What’s in Season in Jackson

What is in season in Jackson, and what to order when the market changes.

Next up in Jackson

31 OctMississippi-grown produce and artisan food

Spring

Gulf shrimp: Gulf shrimp season opens in spring and Jackson restaurants take full advantage: Saltine launches its shrimp boil specials and Mayflower Cafe adds Gulf shrimp to its daily fried seafood rotation.
Spring greens and ramps: Mississippi spring brings collard greens, turnip tops, and wild ramps to the farmers market and soul food steam tables. Bully's adds seasonal braised greens to its rotation from March onward.
Strawberries: Mississippi strawberry season peaks in April and May. Elvie's pastry team uses local strawberries in tarts and galettes; Campbell's Bakery makes strawberry pound cake from mid-April.
Crawfish: Gulf crawfish season peaks March to May in Mississippi. Hal and Mal's runs crawfish boils on Fridays in spring; Saltine adds Gulf crawfish to its fresh sheet.

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Catfish: Mississippi farm-raised catfish is a year-round staple but summer is the peak season for outdoor fish fries. Bully's serves fried catfish all summer; Walker's Drive-In offers pan-roasted catfish on its summer menu.
Watermelon: Mississippi watermelons arrive at the farmers market from mid-June through August - some of the sweetest in the American South. Mississippi Farmers Market stalls fill with local melons every Saturday morning.
Peaches and plums: Local peaches from central Mississippi orchards arrive from late June. Elvie's adds peach cobbler and peach galettes to its dessert menu; Campbell's Bakery makes peach pound cake through August.
Heirloom tomatoes: Mississippi heirloom tomatoes peak in June and July. The Manship uses local heirloom tomatoes in its summer salads; Walker's Drive-In features them in its seasonal harvest preparation.
Okra: Okra is central to Mississippi summer cooking: fried okra at Bully's, pickled okra on cocktail garnishes at Fondren Public, and stewed okra in gumbo at Hen and Egg.

Sweet potatoes: Mississippi sweet potatoes harvest from October through December. Bully's features sweet potato pie as a seasonal dessert; Walker's Drive-In incorporates them into autumn vegetable preparations.
Gulf oysters: Gulf oyster season peaks in autumn as water temperatures drop. Saltine restarts its $1.75 happy hour oyster specials in September; Walker's Drive-In and Mayflower Cafe add fresh oysters back to their menus.
Muscadine grapes: Mississippi muscadine grapes are harvested September through October. The grape appears in local wines at CAET and in seasonal desserts at Elvie's and Hen and Egg.
Pumpkin and squash: Butternut squash and pumpkin arrive at the Mississippi Farmers Market from September. The Manship uses autumn squash in wood-fired preparations; Campbell's Bakery makes pumpkin pound cake from October.

Turnip greens and collards: Winter is peak season for Mississippi's slow-cooked greens: turnip tops, collard greens, and mustard greens braised low and slow with smoked pork. Bully's steam table carries them through the cold months.
Delta hot tamales: Hot tamales are a year-round food in Mississippi but their warming corn-masa nature makes them particularly popular through winter. Big Apple Inn serves them steaming hot from the pot all year.
Gumbo: Gumbo season runs from November through March in central Mississippi. Hen and Egg's chef Nick Wallace serves his signature Gulf seafood gumbo on weekends; Hal and Mal's features a rotating gumbo on its winter menu.
Pralines and pecan candy: Mississippi pecan orchards deliver their harvest from October through December. Pralines and pecan-based desserts appear across bakeries in winter, including at Campbell's Bakery and at the farmers market.