Seasonal › Fall
What’s in Season – October Produce and Recipes
By Samira Kazan
published October 01, 2024
The weather’s cool and crisp, the colors have changed to a gorgeous red and gold – and October seasonal produce is all about hearty ingredients to warm you up from the inside.
Fall time is a time to be cozy, a time to be warm. And that sentiment shouldn’t just apply to our throw blankets and sweaters. October seasonal food focuses on that unique fuzzy feeling that short days and long nights bring, with recipes that focus on hearty, filling dishes that make the best of saved produce from the spring and summer, as well as the highlights of the season.
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- Fruit
- Squash
- Brassica Vegetable
- Root Vegetables
- More seasonal produce guides
Fruit
Apple : A staple best used for desserts (like this apple crisp recipe ), applesauce , and hot apple cider , apples are perhaps the most versatile of fruits in season in October. You can also dehydrate apple slices to keep them for longer or incorporate fresh apples into your salads (like this broccoli apple salad ). Look out for the varieties Zari, Cox, Pippin, Russet, Rubens, and McIntosh.
Apple Juice (With and Without Juicer)
Pears : Pears are perhaps the best fruits in season in October. You can use them to fill out desserts if you’re low on apples – they add a wonderfully unique flavor. Or you can serve slices alongside cheese as part of a cheese board .
Squash
Butternut squash: With its unique shape and vibrant orange flesh, butternut squash is the most common winter squash. It’s great in warming October recipes like ginger and squash soup , vegan mac and cheese , and a showstopping stuffed butternut squash .
Best Soup Recipes: Simple Butternut Squash Soup
Kabocha squash: Also known as “Japanese pumpkin”, kabocha squash is squat, round, and has a beautiful deep green exterior and vibrant yellow insides. Some like to enjoy kabocha squash simply roasted in the oven and sprinkled with cinnamon. But you can also make crispy fried squash or use it instead of roasted acorn squash .
Pumpkin: The King of October Vegetables (that might actually be fruit), pumpkins come into season just in time for Halloween and Thanksgiving. If you’ve got leftovers after carving, use them to make pumpkin hummus , pumpkin soup , pumpkin pie , or a veggie-friendly pumpkin and beans burger .
Turmeric and Ginger Spiced Pumpkin Soup
Brassica Vegetable
Swiss chard: With a slightly bitter flavor and leafy greens, Swiss chard approaches the end of its season in October. Use it as you would any dark, leafy green in salads and sandwiches. Or try sautéing chard or using the leaves to make Swiss chard rolls or lentil soup .
Vegan Stuffed Swiss Chard Leaves
Root Vegetables
Celeriac : Otherwise known as celery root, celeriac is best when cooked and transformed into different dishes. Add it into soups, use it as an alternative to mashed potato, or pair it with other root vegetables to make stews and casseroles.
Ginger: There’s a reason health fanatics celebrate this little root—and it’s because its so good for you! Used for centuries in holistic medicine, ginger is a great tool to fight common colds. Whether you buy it raw or already prepped, try using it to make ginger shots , ginger marmalade , ginger ale , ginger tea , or ginger syrup .
Japanese Ginger Salad Dressing (Restaurant Style)
Parsnips: Most enjoyed roasted in a bit of oil, parsnips make great plate companions with potatoes. You can use them as you would a potato – mash them, oven-roast parsnips , make parsnip soup , or fry them. You can also add them to vegetable stock or a vegetarian Wellington .
