Fall brings cooler temperatures and a bountiful harvest, including:
Apples
Pears
Grapes
Persimmons
Pomegranates
Pumpkins
Sweet potatoes
Broccoli
Kale
Cauliflower
Brussels sprouts
With your fall produce, make a chopped kale salad with your fresh apples and pears, drizzling it with a lemon-tahini dressing. You could also roast Brussels sprouts, grapes, and red onion with a splash of balsamic or stuff roasted pumpkin with black beans, salsa, and avocado.
Winter (December to February)
Texas still shines in winter with hardy greens, cool-season veggies, and bright citrus. In addition to stored crops, many items are harvested fresh during these months:
Cabbage
Collard greens
Spinach
Green onions
Radishes
Beets
Carrots
Turnips
Rutabagas
Celery
Citrus (Rio Grande Valley oranges, grapefruits, and tangerines or satsumas)
Brighten the season with a citrus and fennel salad or simmer a hearty cabbage with carrots and turnips.
Tips for Shopping and Cooking With Texas Seasonal Produce
To fully enjoy your fresh and nutritious seasonal produce, here are some tips for shopping, cooking, and preserving your Texas fruits and veggies:
Consulting Texas Farmers Market Guides
You can find a farmers market near you by checking the Texas Department of Agriculture or LocalHarvest websites to find markets by location and date.
To get the best selection, arrive at your local farmers market early. Bring cash and a cooler to keep your produce insulated and fresh as you browse stalls. This is also a great opportunity to ask growers how they harvest and store their produce, so you can keep your fruits and veggies as fresh as possible.
Subscribing to Community Supported Agriculture (CSA)
When you subscribe to a CSA, you can pick up or get fresh seasonal produce delivered straight to your door throughout the year. All you have to do is pay in advance, providing the farmer with capital for the season, so you get regular produce and other farm products. This makes meal planning and creating balanced meals that much easier. Search LocalHarvest or the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) food directory to find CSA farms near you.
Storing and Preserving Texas Produce
Proper storage and preservation will keep your produce fresher longer and help it retain its nutritional value. Here are some tips:
Keep greens in a towel-lined container.
Bag up and de-top roots like carrots and beets.
Let citrus stay on the counter for a week or refrigerate for longer.
Freeze chopped peppers, blanched greens, and roasted squash.
Quick-pickle cucumbers, okra, and radishes.
Make small-batch jam with berries or figs.
Easy Recipe Ideas for Each Season
Here are a few ways you can cook up and fully enjoy your Texas seasonal produce:
Spring: Strawberries are among the best fruits in season in Texas every spring because you can do so much with them. Enjoy these sweet-tasting berries in sheet cake, cobbler, jams, and preserves, or create refreshing drinks like strawberry lemonade and smoothies. And of course, you can always toss them into salads with arugula, feta, and nuts.
Summer: In the summer months, lean into juicy watermelon, cantaloupe, peaches, and tomatoes. Try a sweet corn salad with lime and herbs, a peach salsa over grilled fish or tofu, or tasty eggplant and squash on the grill.
Fall: Cozy up with apples, pears, pumpkins, sweet potatoes, and hearty greens. Roast your Brussels sprouts with grapes and balsamic or try a pumpkin-black bean chili with creamy cauliflower mash on the side.
Winter: Bright citrus, cabbage, collards, and root veggies define the colder winter months. Add green onions to simmer cabbage, carrots, and turnips in a cozy soup. Better yet, roast beets and carrots with grapefruit for a tasty, balanced meal.
For extra help, a Registered Dietitian Nutritionist can also tailor a seasonal meal prep guide that fits your goals and budget, making the process simpler and quicker than ever.
Enjoy Balanced Seasonal Eating in Texas
Seasonal eating in Texas means fresher flavor, more nutrients, fewer food miles, and stronger local farms — all wins for you, your wallet, and community.
Ready to put this guide into action? Start by trying one new fruit or vegetable each week, visiting a nearby farmers market, or subscribing to a CSA. Doherty Nutrition can help you plan effortless, budget‑friendly meals around what’s in season, optimize storage to reduce waste, and build shopping lists that fit your goals.
We are excited to offer in-person and virtual nutrition counseling across Texas. To get started, book a personalized consultation today.
