find the specified produce out of this season available to purchase in limited supplies or imported alternatives. But our focus here is on what’s local and in abundance!
This information is intended as a guide. It’s to inspire you to make the most of the vegetables and fruits in season NZ. Including what’s available and on offer. To encourage you to be more aware of these items at the supermarket, farmers markets or otherwise. As a result, you’ll be able to support local growers/produce and companies, help our economy, reduce food miles and buy produce when it tastes best! All while doing some all-around wholesome goodness in the world.
Conclusion
That concludes all the delightful vegetables and fruits in season this NZ summer! Are you inspired to get out there amongst all the produce and make some seasonal treats?
Let me know what you’re looking forward to eating most in the comments below! And tell me I’m not the only one who puts up with the hot humid weather, just to eat their weight in berries and various other summer specialties.
Head on over to the next addition in this series all about produce available year-round.
I shall see you back here again next week where more exciting content awaits…
Until next time, stay curious!
You say brussel sprouts are a summer vegetable but according to all the veggie growers at our farmers market that is simply not true.
You are absolutely correct, appreciate you bringing that to my attention – I’ve now removed it from the list.