My nonna explained to me the importance of eating produce in its appropriate season. We eat zucchini in summer, she explained, because that’s when it’s best. Artichokes, in the fall, have no place. And while canning and preserving are convenient temporal loopholes, a genuine commitment to a seasonal diet takes work. There’s the money, the cravings for foods at inopportune times, and then there’s the knowledge. Understanding and keeping track of what’s in season and what’s not can be tricky and time-consuming.
But stress no more because a new app can help you track what’s in season across the country. The Seasonal Food Guide App is a handy guide to what produce you should be eating, based on the time of year and your geography.
As I sit at my desk in the Food52 offices in New York, the app clues me into my available seasonal options. I’ve got apples, arugula, basil, beets, blackberries, blueberries, bok choy and broccoli to pick from, just to name a few. That’s more than enough to make a hearty late summer dinner, and now I know what to grab at the farmer’s market on my way home. (Sure, you could just as easily Google this information, but we're people on the go, aren't we?) Plus, you can set reminders to alert you when preferred produce comes back in season.
Brought to us by the Seasonal Food Guide, an online database for all things seasonal, and the Grace Communications Foundation, this app is key for anyone who doesn’t have a nonna with an encyclopedic food knowledge as a resource.
Does this app sound helpful to you? Download it, and let us know how it goes in the comments.
Written by: Valerio Farris
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