What's in Season - October Produce Guide

Check out our seasonal October produce guide with recipes to use it up.

October Produce Guide

October is the first full month of fall, and with it comes all things pumpkin. At the markets, you'll see winter squash in every variety starting about now. Many pumpkins are sold for decoration or carving, so if you are looking for the best pumpkins to cook and eat, look for sugar pumpkins and kabocha. You'll also find acorn, butternut, and spaghetti squash, as well as thin-skinned delicata squash.

For fruit, in early October we can still find figs and grapes. Apples and pears are peaking right now. Have you gone apple picking yet? Store apples and pears in the fridge if you want them to last. They love cold storage and can keep for months.

Chilly fall weather brings out root vegetables like parsnips, celery root, and beets, which we will be enjoying throughout the cold season. You'll find tubers too, like fingerling potatoes, ginger, and jerusalem artichokes.

This month's bonus fruit is quince. While hard to find at a regular grocery store, look for it at farm stands or ask a neighbor with a tree. A hundred years ago practically every home had a quince tree for the quince's pectin for making jam. Cook quince up into tarts or poach them as a side to pork or chicken.

What's in Season in October?

Pears

Use crisp and firm Bosc pears for poaching or making a tart, and Bartletts for making pear butter. Eat a crunchy Asian pear as you would an apple.

Apples

Caramel apples make a wonderful Halloween treat. Looking for a non-fussy dessert? Make an apple cobbler!

Read More: The Best Apples for Baking

Figs

So hard to resist when they are in season, right? Who needs a Fig Newton when you can plop a sweet Mission fig in your mouth?

Read More: Ingredient Guides

Quince

A little harder to find, and only in season a short time, quince look like a cross between a golden delicious apple and a Bartlett pear. They have a heady, floral aroma, and when cooked, turn the most gorgeous rosy hue.

Read More: What Is Quince?

Pumpkin, Kabocha, and Butternut Squash

Look for sugar pumpkins, not carving pumpkins if you intend to cook pumpkin. Try out a Kabocha or Kuri winter squash for its thick flesh and deep rich flavor, great for soups!

Spaghetti Squash and Delicata Squash

Sub pasta with roasted spaghetti squash for low-carb meals. No need to peel the delicate skin of delicata squash, just scoop out the seeds, slice, and roast. Try it with chimichurri!

Parsnips, Celery Root, Rutabagas, Beets

Roasted root vegetables are just the thing on a chilly fall day. Purée cooked parsnips or mash celery root and use in place of mashed potatoes.

Fingerling Potatoes

This variety of potato is small when fully mature, unlike baby or new potatoes that are just young potatoes. The peels are thin and delicate so they don't need to be removed. They cook up firm, so are great for roasting and potato salads.

Swiss Chard

Sturdier than spinach and more tender than kale, Swiss chard cooks up quickly when sautéed with a little olive oil and garlic. Have beet greens? Use them interchangeably with chard.

Ginger

You can always find ginger at the market, but fall is the season for it in temperate zones. If you are growing ginger, pull it out before the first freeze when the leaves start dying. If you find a bunch for sale at a good price, buy it and freeze it. Ginger freezes well. When cold season starts, add it to honey lemon tea!

Jerusalem Artichokes

Fall is the season for Jerusalem Artichokes, also known as Sunchokes. Slice them raw into salads, or cook them into soup. Tastes a lot like artichokes.

Scroll down for more recipe ideas.

Curried Butternut Squash Soup

EASY Butternut Squash Soup the flavors of curry powder, ginger, and cumin, all blended together.

Get Recipe: Curried Butternut Squash Soup

Pear Tarte Tatin

French classic, tarte tatin aux poires, upside down pear tart with flakey pastry crust.

Get Recipe: Pear Tarte Tatin

Pork Chops with Ginger Pear Sauce

Pan-seared pork chops with a sweet and sour pear and ginger sauce. Perfect for the fall, cooks up in minutes and only uses one pot!

Get Recipe: Pork Chops With Ginger Pear Sauce

Homemade Apple Pie

This is absolutely the best homemade apple pie you'll ever make! It has a flaky, buttery crust and a tender, lightly spiced apple pie filling. Use a combination of apples for the best flavor, and bake until the top is golden and the filling is bubbly!

Get Recipe: Homemade Apple Pie

Cranberry Apple Stuffed Pork Loin

We LOVE this pork loin roast stuffed with chopped apples, walnuts, and cranberries. So festive, perfect for holiday entertaining!

Get Recipe: Cranberry Apple Stuffed Pork Loin

Roasted Pumpkin Seeds

Don't throw away the pumpkin seeds from your pumpkin! Roast them for a delicious healthy Halloween snack.

Get Recipe: Roasted Pumpkin Seeds

Spicy Pumpkin Soup

Quick and easy spicy pumpkin soup made with pumpkin purée, onions, fresh ginger, chicken stock, cream, and a mixture of curry, cumin, and coriander.

Get Recipe: Curry Pumpkin Soup

How to Cook a Whole Butternut Squash in the Pressure Cooker

Hate peeling and dicing hard butternut squash? Steam it in the pressure cooker instead! Perfect for any recipe that calls for pureed or mashed butternut squash.

Get Recipe: How To Cook Butternut Squash in the Pressure Cooker

Roasted Kabocha Squash Soup

Roasted kabocha squash soup, thick and creamy, with ginger, cumin, and coriander. Perfect for fall!

Get Recipe: Roasted Kabocha Squash Soup

Roasted Parsnips

Roasted parsnips are the perfect side dish for a fall meal or holiday dinner. These parsnips are roasted in butter and stock and then tossed with parsley, chives, garlic, and a touch of horseradish.

Get Recipe: Roasted Parsnips

Roasted Root Vegetable Stew With Tomatoes and Kale

This cheerful vegetarian ragout of roasted vegetables is a satisfying stew filled with parsnips, rutabagas, carrots, and celery root,

Get Recipe: Roasted Root Vegetables With Tomatoes and Kale

Easy Swiss Chard

Easiest way to make Swiss chard! Cook in olive oil with garlic and crushed red pepper.

Get Recipe: Easy Sautéed Swiss Chard

Sautéed Chard with Parsnip

Sautéed Swiss chard with ribbons of parsnip. The sweet notes of the parsnip help brighten this lovely side of Swiss Chard.

Get Recipe: Sautéed Chard with Parsnip

Fingerling Potatoes with Herb Vinaigrette

Boiled fingerling potatoes tossed with vermouth, red onions, parsley, and an herb vinaigrette.

Get Recipe: Fingerling Potatoes with Herb Vinaigrette

Membrillo (Quince Paste)

Dulce de Membrillo recipe, a popular Spanish paste made from quince and served with Manchego cheese.

Get Recipe: Membrillo (Quince Paste)

Ginger Beef Stir Fry

Easy Beef Stir Fry! With ginger and scallions and a honey soy marinade.

Get Recipe: Ginger Beef Stir Fry

How To Peel, Chop, and Grate Ginger

How to easily peel, slice, julienne, chop, mince, and grate ginger root.

Get Recipe: How to Peel, Chop, and Grate Ginger

Ginger Scones

Super gingery buttermilk scones, made with both candied and fresh ginger, with a hint of lemon.

Get Recipe: Ginger Scones

Read the original article on Simply Recipes.