WHAT’S IN SEASON

Summer Fruits and Vegetables in the South

Harvest these summer staples for barbecues, baking, and beyond

illustration: John Burgoyne

Muscadine grapes

Thick-skinned with sweet, juicy centers, muscadine grapes are nature’s candy. Read more.


illustration: John Burgoyne

Figs

This fruit’s subtle coconut flavor makes it a perfect addition to summer cocktails. Read more.


photo: John Burgoyne

German Butterballs

Whether in Fourth of July potato salad or breakfast hash, the German Butterball is a summer favorite. Read more.


illustration: John Burgoyne

Sea beans

For an ideal companion to seafood, try this salty, seaside succulent. Read more.


illustration: John Burgoyne

Blueberries

Whether you’re baking muffins or whirling a summer smoothie, don’t miss an opportunity to use the season’s berry best. Read more.


illustration: John Burgoyne

Greasy beans

This Appalachian tradition is the ultimate way to preserve a late-summer green-bean haul. Read more.


illustration: John Burgoyne

Mesquite beans

These versatile trees offer more than just wood for the barbecue pit. Read more.


illustration: John Burgoyne

Pimento peppers

One taste of an Ashe County pimento, and you may shun watery bell peppers for good. Read more.


illustration: John Burgoyne

Red Burgundy okra

Tender and sweet, this okra variety is a late-summer stunner. Read more.


illustration: John Burgoyne

Sugar Baby watermelon

This undersized watermelon isn’t short on flavor. Read more.


illustration: John Burgoyne

Cherokee Purple tomato

The secret flavor of the South’s sweetest tomato. Read more.


illustration: JOHN BURGOYNE

Silver Queen corn

Celebrate summer in the South with the crown jewel of the corn family. Read more.


illustration: John Burgoyne

Cantaloupe

Grow it and treat it right, and cantaloupe may become your favorite bite of the season. Read more.


illustration: John Burgoyne

Poblano peppers

Get to know the perfect pepper for anyone who doesn’t like the heat. Read more.


illustration: John Burgoyne

Blackberries

Cobble together a tempting dessert with early summer blackberries. Read more.


illustration: JOHN BURGOYNE

Pink-eyed peas

Pink-eyed purple-hulls might be the fairest field pea of them all. Read more.


illustration: John Burgoyne

Fairy Tale eggplant

Put a spell on eggplant skeptics with this petite crowd-pleaser. Read more.


illustration: John Burgoyne

Black cherry tomatoes

A ready-made summer snack, the black cherry tomato delivers complex flavor right off the vine. Read more.


illustration: John Burgoyne

Butter beans

Toss creamy butter beans with olive oil and lemon zest for an easy picnic side. Read more.


illustration: John Burgoyne

Indian Blood peach

You won’t find this gem at the supermarket, but a little searching will bear fruit. Read more.



illustration: JOHN BURGOYNE

Tomatoes 

Transform a bright summertime snack into a briny and versatile bite. Read more.



illustration: JOHN BURGOYNE

Pattypan Squash

Vegetable maestro Steven Satterfield dishes on a weird and wonderful variety of summer squash. Read more.



illustration: JOHN BURGOYNE

Pickles

Vinegar and a hit of spice turn pickling cucumbers into picnic stars. Read more.


Fruits and veggies for your garden in…

>> Fall

>> Winter

>> Spring


Jenny Everett is a contributing editor at Garden & Gun, and has been writing the What’s in Season column since 2009. She has also served as an editor at Women’s Health, espnW, and Popular Science, among other publications. She lives in Mount Pleasant, South Carolina, with her husband, David; children, Sam and Rosie; and a small petting zoo including a labrador retriever, two guinea pigs, a tortoise, and a fish.