Seasonal fruit and vegetable chart for South Africa

If you ever wondered what fruits and vegetables are in season in South Africa, then this handy guide is for you.

Seasonal fruit and vegetable chart for South Africa

 

Summer

December, January, February

Fruits

Apples	Apple and yoghurt cake
Apricots	Apricot roly-poly with ginger custard
Bananas	Fluffy banana bread
Blueberries	Ricotta cakes served with blueberries and honey yoghurt
Cherries	Sour cherry and açaí dark chocolate bliss balls
Figs	Polenta cake with crème fraîche, figs and honey
Granadillas	Granadilla fridge tart with white chocolate ganache
Grapes	Baked Camembert with honey-roasted grapes, almonds and puff-pastry shards
Guavas	Guava jam
Litchis	Litchi-mousse no-bake cheesecake
Mangoes	Yoghurt panna cotta with mango and granadilla jelly
Melons	Pawpaw, melon and blueberry cooler
Mulberries
Nectarines	Spice-crusted grilled feta with nectarines
Papayas	Smoked chicken and pawpaw salad with pistachio pesto
Peaches	Brioche with thyme-roasted peaches and vanilla mascarpone
Pears	Black sesame stuffed pavlova with port poached pears
Pineapples	Blistered pineapple, cinnamon and ginger pickle
Plums	Spinach, chickpea, Gorgonzola and pecan nut salad with grilled plums
Pomegranates	Gooey chocolate cake served with crème fraîche and pomegranates
Raspberries	Salted milk chocolate, cinnamon and hazelnut rocky road with ricotta and raspberries
Strawberries	Rose and lemon scented no bake cheesecake stacked with strawberries
Watermelons	Watermelon and Aperol snow

Vegetables

Artichokes	Chargrilled artichokes with crushed garlic and orange, honey and sage butter
Asparagus	Wild mushroom, pancetta and asparagus cheesecake
Aubergines	Fragrant roasted aubergines with harissa and guacamole
Baby corn
Baby marrow	Baby marrow fritters with green salsa and coconut cream
Beans	Lamb Chops with Marmite sauce, baby potatoes and green beans
Beetroot	Beetroot and dark chocolate meringue cake
Chives	Ham and cream cheese terrine with chives and mustard
Mange tout	Lemony cauliflower and sweet potato salad with crunchy mange tout peas
Mealies	Bacon-wrapped mealies topped with garlic and jalapeño butter
Mushrooms	Garlicky wild mushrooms on rye toast
Pattypans	Pattypan and bulgur-wheat sushi with mango-chilli dip
Peppers	Stuffed peppers
Radishes	Pickled pink peppercorn radishes
Red onions	Pickled red onions in a Caprese salad
Rhubarb	Rhubarb tart
Spinach	Basil, spinach and ricotta gnudi with red pepper and tomato sugo
Tomatoes	Tomato and apple chutney
Watercress	Pickled squid, watermelon, watercress and olive tapenade salad

 

Autumn

March, April, May

Fruits

Apples	Almond-studded toffee apples
Blueberries	Spiced blueberry and chocolate honeycomb tart
Figs	Vanilla-infused figs with fresh coconut muesli
Gooseberries	Gooseberry-roasted pulled pork buns
Granadillas	Self-saucing granadilla, white chocolate, yoghurt and coconut puddings
Grapes	White chocolate cake with drunken grapes
Mandarins	Chicken, cashew and mandarin salad
Mangoes	Mango doughnuts
Papayas	Thai prawn, pawpaw and palm heart salad with a citrus dressing
Peaches	Poached peach and rosé trifle
Pears	Caramelised pear and vanilla-bean oats
Plums	Red velvet pancakes with poached plums
Pomegranates	Smoked salmon, red onion and pomegranate salad with creamy dill dressing
Strawberries	Home-made strawberry milk
Watermelons	Watermelon pizza

Vegetables

Aubergines	Preserved aubergines with herbs
Avocados	Beetroot carpaccio with avocado salsa, salmon ribbons and walnuts
Baby marrows	Baby marrow, pepper and spinach muffins
Beans	Tacos with vindaloo beans, crushed avocado and charred corn
Beetroot	Beetroot and chocolate cake
Broccoli	Chicken, broccoli and peanut-butter curry
Brussels sprouts	Lentil pasta with leeks and shredded Brussels sprouts
Butterbeans	Three recipes with butterbeans
Cabbage	Ouma’s cabbage frikkadels
Cauliflower	Spiced coconut cauliflower rice veggie bowls with peanuts
Celery	Chicken burgers with hummus and a fennel, celery and orange slaw
Hubbard squash	Hubbard squash slices with a cinnamon and nut crust
Mange tout	Lemony cauliflower and sweet potato salad with crunchy mange tout peas
Leeks	Whole spanakopita with leeks and spring onion
Mushrooms	Garlicky wild mushrooms on rye toast
Parsnips	Lemon-roasted chicken with parsnips
Peppers	Broccoli with roast peppers and chilli
Persimmons	Persimmons in vanilla and grapefruit syrup with white chocolate whipped cream
Radishes	Griddled sourdough with steak, marinated radish and avocado
Spinach	Vegan chickpea and spinach burgers with red onion chutney
Sweet peppers	Baked ricotta with corn, chilli and peppers
Tomatoes	Tomato, aubergine and parsnip stew with torn roasted tofu

