A seasonal produce guide for the month of June, with tips on how to choose, store and prepare each ingredient! Plus, multiple recipes included for all 8 produce items!
Happy, June everyone! Our produce guides are becoming a lot more colorful and I am loving it! 🙂
These monthly seasonal produce guides are designed to help you determine exactly what foods are currently in season, how to choose them and store them, as well as give you some great recipe ideas from fellow food bloggers that incorporate these seasonal finds!
Eating seasonally will help you save money while increasing the amount of flavor and nutrients you are obtaining from your food. So let's dig into our June Seasonal Produce Guide!
Arugula
I love arugula so much I have an obnoxious chant that I use every time I see it on a menu or someone says the word. My sister hates it (and me) every time it happens. I make no apologies because it's so dang good.
Recently I had a horrible $7 arugula salad that almost ruined it completely for me, but arugula and I both blamed the overpowering lemon dressing so we've moved on from that.
- How to choose it:
- Choose arugula that is green, crisp, vibrant and fresh. Avoid leaves that are wilted, browning, or yellowed.
- Avoid leaves that look slimy, moldy or appear to have insect damage.
- When purchasing bagged greens, avoid bags with too much excess moisture, as this can cause rotting.
- How to store it:
- Store in the refrigerator and keep dry. Storing in a plastic bag wrapped in a paper towel will help absorb excess moisture.
- Arugula should be eaten within about 3-5 days but can last up to 2 weeks in the refrigerator if stored properly.
- How to prepare it:
Avocados
We talked about avocados back in February when I mentioned our turbulent love-hate relationship that is really only being loosely held together by my trips to Mexico and their legit guacamole. Since we're about to go to Mexican resorts and stuff our faces with all the legit guacamole our newlywed bodies can handle, right now I love avocados. And speaking of obnoxious chants, I will definitely be singing the "Avocados from MEXICO" jingle while I eat them there.
- How to choose them:
- Choosing an avocado depends on when you want to use the avocado. Ripe avocados will be dark, almost black in color. Choose these if you want to use them right away. If you’re going to use them in a few days, then choose ones that are more green in color.
- In addition to color, you’ll want to press on the avocado to test its ripeness. Ripe avocados should give a little when pressed but shouldn’t be soft or mushy (this would be a sign that it is overripe, so you should avoid these ones!) If it is firm and doesn’t give at all, then it will need a few days to ripen before use.
- Check the skin to make sure it has no large indents, which would be a sign of bruising.
- Remove the stem of the avocado. Green=good to go. Brown=overripe so don’t buy it. If it is black or dark brown then the avocado is likely moldy so don’t buy that one either!
- How to store them:
- Store any unripened avocados on your countertop for 4-5 days to ripen. You can also store unripened avocados in a paper bag (out of direct sunlight). You can store them with an apple or a banana for 2-3 days to speed up the ripening process, if necessary. (These fruits release ethylene gas which will speed up the process).
- Store ripened avocadoes whole in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. The cold will help slow down the ripening process. (Although we all know avocados have about 2 second window where they are perfect!)
- If you need to store half of a cut avocado, leave the pit in, squeeze fresh lemon or lime juice over top, then wrap with plastic wrap or place into a sealed container. You can store an avocado in the fridge this way for about 24 hours.
- How to prepare them:
Cherries
So this was actually my first time buying legit cherries. You know, not the jarred maraschino cherries to put on my ice cream or in my cocktails. Perhaps that's because a bag cost me $8?!?! I mean they were good but $8 good?! I don't know about all that... I mean I did get like 9,000 cherries for that cost so I guess it's a steal?
- How to choose them:
- Choose cherries with firm, glossy skin and bright green stems. Darker cherries are fresher than lighter ones.
- Avoid cherries with blemishes or ones that are too soft or have wrinkles close to the stem, as this is a sign of older fruit.
- How to store them:
- Store in a cool, dark place. Do not wash before storing as this can promote spoilage.
- Cherries can be stored at room temperature if you plan to eat them within 2 days, otherwise they should be refrigerated in a plastic bag for 3-5 days, but they may last for up to 2 weeks.
- Stores cherries away from other fragrant items in the fridge, as they will take on the flavor of other items in the fridge. Plastic wrap or bags will help prevent this.
- How to prepare them:
Mushrooms
So back in April I had mushrooms on my produce guide and I mentioned that I was doubting the legitimacy of that fact because I thought mushrooms were more of a fall thing, but since then I was gifted morel mushrooms from my in-laws (omg I no longer have to say future, whaaat?!) and I realized that it's morel mushroom season here in Ohio and they are completely supreme to any other mushroom and my life is changed.
