Seasonal fruit and vegetables taste better due to being naturally sun ripened, are fresher and have a higher nutritional value due to less storage and shorter times from harvest to consumption. Knowing what is actually 'in season' is difficult given importing abilities meaning some items with shorter seasons are now available all year round.
The list below is indicative of main seasons for New Zealand when items should be most plentiful (season depending), with the following guides;
*Year round availability due to different varieties with different harvest times
**Availability due to import/Not New Zealand Grown – Bananas, Garlic, Ginger, Grapes (black and green), Mangos, Pineapple, Taro
Vegetables: Artichokes, Asparagus, Avocado*, Beans, Beetroot, Blueberries, Broccoli, Buttercup Squash, Butternut, Cabbage (Green)*, Capsicum, Carrots, Cauliflower, Celery, Courgettes, Cucumber, Eggplant, Fresh Herbs, Kale, Kumara, Lettuce*, Mushrooms, Onions, Parsnips, Peas, Potatoes, Pumpkin*, Radishes, Silverbeet, Snow Peas, Spinach, Spring Onions, Sprouted Beans and Seeds, Sweetcorn, Tomatoes, Watercress.
Fruit: Apples, Apricots, Blackberries, Blackcurrants, Boysenberries, Cherries, Gooseberries, Grapefruit, Honeydew Melon, Kiwifruit (Green), Lemons, Nashi Pears, Nectarines, Oranges (Valencia), Peaches, Pears, Plums, Raspberries, Redcurrants, Rock Melon, Strawberries, Tangelos, Watermelon.
Vegetables: Avocado*, Broccoli, Brussel Sprouts, Buttercup Squash, Butternut, Cabbage (Green)*, Capsicum, Carrots, Cauliflower, Celery, Chilli Peppers, Courgettes, Cucumber, Eggplant, Fennel, Fresh Herbs, Kale, Kohlrabi, Kumara, Leeks, Lettuce*, Mushrooms, Onions, Parsnips, Potatoes, Pumpkin*, Radishes, Rhubarb, Silverbeet, Spinach, Spring Onions, Sprouted Beans and Seeds, Swedes, Sweetcorn, Tomatoes, Turnips, Watercress.
Fruit: Apples, Blueberries, Feijoas, Honeydew Melon, Kiwifruit (Gold), Limes, Mandarins, Nashi Pears, Nectarines, Passionfruit, Peaches, Pears, Persimmons, Plums, Rock Melon, Watermelon.
Vegetables: Avocado*, Broccoli, Brussel Sprouts, Cabbage (Green)*, Carrots, Cauliflower, Celery, Cucumber, Fennel, Kale, Kohlrabi, Kumara, Leeks, Lettuce*, Mushrooms, Onions, Parsnips, Potatoes, Pumpkin*, Radishes, Rhubarb, Silverbeet, Spinach, Spring Onions, Sprouted Beans and Seeds, Swedes, Tomatoes, Turnips, Watercress, Yams.
Fruit: Feijoas, Grapefruit, Kiwifruit (Gold), Kiwifruit (Green), Lemons, Limes, Mandarins, Oranges (Navel), Passionfruit, Persimmons, Tamarillos.
Vegetables: Artichokes, Asparagus, Avocado*, Beans, Beetroot, Blueberries, Broccoli, Brussel Sprouts, Cabbage (Green)*, Carrots, Cauliflower, Celery, Courgettes, Cucumber, Eggplant, Fresh Herbs, Kale, Kumara, Leeks, Lettuce*, Mushrooms, Onions, Parsnips, Peas, Potatoes, Pumpkin*, Radishes, Silverbeet, Snow Peas, Spinach, Spring Onions, Sprouted Beans and Seeds, Swedes, Tomatoes, Watercress, Yams.
Fruit: Grapefruit, Kiwifruit (Gold), Kiwifruit (Green), Lemons, Oranges (Navel), Strawberries, Tangelos.
Sources:
5+ A Day NZ
Vegetables NZ
Four Corners NZ