 

Winter

June, July, August

Fruits

Apples	Wicked toffee-apple cake with caramel peanut-brittle buttercream and snow-white apples
Dates	Springbok shanks with dates
Figs	Classic terrine with boozy figs
Gooseberries	Gooseberry and granadilla Pavlova
Granadillas	Crêpes with pan-fried orange, pear, caramel and granadilla
Grapefruits	Grapefruit, orange and minneola stuffing
Kiwifruits	Kiwi fruit and cucumber granita
Limes	Chicken thighs with lime juice and ginger
Mandarins	Linguine with mandarin, chilli and lobster sauce
Naartjies	Naartjie daiquiri
Oranges	Beer, orange and spice caramel sauce
Papayas	Papaya atchara
Pears	Caramel-glazed poached pear bread and butter pudding
Persimmons	Spicy prawn and vegetable spring rolls with sweet persimmon and ginger dipping sauce

Vegetables

Asparagus	Crustless quiche with asparagus, goat’s cheese and basil
Avocados	Crystal spring rolls with chargrilled tuna, avocado, apple and herbs
Beetroot	Pan-fried rump steak with spiced salt and fresh beetroot salsa
Broccoli	Creamy broccoli and gorgonzola soup with toasted walnuts
Cabbage	Leek, smoked chicken and cabbage soup
Cauliflower	Cauliflower and potato curry with peas
Celery	Caramelised carrots, celery and honey
Kale	Crispy kale with chilli soya dipping sauce
Leeks	Greek lentil soup
Mushrooms	Wild mushroom tart with porcini vinaigrette and pea shoots
Parsnips	Cider-battered hake with parsnip chips and crushed peas
Spinach	Lasagne of pumpkin, spinach, mascarpone, onion marmalade and walnuts
Sweet peppers	Peppadew, roast pepper and goat’s Camembert savoury tart

 

Spring

September, October, November

Fruits

Apples	Chocolate and apple wonton pastries
Apricots	Chargrilled apricots with prosciutto, buffalo mozzarella and basil
Bananas	Roasted banana and coconut milkshake with Amarula
Berries	Show-stopping stars and floating berries trifle
Blueberries	Blueberry and carrot bread with flavoured cream cheese
Cherries	Rippled cherry and Greek yoghurt parfaits with honey-roasted almonds
Dates	Apple, date and cinnamon achar
Gooseberries	Gooseberry fool
Grapes	White chocolate mousse with red grapes
Grapefruits	Grapefruit, strawberry and mint granita
Kiwifruits	Strawberry and kiwi ice-cream terrine
Papayas	Granadilla jellies with papaya salsa
Peaches	Spiced peach sherbet
Plums	Vanilla, coconut and plum cupcakes
Strawberries	Blueberry, plum and strawberry vanilla crumble
Watermelon	Watermelon pizza

Vegetables

Artichokes	Chargrilled artichokes with crushed garlic and orange, honey and sage butter
Asparagus	Warm cannellini bean salad with herbs, vine tomatoes & asparagus
Aubergines	Aubergine, buffalo mozzarella and sun-dried tomato stack
Avocados	Avocado and yoghurt dip
Baby marrows	Baby marrow, seed and herb no-grain bread
Beans	Lamb Chops with Marmite sauce, baby potatoes and green beans
Beetroot	Beetroot risotto
Broccoli	Broccoli, cauliflower and Cheddar soup with Gruyère and chive croutons
Brussels sprouts	Brussels sprouts and kale salad
Cabbage	Cabbage and mince lasagne with yoghurt
Cauliflower	Spiced, roasted cauliflower with hazelnuts and pomegranate rubies
Celery	Celery, apple, kale, spinach, lime and ginger juice
Leeks	Fish with baby leeks and borlotti beans
Mange tout	Tagliatelle with prawns, mange tout and lemon sauce
Marrows	Roast beef with carrot, horseradish, duck fat potatoes & marrows
Mealies	Braai mealies with 3 different toppings
Mushrooms	Butternut pansotti with buttery wild mushrooms, rosemary and pecan nuts
Parsnips	Ginger and honey roasted baby carrots and parsnips
Peppers	Summer meatloaf with roasted peppers
Tomatoes	Spelt pizza with heirloom tomatoes, nectarine, prosciutto and kale pesto
Turnips	Paprika battered fish with turnip chips
Watercress	Roasted beetroot, whipped chèvre, walnut sable and watercress salad