What Fruits are Available in the Spring? Try Out These In Season Favorites
Gardeners, foodies and home cooks all love spring for some of the same reasons, one of them being the wonderful array of fresh produce that is available.
What fruits are in season in the spring? The following is an overview of some of the delicious fruit that comes into season in the spring.
Strawberries
A favorite fruit that comes into season in the spring is the strawberry. A wide variety of recipes can be made using strawberries (including a cold soup) and they can be eaten raw, as well.
Strawberries are packed with vitamin C, with one cup of strawberry halves containing 149% of the *RDA of it. That same cup of strawberries also contains a mere 49 calories, 12g of carbohydrates and 1g of protein. It has 2% of the RDA of calcium and 3% of the RDA of iron.
*RDA = The Recommended Daily Allowance as established by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.
Pineapple
Pineapple comes into season March through July and is most commonly thought of as being a Hawaiian product. When ripe, the fruit will be heavy, firm and with fresh, green leaves.
One cup of pineapple chunks has 82 calories, 2mg sodium, 22g carbohydrates and 1g of protein. Pineapple is packed with vitamin C, coming in at 131% of the RDA for one cup. That same one cup of pineapple chunks also contains 2% of the RDA for vitamin A, 2% for calcium and 3% for iron.
Apricots
To some, these resemble peaches. Apricots, however are smaller and more even toned. This is a tree-fruit and can be canned, frozen, cooked, dehydrated (dried) or eaten raw.
High is vitamins C and A, one cup of apricot halves has only 74 calories and 17g of carbohydrates. That cup of fruit also has 1g of fat, 2mg of sodium and 2g of protein. Calcium and Iron, in small amounts, are also present.
Mangoes
Once considered an exotic or weird fruit, mangoes are very commonly found in grocery stores in the fresh produce section.
The Fresh Mangoes website is loaded with information regarding mangoes, including the health benefits, how to select them, how to store them, recipes and more.
According to the Fresh Mangoes website, the health benefits of mangoes include having an enzyme that helps with digestion, fiber (up to 40% RDA), antioxidants, vitamins C and A, beta carotene and potassium.
Mangoes have 100 calories (average sized mango) and only 1g of fat.
Conclusion
What fruits are in season in the spring? The ones listed in the above overview represent only part of the list of fruits available. Many fruits are available year round due to importing, but if you want to eat locally grown produce, sticking with in-season fruits won’t limit your eating options in the slightest.
References
Fruit Seasons. Fruit Seasons: Spring. https://fruitseasons.com/#Spring
Strawberries, Raw. Nutrition Data. https://www.nutritiondata.com/facts/fruits-and-fruit-juices/2064/2
Pineapple, raw, all varieties. Nutrition Data. https://www.nutritiondata.com/facts/fruits-and-fruit-juices/2019/2
Apricots, raw [includes USDA commodity food A386] Nutrition Data. https://www.nutritiondata.com/facts/fruits-and-fruit-juices/1827/2
Fresh Mangoes.com (website) https://www.freshmangoes.com/
