There is no bigger relief in the summer than when the calendar turns to August 1. For me, July is the February of summer. The heat is as inescapable as the drone of window air conditioners, especially in a city like Boston, where most places are too old to have Central Air. But unlike in February — when everything is dormant — there are rewards for July’s oppressive heat.

If you haven’t been to a local farmer’s market yet this summer, make time to go in August. Not only will there be the end of July’s harvest still trickling through, but there is a long list of now in-season fruits and vegetables that will be starting to make their market debut.

The Benefits of Following Food Seasons

Food seasonality can feel like an old-fashioned ideal to live by. But before you write it off as some performative hipster trend, there are actually some benefits to buying foods during peak harvest time. 

For starters, once produce is harvested, fruits and vegetables begin losing nutritional value. If fresh foods are stored for long periods of time, like the time it takes to ship out-of-season fruits and vegetables to your grocery store, produce begins getting more expensive and less rich in Vitamin C and other antioxidants. Chilling fruits and vegetables for transportation or storage will also mute their flavors. 

Transportation isn’t the only part of the process that has a negative impact on the environment, either. When foods are grown out of season, growers have to use ripening agents — chemicals, gasses, and heat processes — to get fruits and vegetables to override their natural rhythms. These mass-produced fruits and vegetables can also be genetically engineered to look uniform, with taste and nutritional value being sacrificed for the aesthetic. 

Summer Fruits and Vegetables Still in Season 

Just because the calendar changed doesn’t mean plants suddenly stopped growing. Many fruits and vegetables that growers are able to harvest at the beginning of the summer may continue to yield crops into July.

You’ll see many familiar leafy greens, for instance. Chard, lettuce, and kale can begin showing up in markets as early as May or June and will continue to be available into autumn.

Plus, many fruits and vegetables that were started to be harvested in July continue to flourish, or even hit their stride, in the month of August, like cucumber, broccoli, tomatoes, corn, and peppers. You’ll also find:

• blueberries

• raspberries

• peaches

• apples

• garlic

• herbs (mint, basil, cilantro, etc)

• potatoes

• summer squash

• zucchini

August Produce in New England

Besides the fruits and vegetables that overlap months, August yields delicious new additions to the table. Blackberries, for instance, are now in season, as well as grapes, pears, plums, and watermelons. Sweet peaches, too, reach their peak in August.

Pro tip: Add peach slices to smoked chicken and gouda panini for a sweet addition to a savory dish. Caprese Salad lovers can add peach slices to their tomato, burrata, and basil.

In terms of vegetables, green beans, beets, cauliflower, celery, onions, potatoes, radishes, and sweet potatoes will soon arrive at a New England farmer’s market near you.