Though pumpkins often take the spotlight, we feel that apples deserve just as much recognition. From Granny Smith to Fuji, several delicious apple varieties reach their peak harvesting season in the fall. With flavors ranging from tart to sweet, apples can be added to countless recipes to boost the meal's flavor and nutritional value. Purchase apples at your local grocery store, or do the picking yourself and head to the closet orchard. This is one ingredient you'll want to have on hand all season long.
Cranberries take fame in many fall recipes. From jam to baked desserts, cranberries offer a sweet and tangy flavor that can't be matched. Commonly harvested in mid-September, fresh cranberries hold an extremely sour and distinct taste.While this tart flavor might be too much for one to handle on its own, cranberries offer the perfect balance when paired with sweet desserts and savory side dishes.
Most commonly known for its deep purple skin, eggplant is a spongy vegetable that can be enjoyed as the main course, worked into a side dish, or used as an alternative to meat in vegan and vegetarian recipes. Reaching their peak harvesting season in the fall, you'll likely see store shelves start to fill up with this hearty vegetable in early August.
No fall produce list would be complete without mentioning pumpkin. While pumpkin is often used as a fall decoration and carving tool, this nutrient-packed squash can be turned into countless sweet and savory dishes. Offering a subtle nutty flavor, pumpkin can be baked into everything from bread to risotto. When choosing a pumpkin for cooking purposes, we recommend steering clear of the massive carving pumpkins. Instead, purchase a sugar pumpkin, as this variety is much better for baking. If you're having trouble finding sugar pumpkins at your local store, canned pumpkin can be used as a direct replacement in nearly every recipe.
Offering up the same festive colors of pumpkin, sweet potato is another seasonal orange veggie you can indulge in during the fall. With their peak harvesting season starting in October, the sweet potatoes you'll begin to see on shelves will likely be much larger than previous months. Their rich, starchy taste makes them a staple in many fall dessert recipes.
