Ah fall. A wonderful time of year for good food, and seasonal things that you can only find around this time. Sure, in theory you can find pumpkin spiced things in July or apples in February, but they are not the same as they are when they are in season. Yet we don’t always realize this. We get things like watermelon in December, asparagus in September, and don’t even blink. Strawberries seem to be a year round harvest if you believe the supermarkets. Due to increased shipping around of food and processes like canning and freezing, we’ve forgotten that a lot of foods have specific seasons in which they are fresher and taste better. Also, if they are a local food, you can find them for cheaper. Right now, all the stores around me are having apple sales like it is going out of style because of how many orchards right now have trees full of apples. What cost me $2.00 a pound a few weeks ago is now $0.89! It’s worth it for predicting sales alone! Lastly, it also helps the environment a lot. If you buy local things that are in season, you don’t have to have it shipped to you. Despite what this Amazon.com culture might tell you, free shipping costs our environment a lot in gas and energy. It’s the other reason why costs go down when you buy local and in season foods, they require less gas to get to the store!
Now, I know the first thought you are probably having: where do I find out what season fits for what. Well, at least for the United States, there is a cool website I have found called www.seasonalfoodguide.org. Just put in your state and what month it is and you will know what is in season there! Right now it is apples, carrots, cauliflower, chard, broccoli, corn, and a whole bunch of berries that are just winding down their season. Yet, this isn’t exact. Houghton has very different “in season” foods than Lansing. I find paying attention to stores and what is out there is how you find these things out. Even in food deserts (places where fresh veggies and fruits are hard to find) there are good, in season things to eat. Houghton may not be for all the fresh vegetables in the world, but it has thimbleberries that grow wild in the deep wood and tons of fresh fish to catch. I could always, without fail, find some good fish cuts within the local stores even in midwinter when I lived up there. Sometimes you just got to be creative about what you consider seasonal local foods.
So tell me below what your favorite foods are for this time of year. I personally love all the apple things that come out of the woodwork, especially the local cider from the various cider mills that flows into stores. I will be making a trip over to one very shortly, that’s for sure. Also, for a bit of personal news, I am currently in a play (Antigone), that will be on stage in two weeks! Unfortunately, that means the next posts (like this one) might be delayed as I try to manage everyday rehearsal schedules. I will do my best, but keep in mind I am only human. If you want to hear more about what is going on in my life or just listening to my ramblings, follow me on Twitter @Tchefette. I post any delay updates there, so if you follow, you will know! Have a great evening, and see you next Horror Tuesday.