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

Spring

  • {'item': 'NC strawberries', 'season': 'April to June', 'where_to_find': 'NC State Farmers Market, Midtown Farmers Market, Moore Square Market', 'note': 'NC strawberries are picked at full ripeness and sold within 24 hours; the flavour bears no resemblance to the shipped California variety. Peak is mid-May. The Farmers Market on Centennial Blvd has the widest selection and the most farm vendors.'}
  • {'item': 'Spring asparagus', 'season': 'April to May', 'where_to_find': 'NC State Farmers Market, Carrboro Farmers Market (day trip)', 'note': 'NC asparagus season is brief (April through early May at most) and the quality from Piedmont farms is markedly different from supermarket asparagus. Menus at Crawford and Son, Stanbury, and the Eddy Pub in Saxapahaw change to reflect it.'}
  • {'item': 'Vidalia onions', 'season': 'April to June', 'where_to_find': 'NC State Farmers Market, grocery stores', 'note': 'The Vidalia onion season out of Georgia is a Piedmont spring staple; NC farmers also grow sweet onion varieties. Available at the Farmers Market from April; used raw in seasonal salads at higher-end Raleigh restaurants.'}
  • {'item': 'Spring peas and snap peas', 'season': 'April to May', 'where_to_find': 'NC State Farmers Market, Moore Square Market', 'note': 'English peas and sugar snaps from the Piedmont are a brief spring luxury. Death and Taxes and Stanbury incorporate them into spring menus in raw preparations that showcase the sweetness.'}

Summer

  • {'item': 'NC heirloom tomatoes', 'season': 'July to September', 'where_to_find': 'NC State Farmers Market, all neighbourhood markets, restaurant menus', 'note': "NC heirloom tomato season is the peak food moment of the Raleigh year. Cherokee Purple, Mortgage Lifter, and Brandywine varieties from the NC Piedmont are available at the Farmers Market from late June and dominate restaurant menus through September. The tomato sandwich (Duke's mayo, two slices of white bread, salt) is treated with near-religious seriousness."}
  • {'item': 'NC peaches', 'season': 'June to August', 'where_to_find': 'NC State Farmers Market, Sandhills farm stands along US-1', 'note': "The NC Sandhills (Sandhills region south of Raleigh, roughly Pinehurst/Candor direction) produce the state's primary peach crop. Peak is July. Available at the State Farmers Market; the best quality comes from farm stands on US-1 south of Raleigh if driving to/from the beach."}
  • {'item': 'Sweet corn', 'season': 'June to August', 'where_to_find': 'NC State Farmers Market, roadside stands throughout Wake County', 'note': 'White sweet corn from the Piedmont is sold in the husk at the Farmers Market from June and typically available at roadside farm stands throughout Wake County. The turnaround from picking to sale is measured in hours; the flavour deteriorates quickly. Best eaten the day of purchase.'}
  • {'item': 'Outer Banks blue crabs', 'season': 'May to November (peak July to August)', 'where_to_find': 'NC State Farmers Market seafood section, fish markets', 'note': 'Blue crabs from the NC sounds and Outer Banks waterways are the state seafood. The soft-shell season (immediately after moulting) is June and July; hard-shell crabs are available through November. The Farmers Market seafood vendors typically have NC blue crabs live or steamed on Saturdays.'}
  • {'item': 'NC blueberries', 'season': 'May to July', 'where_to_find': 'NC State Farmers Market, Midtown Farmers Market, u-pick farms in Johnston County', 'note': 'Johnston County east of Raleigh (Smithfield direction) has several u-pick blueberry operations. The State Farmers Market also carries them. Peak is June. La Farm Bakery and Boulted Bread incorporate them into summer pastries during peak season.'}

