Seasonal Calendar: Fruit and Vegetables in Turkey, Month by Month

Have you ever compared a July tomato with one bought in January? One smells of sunshine; the other tastes watered down. Produce grown in its own season is tastier and cheaper, and because it often comes from nearby, it is fresher too. In this guide you'll find a month-by-month seasonal calendar for Turkey.

Before you read the calendar

Turkey is a large country and its climate varies enormously from region to region. A fruit that ripens in early May around Antalya may arrive a month or two later in Eastern Anatolia. Thanks to greenhouses, many items are also available all year. The list below roughly shows when open-field produce is most plentiful and most delicious at the markets. Don't be shy about asking your greengrocer whether something is field-grown.

Winter

January

• Fruit: Oranges, mandarins, grapefruit, lemons, kiwis, apples, pears
• Vegetables: Leeks, cabbage, cauliflower, broccoli, spinach, celeriac, carrots, radishes, chard

February

• Fruit: Oranges, mandarins, grapefruit, lemons, kiwis, apples
• Vegetables: Leeks, spinach, cabbage, cauliflower, celeriac, carrots, radishes, rocket, cress

December

• Fruit: Oranges, mandarins, grapefruit, lemons, kiwis, apples, pears, pomegranates
• Vegetables: Leeks, black cabbage, white cabbage, cauliflower, broccoli, spinach, celeriac, carrots, radishes

Winter is the season of citrus and root vegetables. Leeks braised in olive oil, celeriac, fried cauliflower and freshly squeezed orange juice are the stars of these months.

Spring

March

• Fruit: Oranges, lemons, kiwis, apples
• Vegetables: Spinach, lettuce, rocket, spring onions, green garlic, radishes, the first artichokes

April

• Fruit: Green almonds, sour green plums, and the first strawberries in warmer regions
• Vegetables: Artichokes, broad beans, fresh peas, asparagus, lettuce, spinach, spring onions, wild greens such as mallow

May

• Fruit: Strawberries, loquats, green plums, the first cherries at the end of the month
• Vegetables: Artichokes, broad beans, peas, green beans, purslane, the first courgettes, vine leaves

Spring is the season of green. Broad bean and artichoke seasons are short, so don't miss them. Fresh vine leaves picked in late May are at their most tender for stuffing.

Summer

June

• Fruit: Cherries, sour cherries, apricots, mulberries, the first peaches, the first watermelons and melons
• Vegetables: Green beans, courgettes, cucumbers, tomatoes, peppers, the first aubergines, purslane

July

• Fruit: Watermelon, melon, peaches, apricots, plums, blackberries, the first grapes and figs
• Vegetables: Tomatoes, peppers, aubergines, courgettes, okra, sweetcorn, black-eyed beans

August

• Fruit: Figs, grapes, watermelon, melon, peaches, plums, the first pears
• Vegetables: Tomatoes, peppers, aubergines, okra, sweetcorn, fresh borlotti beans, courgettes

Summer is the time of plenty. Winter stores such as tomato and pepper paste, dried peppers and aubergines, and roasted vegetables for the freezer are made now. August, when tomatoes are cheapest and most fragrant, is the best time for paste and sauce.

Autumn

September

• Fruit: Grapes, figs, apples, pears, the first pomegranates and quinces
• Vegetables: Tomatoes, peppers, aubergines, okra, sweetcorn, courgettes, the first pumpkins

October

• Fruit: Pomegranates, quinces, apples, pears, persimmons, chestnuts, the first mandarins
• Vegetables: Leeks, spinach, cauliflower, cabbage, pumpkin, celeriac, mushrooms

November

• Fruit: Mandarins, oranges, pomegranates, quinces, persimmons, kiwis, chestnuts
• Vegetables: Leeks, spinach, black cabbage, cauliflower, broccoli, pumpkin, carrots, celeriac, radishes

Autumn is when the last of summer's bounty meets the first winter vegetables. Poached quince, candied pumpkin, salads with pomegranate molasses and roasted chestnuts fill the tables of this season.

Making the most of the season

• Preserve when there's plenty: Turn summer tomatoes into paste or sauce, pit and freeze cherries and sour cherries, dry apricots.
• Watch the market: When the price of something suddenly drops, it is probably in full season.
• Let the market write the menu: Instead of shopping for a recipe, choose a recipe for whatever looks best at the market.
• Be patient with early produce: The first arrivals of the season are expensive and often less flavourful. Waiting a few weeks pays off for both wallet and palate.

Final word

Pin this calendar up somewhere in your kitchen. Before long you won't need it: as soon as you walk into the market, the stalls will tell you what month it is.