HOWEVER...I didn't have any of those for the photo shoot, so you're stuck looking at plain old boring mushrooms. BUT...if you ever have the chance to eat morel mushrooms please do it. I sauteed them into a shrimp and spinach parmesan pasta and it was heaven on earth!
- How to choose them:
- Choose firm mushrooms that appear fresh and smooth. They should appear dry but not dried out.
- A closed cap mushroom will have a delicate flavor, while an open cap with exposed gills will have a richer flavor.
- Avoid mushrooms that appear bruised, shriveled, or slimy.
- Stems should be firm and uniform in color.
- Choose mushrooms that feel light for their appearance.
- How to store them:
- Remove from plastic wrapping and store in a paper bag in the refrigerator for up to 1 week. Whole mushrooms will last longer than sliced.
- How to prepare them:
Peas
Ahh, peas are back again this month! I'm not going to lie, though, it's mostly because I couldn't find one of the other produce items I wanted for this month's guide in stores yet. I try to use new produce items each month to keep things interesting but these darn Ohio grocery stores are limiting me! 🙁
- How to choose them:
- Choose snap peas with plump, crisp pods. They should look glossy and make a snapping sound when broken in half.
- Choose snap peas that are medium to dark green in color.
- Avoid snap peas that look limp or are dry along the seams.
- How to store them:
- Store in a tightly sealed bag in the refrigerator for 4-5 days.
- Do not wash before storing.
- The longer you store snap peas, the less sweet and crisp they will be.
- How to prepare them:
Raspberries
Is it just me or do these raspberries look like candy? Similar to grapes, I like my raspberries in alcoholic format, in this case usually in a nice raspberry vodka cocktail or martini. Although I am pretty excited to try that sherbert and cake recipe below as well!
- How to choose them:
- Choose raspberries that are clean and dry, firm, plump and evenly colored.
- Carefully check containers for any signs of mold, and make sure older fruit is not hiding below fresh fruit.
- Avoid raspberries that are wilted or bruised.
- How to store them:
- Store raspberries dry as excess moisture will promote spoilage.
- Store in the refrigerator but avoid storing in the coldest part to prevent frost damage.
- Keep raspberries stored in their original container or in a breathable container lined with paper towels to collect excess moisture.
- How to prepare them:
Watermelon
BEHOLD--the taste of summer has officially arrived! There is nothing better than a slice of fresh watermelon! Watermelon is my favorite hangover snack so it's perfect that it goes hand in hand with my boozy summer outings. I'm starting to feel like I'm talking more about alcohol than food during this guide...can you tell I've got a vacation on the brain? 🙂
- How to choose it:
- Choose a watermelon that is heavy for its size and symmetrical.
- Check the yellow spot of the watermelon where it lays on the ground. When it is creamy yellow in color the watermelon is ripe and ready to be eaten.
- Thump the watermelon and listen to the sound. If it sounds hollow it is ripe. If it sounds dull it is either under or overripe.
- Choose a watermelon that is dark green and dull and free from bruises, dents, and cuts.
- If the watermelon is pre-cut, choose slices that are bright red with dark brown or black seeds. Avoid any with white stripes or too many seeds.
- How to store it:
- Store a whole watermelon the refrigerator for up to 1 week. If you need to ripen it first, store at room temperature for a few days.
- Store a watermelon cut in half wrapped in plastic wrap for up to 3-4 days.
- Cut watermelon will keep in the refrigerator in an air tight container for 3-4 days.
- How to prepare it:
Zucchini
Zucchini...also known as cucumbers with hats. Please refer to my May Seasonal Produce Guide if you'd like to know more about this logic. We eat a ton of zucchini, especially in the summer. My favorite version is in this Hibachi Shrimp and Veggies recipe, but it's also great on the grill!
- How to choose it:
- Choose zucchini that is about 6-8 inches in length and relatively thin.
- Choose zucchini that is heavy for its size and has a shiny, dark green, smooth skin. The color should be uniform and bright and the ends should be firm and green.
- Avoid zucchini that has blemishes, bruises, soft spots or looks shriveled.
- How to store it:
- Store unwashed and whole in a breathable plastic or paper bag in the crisper drawer of the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
- Leave one end of the bag open to allow for air circulation to prevent aging.
- How to prepare them:
That's it!! I hope you enjoyed this month's produce guide! Plan ahead by checking out next month's guide!
Jana says
Thanks for featuring my polenta recipe! This is a great guide for seasonal produce!
cutsandcrumbles says
Thanks, Jana! Thank you for contributing, your recipe looks great!