Autumn

  • {'item': 'NC sweet potatoes', 'season': 'October to December (harvested; available year-round in storage)', 'where_to_find': 'NC State Farmers Market, all markets, grocery stores', 'note': "NC is the largest sweet potato-producing state in the US. Johnston and Wilson counties east of Raleigh produce the majority. The Farmers Market sweet potato selection in October through December is unusually deep; varieties beyond the standard Beauregard (Covington, O'Henry, jewel) are available from individual farm vendors. Sweet potato pie is the defining NC autumn dessert."}
  • {'item': 'NC State Fair food (October)', 'season': 'Mid-October (15 days)', 'where_to_find': 'NC State Fairgrounds, 1025 Blue Ridge Rd, Raleigh', 'note': 'The NC State Fair is held each October at the Fairgrounds on Blue Ridge Road. Attendance exceeds 900,000; the food vendor midway is a food-culture event in itself. Traditional fair food (country ham biscuits, hand-made donuts, fried pies from church groups, NC BBQ sandwiches) competes with novelty items. The most visited food event in the state each year.'}
  • {'item': 'NC apples', 'season': 'August to November', 'where_to_find': 'NC State Farmers Market, Henderson County farm stands (day trip)', 'note': 'NC apples come from the mountain counties: Henderson County (Hendersonville) is the primary source. Henderson County varieties including Pink Lady, Honeycrisp, and heirloom Stayman Winesap are available at the State Farmers Market from August. The drive to Hendersonville (3 hours) is worth it in October for orchard-direct apples if combined with the Highlands or Asheville food scenes.'}
  • {'item': 'Collard greens', 'season': 'October to February (improved after first frost)', 'where_to_find': 'NC State Farmers Market, any neighbourhood grocery in Raleigh', 'note': 'The NC folk rule is that collards are better after frost: the cold converts starches to sugars and reduces bitterness. October through February is peak season at the Farmers Market. The long-braised collard with pot likker (the braising liquid) is the canonical preparation; Irregardless Cafe and the few remaining soul food restaurants in Raleigh serve it correctly.'}

Winter

  • {'item': 'NC oysters', 'season': "November to April (the 'R month' rule)", 'where_to_find': 'St. Roch Fine Oysters (Raleigh), NC State Farmers Market seafood section', 'note': "NC produces leased oysters from the Crystal Coast and Pamlico Sound. The 'R month' season (September through April) is both traditional and practical: colder water temperatures reduce pathogen risk. St. Roch Fine Oysters on South Wilmington Street is Raleigh's primary oyster bar and sources NC, Gulf, and Pacific oysters with full farm identification."}
  • {'item': 'Persimmons', 'season': 'October to January', 'where_to_find': 'NC State Farmers Market, specialty farm stands', 'note': 'Native persimmons (Diospyros virginiana) grow wild across the Piedmont and are collected by farmers and home foragers. The season is October to January; the fruit becomes sweet only after frost. Less commercially available than Asian persimmon varieties, but native persimmons appear occasionally at the Farmers Market and are used in traditional NC persimmon pudding.'}
  • {'item': 'Country ham (cured, dry-aged)', 'season': 'Year-round, but traditional curing begins in November', 'where_to_find': 'NC State Farmers Market, Smithfield Foods retail, Johnston County producers', 'note': "Country ham - salt-cured and air-dried for a minimum of 6 months, up to 2 years - is a year-round NC tradition, but the curing cycle begins with hog-slaughter season in November. Johnston County is the primary producing county for Smithfield-style country ham. Big Ed's serves it sliced and pan-fried in the traditional red-eye-gravy preparation; the NC State Farmers Market stocks multiple producers year-round."}
  • {'item': 'Sorghum syrup', 'season': 'Harvested September; available through spring', 'where_to_find': 'NC State Farmers Market, specialty grocery stores', 'note': 'Sorghum syrup was the primary sweetener of the NC Piedmont before cane sugar became affordable - it was grown and pressed on small farms and used in everything from biscuit sweetener to holiday candy. The tradition nearly died out but has been revived by a handful of NC Piedmont farms. The State Farmers Market carries it through winter. Boulted Bread and a few higher-end restaurants use it in winter pastries.'}
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