Buy Local & In-Season

I try to buy local & in-season vegetables and fruits as much as possible. They sometimes cost more than out-of-state produce, but they just taste better (& last longer in my fridge).

Other benefits of buying local are NUMEROUS. To list a few;

* Less environment impacts - transportation, packaging, etc.

* Less preservatives.

* Support local economy.

* Promote self-sufficiency - this is especially important for isolated islands like Hawaii.

So what's in season in Hawaii this month?



Vegetables & Fruits in PEAK Availability

FRUITS

* Mango

* Orange

* Papaya

* Pineapple

* Strawberry

VEGETABLES

* Beans

* Bittermelon

* Chinese Cabbage

* Head Cabbage

* Celery

* Sweet Corn

* Cucumber

* Eggplant

* Ginger Root

* Heart of Palms

* Leaf Lettuce

* Mushroom

* Onion

* Parsley

* Green Pepper

* Sprouts

* Sweet potatoes

* Taro

Source: Buy Fresh * Buy Local by College of Tropical Agriculture and Human Resources, University of Hawaii at Manoa.

* For a complete chart of Hawaii Seasonality, download this wonderful poster.

Where can we find local vegetables & fruits?;

* Supermarkets - look for labels such as "Island Fresh," "Buy Local," etc. The best supermarket to find local (& organic) produces is Whole Foods.

* China Town - the price there is normally the best, but a little hard to find out where each produce is from. Look for hints on cardboard boxes the produces are in... You can also ask sales people... 

* Framer's Markets - Refer to a list of Farmer's Market in Oahu, Big Island, Kauai, Maui. My favorite is KCC Farmer's Market - a wonderful selection of vegetables, fruits, meat, honey, snacks, flowers and more. Another farmer's market is opening in Haleiwa on 4/5. Also, Mayor Hannemann also proposes opening "a premier farmers market" at the Blaisdell Center parking lot - I totally support his proposal!!

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UPDATE: www.epicurious.com has a wonderful map that shows what's in season for each state in the US. Thank you, Lissa



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