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Why
are there less stalls at the farmers' market some months?
It's obvious when you think about it but
if you're buying fresh local food you have to keep an eye on the
seasons. Fruit and veg in particular are seasonal (check our seasonal
availability of fruit and vegetables chart). So is some meat, like lamb
for instance, although beef and pork are available pretty much year
round.
Over the past twenty years we've all been confused by the the supermarkets
that buy food from around the world. Apples are always in season
somewhere and they're always in your local superstore -
but in this country they're mainly
an
autumn fruit and that's when you'll find them at the farmers' market.
There are a range of ways growers extend the seasons by using glass
houses or poly-tunnels to protect from colder weather or using uncommon
varieties
or unusual crops.
There is also the option of processing food and storing
it, or buying fresh in peak season when
it's cheap and freezing it.
But in the end fresh food tastes best and that means being a bit more creative with your cooking and adapting to what's
available. To help with this we've compiled a collection of seasonal
recipes. Get more advice on cooking seasonally
in "Get Cooking Local".
And it's not as bad as it sounds! Many people think that eating seasonal
food is far healthier for you. After all we've evolved over generations
eating whatever is available in season. And it's also delicious! Biting into a crisp Discovery apple at the end of August, a perfectly ripe strawberry in mid-June, and roasted parsnips on an early winters' evening - eating seasonally is a wonderful way to reconnect with the seasons and your local landscape, as well as benefiting the global environment.
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