What’s in Season in October

Harvest is here, and along with it, some of the best seasonal fruits and vegetables of the year. What’s in season in October is a sampling of both summer and fall favorites. See what fruits and veggies are at their freshest and most affordable, then discover how to add these seasonal produce stars to your fall menu.

 

The beautiful few weeks when summer slowly drifts into fall might just be my favorite time of year to cook. Why? Beyond being peak sweater weather, it’s because what’s in season in October is a cornucopia of both seasons’ best, including late-season berries, stone fruit, and tomatoes and early winter squash and prime time corn. Does anyone else notice their stomach growling?!

If you stock up on seasonal fruits and vegetables like those listed below in my guide to what’s in season in October, you’ll save money and add flavor to your meals and snacks. While something shipped can be shipped to your supermarket from hundreds or thousands of miles away, these in-season ingredients are so much fresher as well as more affordable. (To save even more dough, dig in and grow your own!)

Consider adding these October fruits and vegetables to your garden-harvesting, last-call farmers market, or grocery shopping list. Then prepare your appetite: I’m sharing a bounty of fall recipe options for how to put what’s in season in October to work in meals and snacks for yourself, your family, or tailgate gatherings.

Still have leftover produce from last month? See what’s in season in September.
Looking ahead to next month? Discover what’s in a season in November. 

What’s in Season in October?

• Stone fruit and berry family fruits: We are nearing the end of the season for cherries, nectarines, peaches, and plums, so be sure to get your fix this month. I adore using them in warmly-spiced crisps, pies, and cobblers. Stone fruit is also a treat in fruit salads, fruit salsas, or folded into oatmeal, yogurt, or cottage cheese. As far as berries go, botanically, pomegranates fall under this category, too. They shine during fall. Blackberries, cranberries, and raspberries are approaching their season end as well, so stock up to jam, freeze, and smoothie your heart out! Or snack on any of the above out of hand, stir them into tarts, pies, quick breads, muffins, or cakes, or layer them in parfaits.
• Grapes, mulberry, and rose family fruits: Admittedly, figs are actually a flower and member of the mulberry family, not a fruit. But since we often cook and bake with them like a fruit, here they are! Try fresh figs in quick breads, pies, or in a sweet-and-savory skillet dinner with chicken or pork. Kid-friendly grapes, apples, and pears (the latter two fall under the “rose family” umbrella, by the way) are ideal to add to brown bag lunches; slice for safety and ease of eating for young diners. Or try these long-shelf-life fruits in fruit salads, as part of crostinis, or to freeze to nosh on (grapes) or bake with (apples and pears) later.
• Grasses and nightshade vegetables: Corn, a grass, is a staple part of many Midwestern menus during October. Grilled, roasted, air-fried, boiled, or baked; sweet corn is a delight and perfectly sweet right now. Late-season nightshades like tomatoes, peppers, and eggplant are also still ripe and readily available for a limited time. Mix them into casseroles, pasta sauces, dips, salads, soups, or salsas.
• Leafy greens, tubers, and daisy family vegetables: Spinach leaves, daisy-family artichokes, parsnips, and sweet potatoes are all phenomenal (and ubiquitous, am I right, gardeners?) in October. Try them in mashes, soups, salads, wraps, or as pizza toppings.
• Brassicas: Broccoli, cauliflower, Brussels sprouts, and cabbage are ready to play. Flip open TikTok or walk down the grocery store aisles for some inspiration; cauliflower and broccoli are now being transformed into steak, gnocchi, pizza crust, mashed “potatoes,” rice, and beyond. Sprouts and cabbage are ready to roast, salad-ify, or stir into soups, stews, or stir-fries.
• Winter squash: From acorn and butternut to delicata and pumpkin, these sturdy, versatile vegetables are just popping up. Ideal for roasting and mashing or blending into hummus or soups (and pies, of course), now is the time to stock up on naturally-sweet squash.

The Best Fruits and Vegetables to Eat in October

Fruits	Vegetables
Apples	Broccoli
Blackberries	Brussels sprouts
Cranberries	Cabbage
Cherries	Cauliflower
Figs	Corn
Grapes	Eggplant
Nectarines	Parsnips
Peaches	Peppers
Pears	Spinach
Plums	Sweet potatoes
Pomegranates	Tomatoes
Raspberries	Winter squash

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Stone Fruit and Berry Recipes

Cobblers, cocktails, condiments, and more can shine as part of your October menu thanks to my favorite cherry, plum, nectarine, and peach recipes. Put the berries to tasty use in in drinks, galettes, salads, or quick breads. Or freeze either of the above to enjoy their sweetness all year long.

