September

The 72 things in the Typed food library at their best in September — 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 March.

New this month

Not in season in August, in season now.

• AppleMost of its fibre, and a notable antioxidant, live in the skin.
• Bok ChoyBok choy is a crunchy, low-calorie green that quietly packs a lot of bone-friendly vitamin K and immune-supporting vitamin C.
• CabbageAn underrated vitamin C source, and the raw material for sauerkraut and kimchi.
• 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.
• 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.
• 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.
• 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.
• 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.
• 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.
• 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.

Last month for these

Gone by October.

• BlueberriesA mixture of hundreds of antioxidant compounds no single pill copies.
• CucumberMostly water by weight — which is exactly the point of it.
• WatermelonThe original natural source of citrulline — the same compound in the supplements.
• ZucchiniMild and mostly water, but a real source of potassium and gut-friendly fibre.
• CornPart vegetable, part grain — and one of the best food sources of the eye pigments.
• PeachA solid source of vitamins A and C together, both tied to skin health.
• RaspberriesUnusually high in fibre for a fruit, and worth separating from the “raspberry ketone” pill sold under its name.
• RadishRadishes are mostly water and crunch, but that spicy bite is doing real work in your body.
• ArtichokeArtichokes are a fiber-packed flower bud that feeds your gut bacteria and gives your liver a gentle nudge to make more bile for digesting fat.
• Romaine LettuceRomaine is mostly water and crunch, but it packs a real dose of vitamin K and vitamin A into very few calories.
• WatercressWatercress is a peppery little green that punches way above its weight -- basically a multivitamin with crunch.
• Green BeansGreen beans are a crunchy veggie that gives you fiber, vitamin C, and a bone-friendly vitamin called K — just make sure they're cooked, not raw.
• Daikon RadishDaikon is a crunchy, watery radish that's low in calories but surprisingly high in vitamin C, and its natural enzymes may give your stomach a small hand with starchy food.
• Iceberg LettuceIceberg lettuce isn't "just crunchy water" - it's mostly water, but that water comes packaged with real vitamin K.
• Bitter MelonBitter melon is a super low-calorie vegetable packed with vitamin C, and some studies show it can gently help lower blood sugar, but it's not a magic diabetes cure.
• CantaloupeCantaloupe is mostly water and natural sugar, but it still packs a real dose of vitamin C and vitamin A into every juicy bite.
• Honeydew MelonHoneydew is basically nature's flavored water — light, hydrating, and still packed with real vitamin C and potassium.
• NectarineThe peach-plum-cross story about nectarines isn't true — it's just a peach without the fuzz.
• MelonAll melons are mostly water. The colour of the flesh tells you what else is in there.
• SweetcornA vegetable that is really a grain, and one of the few good sources of the pigment that concentrates in the back of the eye.
• LettuceNearly all water — but the darker the leaf, the more it actually gives you.

Everything in season in September

• 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.
• ArtichokeArtichokes are a fiber-packed flower bud that feeds your gut bacteria and gives your liver a gentle nudge to make more bile for digesting fat.
• 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.
• Bitter MelonBitter melon is a super low-calorie vegetable packed with vitamin C, and some studies show it can gently help lower blood sugar, but it's not a magic diabetes cure.
• BlackberriesOne of the few fruits with enough vitamin K that it matters for anyone on blood thinners.
• BlueberriesA mixture of hundreds of antioxidant compounds no single pill copies.
• 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.
• 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.
• CantaloupeCantaloupe is mostly water and natural sugar, but it still packs a real dose of vitamin C and vitamin A into every juicy bite.
• 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.
• CornPart vegetable, part grain — and one of the best food sources of the eye pigments.
• CucumberMostly water by weight — which is exactly the point of it.
• Daikon RadishDaikon is a crunchy, watery radish that's low in calories but surprisingly high in vitamin C, and its natural enzymes may give your stomach a small hand with starchy food.
• 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.
• Green BeansGreen beans are a crunchy veggie that gives you fiber, vitamin C, and a bone-friendly vitamin called K — just make sure they're cooked, not raw.
• Honeydew MelonHoneydew is basically nature's flavored water — light, hydrating, and still packed with real vitamin C and potassium.
• Iceberg LettuceIceberg lettuce isn't "just crunchy water" - it's mostly water, but that water comes packaged with real vitamin K.
• LeeksA milder relative of onion and garlic, with its own prebiotic fibre.
• LettuceNearly all water — but the darker the leaf, the more it actually gives you.
• LimeA lime won't make your body "alkaline" or flush out toxins — but it is a real, small source of vitamin C.
• MelonAll melons are mostly water. The colour of the flesh tells you what else is in there.
• 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.
• NectarineThe peach-plum-cross story about nectarines isn't true — it's just a peach without the fuzz.
• 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.
• PeachA solid source of vitamins A and C together, both tied to skin health.
• PearOne of the higher-fibre fruits, most of it in a form that slows digestion.
• PlumPrunes aren't just an old home remedy -- real science backs them up for keeping you regular and for helping keep bones strong.
• 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.
• RadishRadishes are mostly water and crunch, but that spicy bite is doing real work in your body.
• RaspberriesUnusually high in fibre for a fruit, and worth separating from the “raspberry ketone” pill sold under its name.
• 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.
• Romaine LettuceRomaine is mostly water and crunch, but it packs a real dose of vitamin K and vitamin A into very few calories.
• 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.
• SweetcornA vegetable that is really a grain, and one of the few good sources of the pigment that concentrates in the back of the eye.
• 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.
• WatercressWatercress is a peppery little green that punches way above its weight -- basically a multivitamin with crunch.
• WatermelonThe original natural source of citrulline — the same compound in the supplements.
• ZucchiniMild and mostly water, but a real source of potassium and gut-friendly fibre.

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