The 57 things in the Typed food library at their best in October — cheapest, most local, and grown outdoors rather than under glass or shipped. These are open-ground growing seasons for the northern hemisphere; in the southern hemisphere read this page as April.
New this month
Not in season in September, in season now.
Last month for these
Gone by November.
Everything in season in October
- Acorn SquashAcorn squash looks plain, but one cooked cup gives you more potassium than a banana, plenty of fiber, and a good hit of vitamin C.
- AppleMost of its fibre, and a notable antioxidant, live in the skin.
- BananaA practical potassium source — tablets are capped far lower for safety.
- BeetrootRaw, baked, boiled or canned — the cooking method changes this vegetable more than most.
- Bell PeppersContains more vitamin C per serving than an orange does.
- BlackberriesOne of the few fruits with enough vitamin K that it matters for anyone on blood thinners.
- Bok ChoyBok choy is a crunchy, low-calorie green that quietly packs a lot of bone-friendly vitamin K and immune-supporting vitamin C.
- BroccoliContains something no supplement quite copies — and it depends how you cook it.
- BroccoliniBroccolini is a friendly veggie hybrid with crunchy stems and a mild taste, and it packs a big dose of vitamin C and vitamin K into every bite.
- Brussels SproutsOne of the most concentrated vitamin K sources in the produce aisle.
- Butternut SquashButternut squash's orange color is basically a vitamin A signal, but your body only turns as much of it into usable vitamin A as it needs, and cooking plus a little fat helps that process along.
- CabbageAn underrated vitamin C source, and the raw material for sauerkraut and kimchi.
- CapsicumGreen capsicums are just unripe red ones — and ripening is what builds the vitamin C and colour.
- CarrotsCooking actually makes its signature nutrient easier to absorb.
- CauliflowerBroccoli’s milder cousin, with a gentler version of the same compounds.
- CeleriacCeleriac looks like a dirt-covered brain, but it's really celery's underground cousin — and it's loaded with vitamin K, potassium, and fiber.
- CeleryFamous for being low-calorie, but the real story is fibre and potassium.
- Chayote SquashChayote is basically water with a crunch, but it quietly delivers a solid dose of folate.
- ChilliGreen chillies are just unripe red ones, and ripening is what builds up the colour and the vitamins.
- Chinese Broccoli (Gai Lan)Chinese broccoli looks like a leafy stem vegetable, but it packs a serious punch of vitamins A, C, and K into very few calories.
- CranberriesCranberries are tart, low-sugar berries packed with vitamin C and fiber, and a natural compound that keeps bad bacteria from clinging to your bladder.
- Davidson PlumA very tart native plum, rich in vitamin C and deep purple plant pigments.
- EggplantEggplant isn't a dangerous nightshade -- it's a low-calorie veggie with real fiber, and its purple skin holds most of the good stuff.
- FennelCrunchy raw fennel is a low-calorie veggie that can calm an upset stomach while giving you vitamin C and potassium.
- FigsOne of the few fruits with a real calcium contribution, especially dried.
- Garlic (Fresh)The compound behind its reputation only forms once you crush or chop it.
- GrapeThe different colours are mostly a difference in pigment, not in sugar.
- GrapesContains resveratrol — the same compound sold as a standalone supplement.
- KaleA calcium source your body genuinely absorbs, unlike spinach’s.
- LeeksA milder relative of onion and garlic, with its own prebiotic fibre.
- LimeA lime won't make your body "alkaline" or flush out toxins — but it is a real, small source of vitamin C.
- MushroomsOne of the only foods that can still make vitamin D after being picked.
- Napa CabbageNapa cabbage is a light, crunchy vegetable that gives you vitamin C for your immune system and vitamin K for strong bones — for almost no calories.
- Nashi Pear (Asian Pear)A crisp, juicy fruit that’s mostly water and a little fibre and natural sugar.
- OnionsA prebiotic fibre source that feeds gut bacteria much like an inulin supplement.
- PapayaContains a digestive enzyme, plus one of the highest vitamin C counts of any fruit.
- ParsnipParsnips look like pale carrots but pack more fiber and folate per bite than most root vegetables, and cooking them is completely safe.
- PearOne of the higher-fibre fruits, most of it in a form that slows digestion.
- PersimmonPersimmons are a sweet, vitamin-rich fall fruit -- but eating a lot of unripe ones on an empty stomach can actually cause a real stomach problem.
- PlumPrunes aren't just an old home remedy -- real science backs them up for keeping you regular and for helping keep bones strong.
- PomegranateOne of the most compound-dense fruits — much of it from the peel and pith.
- Prickly PearA cactus fruit that’s mostly water and fiber, with a solid dose of vitamin C.
- PumpkinPumpkin's bright orange color is basically edible sunshine for your eyes and immune system.
- QuinceQuince looks like a bumpy pear, but you almost always have to cook it before eating — raw, it's rock-hard and mouth-puckering.
- Red CabbageRed cabbage is green cabbage with a superpower: the purple pigment that gives it color is also a strong antioxidant, and that same pigment changes color when it touches something acidic or basic.
- RocketRocket is in the mustard family, not the lettuce family, and that is where the peppery taste comes from.
- Scallions (Green Onions)A few tablespoons of chopped scallions can give you more vitamin K than you'd expect from a simple garnish.
- Silverbeet (Swiss Chard)A leafy green packed with vitamin A, plus iron and folate.
- Spaghetti SquashSpaghetti squash turns into noodle-like strands when you cook it, and it's mostly water -- so you get a big, filling plate for very few calories.
- SpinachThe Popeye story about spinach and iron is not quite true.
- SquashA summer squash, picked young — which is why it is watery and mild rather than sweet and starchy like a pumpkin.
- SwedeA mild, low-calorie root vegetable that's a genuine vitamin C source, related to cabbage more than to potatoes.
- Sweet PotatoCooking it, and adding a little fat, both genuinely improve what you absorb.
- Swiss ChardOne cup of cooked Swiss chard packs a huge dose of vitamin K — great for most people, but something to watch closely if you take blood thinners like warfarin.
- TomatoesOne of the few foods where cooking increases what you get from it.
- TurnipTurnips are a low-calorie root packed with vitamin C, and their leafy tops are even more nutritious than the root itself.
- UV-Exposed MushroomsMore vitamin D than salmon, from a fungus that made it out of sunlight.
A season says when something is at its best, not what is on the shelf. Almost all of this is available all year through glasshouses, controlled-atmosphere storage and imports — the season is the thing the price tag hides.
Other months