Incredible Edible Huddersfield

We in the more privileged nations have become so divorced from food production that it is difficult to remember that vegetables and fruits have a season, and outside of that season they are not available. When you can buy perfect looking strawberries for Christmas lunch it is hard to remember that in Britain this fruit is really not ready for picking until May at the very earliest and by the beginning of October will be finished for the year. Vegetables - and fruit even more so - taste better and have more of the essential vitamins and minerals our bodies need for health if they are picked when they are ready to be picked and eaten as soon afterwards as possible.

Below is a handy table of fruits and vegetables showing when they are available in Britain under normal growing conditions. In the north of the country, you can probably add 2 weeks to the start of the season and subtract 2 weeks from the end of the season. Some vegetables and fruits store well and therefore have a longer availability; this is indicated where applicable.

As you can see from this chart, there are very few months of the year when there are no fresh vegetables available. Look out for more articles on this site with ideas of unusual vegetables that can be grown in Yorkshire during the lean months of the year.