Seasonal shopping

Another tip I always recommend people is to buy products when they are in season. Not only will products be more in demand, they will also be much tastier and cheaper. Buying veggies and fruits which are grown on own soil wont need to be transported as far and long as imported goods. This process ensures that they remain in optimal condition and wont need to be plucked far in advance. It is also more environmental friendly as they don' t need to be transported by boat or containers. Just to provide an example close to my heart; strawberries! When it is a hot, long summer day nothing will be more satisfying than eating a big bowl filled with the rippest, Dutch, intense red strawberries. These are only for sale during the summer months, for the remaining part of the year you often need to settle for Spanish, imported berries. These are usually a lot less juicy and sweet as their Dutch sibling, that is why my rule of thumb is 'Dutch or nuts'. I' d rather enjoy them a bit extra when they are in optimal condition and long for those during the remaining months, so I can savour them somewhat more. Lets face it, you don' t need strawberries during the cold, winter months, not even during Christmas. Have patience and turn to an alternative fruit that is in season during those months, for example stone fruits. Many fruits and vegetables have a number of months a year in which they are readily available. Like mentioned before; stone fruits and cabbage in winter, asparagus in spring, berries in summer and so on. For a good overview I have compiled a list of products which I very much like to cook with and categorized then by availability per month.