Fruit Dessert Recipes

Blackberry Cobbler

Fruit Dessert Recipes

Cherry Clafoutis

Fruit Dessert Recipes

Cherry Crisp

Fruit Dessert Recipes

Cherry Cobbler

Fruit Dessert Recipes

Peach Crisp

Fruit Dessert Recipes

Cherry Pie Filling Recipe

Side Dish Recipes

Cranberry Relish Recipe

Drink Recipes

Slow Cooker Cranberry Apple Cider

Cake Recipes

Black Forest Cake

Salad Recipes

Fruit Salad

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Grapes, Mulberry, and Rose Family Fruit Recipes

Fruit salads, drink recipes, and baked goods can all be vehicles for this diverse group of fruits. Figs are dreamy in cakes and quick breads, grapes are a Midwestern staple in salads (real ones and dessert-style whipped topping-based treats we generously call “salads”). Apples and pears are primed and ready for baking, roasting, poaching, or crunching into as-is.

Side Dish Recipes

Apple Coleslaw

Frosting, Sauce, and Pudding Recipes

Apple Butter

Salad Recipes

Easy Grape Salad

Pie and Tart Recipes

Apple Pie a la Mode

Cocktail Recipes

Brandy Apple Cider Slush

Side Dish Recipes

Applesauce Recipe

Salad Recipes

Apple Walnut Salad

Fruit Dessert Recipes

Apple Crisp with Oatmeal

Fruit Dessert Recipes

Apple Strudel

Entertaining

Cheese Board

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Grasses and Nightshade Vegetable Recipes

A bit of butter and dash of salt is all October sweet corn asks for, but I can’t hold back from dressing it up in a variety of ways (chowders, salads, salsas, casseroles…). Tomatoes, eggplant, and peppers can be at your service in dips (can that salsa and marinara sauce now!), pasta entrees, casseroles, pizzas, sandwiches, soups, or stews.

Italian Recipes

Homemade Tomato Sauce

Appetizer Recipes

Bruschetta on Baguette

Italian Recipes

Panzanella Salad

Sandwich Recipes

Sausage and Peppers

Italian Recipes

Eggplant Parmesan

Stews and Soups

Corn Chowder

Appetizer Recipes

Hot Corn Dip

Mexican Recipes

Mexican Street Corn

Chipotle Copycat Recipes

Chipotle Corn Salsa (Copycat)

Vegetarian Recipes

Vegetarian Stuffed Peppers

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Leafy Green, Tuber, and Daisy Family Vegetable Recipes

Popeye will be proud when you fill your cart with plenty of fresh spinach for salads, soups, stews, and dips. Artichokes are stellar steamed, stuffed, and roasted, while root vegetables are a treat nearly any which way; try mashing, roasting, pureeing, or layering them into casseroles or atop pizzas.

Stews and Soups

Sweet Potato Chili

Vegetable Recipes

Roasted Root Vegetables

Stews and Soups

Sausage Tortellini Soup

Breakfast Recipes

Spinach Smoothie

Breakfast Recipes

Sweet Potato Hash

Side Dish Recipes

Mashed Sweet Potatoes

Appetizer Recipes

Stuffed Mushroom Recipe

Salad Recipes

Spinach Salad with Bacon Dressing

Italian Recipes

Artichoke Pasta

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Brassica Vegetable Recipes

Rice it, mash it, roast it, taco it; cauliflower and broccoli are among the most adaptable veggies around. Get a taste in these crowd-pleasing side dish, appetizer, and dinner ideas. Brussels sprouts are getting their well-deserved moment in the sun as well, lately, and are being roasted and smashed, shaved and slawed, tossed with pasta, and more. Stuff that cabbage, or use it in any place you might showcase another crisp leafy green.

Salad Recipes

Broccoli Salad Recipe

Fish and Seafood Recipes

Grilled Fish Tacos with Spicy Slaw

Casserole Recipes

Stuffed Cabbage Rolls

Side Dish Recipes

Cauliflower Mashed Potatoes

Vegetable Recipes

Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Bacon

Stews and Soups

Cream of Broccoli Soup

Vegetable Recipes

Roasted Broccoli

Appetizer Recipes

Buffalo Cauliflower Dip

Stews and Soups

Cream of Cauliflower Soup

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Winter Squash Recipes

Sure, you could simply use squash as seasonal decor. But why would you want to do so when scrumptious squash recipes abound? In both sweet and savory formats, roasted, mashed, and baked winter squash of all kinds is a total treat.

Vegetable Recipes

Roasted Butternut Squash

Working with Fruits and Vegetables

Fresh Pumpkin Purée

Vegetable Recipes

Harvest Roasted Vegetables

Nut and Seed Recipes

Roasted Pumpkin Seeds

Eats

Spaghetti Squash with Meat Sauce

Working with Fruits and Vegetables

How to Cook Spaghetti Squash

Salad Recipes

Kale Salad

Pie and Tart Recipes

Pumpkin Cheesecake Recipe

Pie and Tart Recipes

Mini Pumpkin Pies

Cookie Recipes

Pumpkin Bars with Cream Cheese Frosting