If you do most of your grocery shopping at a supermarket, you’ve probably noticed that some types of produce are available year-round, while others just make occasional appearances. Pomegranates, for example, as opposed to all season fruits like apples and bananas. Are you looking for a list of fruits that are always in season? Then read on!
1. Oranges
While blood oranges and clementines only show up once a year, standard oranges almost always in season. These used to be so rare and precious that they were treated as special treasures in Christmas stockings. Now, since they’re grown in warm climates around the world all year, we can count on oranges (and orange juice!) to be found easily every time we go for a grocery run.
2. Lemons
Just like oranges, these tart, juicy citrus fruits are never missing from supermarket shelves. Most of the lemons found in North American stores come from the southern USA, Argentina, or Brazil, while European markets feature lemons grown in Spain, Italy, and Turkey.
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3. Blueberries
If you could go back in time and tell your grandparents that they could eat fresh blueberries in the middle of winter, they would have laughed and called you crazy. And yet, we can find these fruits year-round. This is because when it’s wintertime in the northern hemisphere, blueberries are thriving in South American countries like Peru and Uruguay, and are then shipped all over the continent.
4. Apples
How sad would all of us be without crunchy, delicious apples on our table year-round? These are almost always available, though different varieties peak at different times. Although many apple varieties are grown in the United States and Canada, those you find in wintertime were likely grown in China, India, or Chile.
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5. Bananas
Do you remember the last time you visited a grocery store and didn’t find bananas? They’re pretty ubiquitous, and understandably so. These are top exports from many South American countries, including Peru, Nicaragua, Honduras, and Colombia. Thankfully, these potassium-rich fruits thrive in those locales, so there shouldn’t be a banana shortage on our tables any time soon.
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6. Avocados
Plant-based diets would be far less exciting without these luscious superfoods! Avocados have become staple foods worldwide, especially because they’re an amazing source of beneficial, healthy fats. Most of the ones we see grow in Mexico, but they’re exported out of the Dominican Republic and Peru as well. Does that mean we can still have guacamole in January? Absolutely!
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7. Grapes
Much like apples, different grapes are grown at different times of the year. Of course, that just means that although they’re all-season fruits, their availability might shift slightly from one month to another. The grapes found in North American grocery stores are from California. The ones available to us in late winter, however, usually come from Chile and Argentina.
8. Strawberries
Thanks to growing initiatives around the world, we can enjoy fresh, luscious strawberries in the dead of February, as well as in June. These beauties are cultivated in California and Mexico’s warmest regions. Spain, Turkey, and Egypt also grow them for export. As a result, there’s always someplace where strawberries are at peak production, which means others get to enjoy them worldwide.
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9. Grapefruit
It’s funny to think of grapefruit as a happy accident, but that’s exactly how this species came about. Pomelos and sweet oranges were brought to Barbados from Asia in the 1600s, and boom! They cross-bred into the popular breakfast citrus so many of us know and love. Thanks to optimal growing conditions in China, the USA, Vietnam, and Mexico, we can revel in these beauties every morning of the year.
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10. Tomatoes
Yes, we’re still coming to grips with the idea that our favorite pasta sauce base and salad topping is a fruit instead of a vegetable, and that’s okay. Tomatoes are always in season because there’s such an incredible demand for them around the globe. That’s why people cultivate them greenhouses and hydroponic labs from Iceland to New Zealand, rain or shine, sun or snow.
Although many of these fruits are favorites of ours, it’s important to remember the environmental impact of exporting them. Eating local, seasonal produce isn’t just healthy for our bodies: it helps the world around us by cutting down on carbon emissions.
That doesn’t mean that we can’t enjoy a bowl of strawberries and cream for New Years’ breakfast! We can just all strive to do our small part by eating as consciously and ethically as possible.
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