What is in season in San Jose. and what to order when the market changes.
Spring
- Castroville Artichokes: The Artichoke Capital of the World sits 60 miles south; fat globe artichokes peak March through May and fill San Jose farmers markets from Willow Glen to Santana Row.
- Watsonville Strawberries: Santa Cruz County strawberry fields hit their sweetest stretch in April and May, flooding local markets with flat-stemmed Chandler and Albion varieties priced low through June.
- Spring Peas and Fava Beans: Bay Area smallholders bring English shelling peas and fava beans to San Jose's Blossom Hill and Evergreen markets from March onward, peaking in late April.
- Meyer Lemons: Backyard Meyer lemon trees across Silicon Valley shed their thin-skinned, fragrant fruit from February into April, making their way into local restaurant cocktails and pastry menus.
- Morel Mushrooms: Sierra Nevada foothills morels hit Bay Area specialty grocers like Sigona's in March and April, inspiring spring risotto specials at Italian and New American restaurants citywide.
Summer
- Santa Clara Valley Heirloom Tomatoes: Gilroy-area farms deliver Brandywine, Cherokee Purple, and Green Zebra tomatoes to San Jose markets from July through September, echoing the valley's century-old farm heritage.
- Blenheim Apricots: The Valley of Heart's Delight's most storied fruit, Blenheim apricots ripen for just two to three weeks in late June and early July; a handful of Gilroy orchards still grow them.
- Garlic Harvest: Gilroy garlic is harvested in late June and July, coinciding with the Garlic Festival; fresh-braided ristras and peeled cloves appear at San Jose farmers markets all summer.
- Stone Fruit - Peaches, Nectarines, and Plums: Brentwood and Hollister farms supply San Jose stalls with white peaches, donut nectarines, and Italian prune plums from mid-June through August.
- Sweet Corn and Shishito Peppers: Local Asian farms supplying the Japantown and Vietnamese grocery corridor bring shishito peppers, bitter melon, and bi-color sweet corn to market stands through August.
Autumn
- Half Moon Bay Pumpkins: The coastal fog belt around Half Moon Bay produces exceptionally sweet, dense-fleshed pumpkins; October u-pick festivals draw day-trippers from across the South Bay.
- Fuyu and Hachiya Persimmons: Santa Clara Valley backyards and Gilroy orchards produce persimmons from October through December; Fuyu slices appear in salads at Japanese and New American restaurants in Japantown.
- Wine Grape Harvest: Morgan Hill and Mount Hamilton foothills wineries begin crush in September; roadside signs invite visitors to taste new vintage juice during the Santa Clara Valley Wine Trail's harvest events.
- Pomegranates: Central Valley pomegranates reach San Jose's Southeast Asian and Middle Eastern groceries in October and November, when Vietnamese iced-pomegranate drinks appear in Little Saigon cafes.
- Dungeness Crab Season Opening: The commercial Dungeness season typically opens in mid-November; Santa Cruz Wharf and Half Moon Bay Harbor supply live and fresh-cooked crab to South Bay fishmongers within hours of the opening.
Winter
- Dungeness Crab: Peak season runs December through March; San Jose's Vietnamese community cooks crab in ginger-scallion and tamarind sauces, while crab cioppino anchors Italian-American holiday menus.
- Blood Oranges and Cara Cara Navel Oranges: Central California citrus brightens winter tables from December through March; San Jose's San Pedro Square Market and Japantown juiceries feature fresh-squeezed blood orange specials.
- Cavolo Nero and Winter Brassicas: Bay Area farms harvest Tuscan kale, romanesco, and flowering rapini through February; Italian restaurants in Willow Glen and Japantown feature these on winter menus.
- Vietnamese Tet Foods: January and February bring Lunar New Year preparations to Little Saigon's Grand Century Mall bakeries, with banh chung sticky rice cakes, mut candied ginger, and coconut candies for the season.
- Navel Oranges and Mandarins: Satsuma mandarins from Bay Area backyard trees and Central Valley navel oranges fill San Jose's produce stands November through February, a legacy of the valley's citrus-growing past.