When produce is actually in season: a month-by-month calendar
"In season" gets used loosely. Below is the actual month-by-month peak calendar SeasonSort runs on — the same data that decides whether an item shows as peak, in season, or out on the site. It covers the 51 fruits and vegetables we track against USDA retail prices.
What "peak" means here
We track two windows for every item:
- Peak — when the item is at its local-harvest best. This is when quality is highest and, usually, when price is lowest.
- Season — the broader window when it's genuinely available from regional growing, which extends past peak on both ends.
Plenty of items are sold all twelve months thanks to storage and imports. Those aren't "out of season" at the store — they're just never at local peak. We list them separately below.
The calendar
Months are shown by peak. If a month looks sparse, that's honest — not everything peaks in February.
| Month | At peak |
|---|---|
| January | Oranges, Grapefruit |
| February | Oranges, Grapefruit |
| March | Spinach, Asparagus, Pineapple, Oranges, Grapefruit |
| April | Spinach, Asparagus, Strawberries, Pineapple, Oranges, Grapefruit |
| May | Cucumbers, Lettuce, Spinach, Asparagus, Apricots, Strawberries, Pineapple, Mangoes, Limes |
| June | Sweet Corn, Cucumbers, Zucchini, Yellow Squash, Green Beans, Tomatoes, Beets, Lettuce, Spinach, Asparagus, Peaches, Nectarines, Plums, Cherries, Apricots, Cantaloupe, Honeydew, Watermelon, Blueberries, Strawberries, Raspberries, Blackberries, Pineapple, Mangoes, Limes |
| July | Sweet Corn, Cucumbers, Zucchini, Yellow Squash, Green Beans, Tomatoes, Bell Peppers, Jalapeño Peppers, Beets, Lettuce, Eggplant, Peaches, Nectarines, Plums, Cherries, Apricots, Cantaloupe, Honeydew, Watermelon, Blueberries, Raspberries, Blackberries, Pineapple, Mangoes, Limes |
| August | Sweet Corn, Cucumbers, Zucchini, Yellow Squash, Green Beans, Tomatoes, Bell Peppers, Jalapeño Peppers, Beets, Onions, Lettuce, Eggplant, Peaches, Nectarines, Plums, Cantaloupe, Honeydew, Watermelon, Blueberries, Raspberries, Blackberries, Grapes, Pears, Mangoes, Limes |
| Septembernow | Sweet Corn, Cucumbers, Zucchini, Yellow Squash, Green Beans, Tomatoes, Bell Peppers, Jalapeño Peppers, Potatoes, Sweet Potatoes, Carrots, Beets, Onions, Cauliflower, Brussels Sprouts, Lettuce, Eggplant, Peaches, Nectarines, Plums, Cantaloupe, Honeydew, Watermelon, Raspberries, Grapes, Apples, Pears, Limes |
| October | Tomatoes, Bell Peppers, Potatoes, Sweet Potatoes, Carrots, Beets, Onions, Broccoli, Cauliflower, Cabbage, Brussels Sprouts, Kale, Eggplant, Grapes, Apples, Pears, Limes |
| November | Potatoes, Sweet Potatoes, Carrots, Broccoli, Cauliflower, Cabbage, Brussels Sprouts, Kale, Apples, Pears, Kiwifruit, Clementines, Tangerines |
| December | Sweet Potatoes, Broccoli, Cabbage, Brussels Sprouts, Kale, Kiwifruit, Clementines, Tangerines |
Available year-round
These are in the stores every month (storage crops, imports, or both), so they never show a seasonal peak spike:
Garlic · Mushrooms · Celery · Avocados · Bananas · Lemons
Your region shifts the calendar
A calendar like this is a national average, and that's its weakness. Warmer southern regions start earlier and run later — so SeasonSort widens the window by about a month for the Southeast, South Central, and Southwest. It's why a blueberry can read "in season" in the Southeast and "out" in the Midwest during the same October week. Pick your region on the site and the labels adjust.
Why "in season" and "cheap" aren't the same thing
This is the part most seasonality charts skip. Peak season pushes price down, but it isn't the only force:
- Promotions beat seasons. A store running a loss-leader ad on an out-of-season item will beat an in-season item nobody advertised. Our prices come from advertised specials, so you see this constantly.
- Imports flatten the curve. Year-round supply from other hemispheres means some items barely move with the US calendar.
- Storage crops hold. Potatoes, onions, and apples stay cheap long after harvest.
- Weather spikes. A freeze or a drought can make a peak-season item expensive anyway.
That's the whole reason SeasonSort shows this week's actual prices next to the season label instead of just publishing a calendar. Use the calendar to know what should be good; use the weekly prices to know what actually is.
Questions or a correction? Get in touch. More on our data sources in About.