Massachusetts seasonal food calendar: what to eat each month

Massachusetts has a short, intense growing season and a coastline that supplies seafood year round. Knowing the season helps you choose what to order and when to travel. Crops follow the weather, so the windows below move a little each year, and a quick call to a farm settles it.

What is in season in spring?

Spring is the slowest season for local produce. Early greens, rhubarb, asparagus and radishes arrive from April and May. Maple syrup comes in early spring, and some sugarhouses hold open days. Dates change every year with the weather. Shellfish is good in cooler months, and spring is a time for oysters and early scallops. Farmers markets begin to reopen in May.

What is in season in early summer?

Strawberries are the first big fruit. The season runs from about the beginning of June to mid-July, with the main window in mid-June, depending on the year and the farm. Peas, lettuce, herbs and the first tomatoes follow. Clam shacks on the North Shore and on Cape Cod are in full swing by Memorial Day. Call ahead before a strawberry trip, because a wet spring can delay the crop.

What is in season in late summer?

Roughly from mid-July, blueberries ripen and last into late August, and peaches are available into September. Windows vary by year and farm. Corn, tomatoes, beans, peppers and summer squash arrive in July and run through October in many listings. This is the best season for farmers markets and farm stands, for beach clam bakes and for lobster rolls. Sweet corn and tomatoes at their peak need nothing but salt.

What is in season in the fall?

Apples are the signature fall crop, with picking running from August to October. Pumpkins follow in October. Cranberries are harvested roughly from fall into early November. October is officially designated Massachusetts Cranberry Month, and farm stands and harvest festivals sell fresh berries and juice. Cider season runs through the fall into winter. Oysters and scallops are in season on the Cape and islands.

What is in season in winter?

Root vegetables, squash, cabbage and storage apples fill the markets. Brussels sprouts and other hardy vegetables stay in the markets into winter. Winter is a good time for oysters, scallops, haddock and cod, and for hearty chowders and stews. Bay scallops from Cape Cod and Nantucket arrive in the late fall and winter. Winter farmers markets operate indoors in many towns.

Where do you find farms and markets?

The state keeps a guide to pick-your-own farms by county. Many towns hold a weekly farmers market, often once a week from late spring to fall, and a few run all winter. Farm stands along rural roads are often cash friendly or use an honor box. Confirm hours by phone or on the farm's page.

How do you eat seasonally in a restaurant?

Look for a short menu that changes, with dishes named for a farm or a place. Ask your server what came in this week. Seafood shacks often list the day's catch. Fall menus feature squash, apples and cranberries, and summer menus feature tomatoes and corn. Tasting menus and farm dinners are often tied to harvests.

What should you buy to take home?

The best things to take home depend on the month. In June, buy strawberries and eat them the same day, because they do not keep. In July and August, buy corn and tomatoes at a farm stand and eat them within two days. In the fall, buy apples, cider and cranberries, which keep well in the refrigerator for weeks, and look for local honey and maple syrup at any time of year. In winter, buy root vegetables and storage apples, and buy fish from a market on the day it comes in. Ask the seller how long something will keep, and how to store it. For seafood, use a cooler with ice, especially in summer, and do not leave it in a hot car. Many farms sell frozen berries or jam, which extends the season. If you are flying home, check airline rules on liquids, because syrup and cider count.

If you want a single weekend that covers a lot, early October is hard to beat: apples are ripe, cranberry harvests have begun, farm stands are full of squash and the first oysters of the cool season are good. Book a table early at any farm-focused restaurant, because the harvest brings visitors. Check weather forecasts, since a wet weekend can close fields to picking.

Crops and catches follow the weather and state rules. Shellfish areas open and close, apple crops can be thin after a spring frost, and cranberry bogs are flooded for harvest only at the right moment, so ask the grower before a long drive.

How do you remember what you ate in each Massachusetts season?

A seasonal calendar is most useful when it is yours. In the Mosey app, rate the strawberries, the cider donut or the winter scallops by the dish while the taste is fresh, add a tag such as Must-Try, and keep one list for the year. Next June you will know which farm stand was worth the drive, and a friend you share the list with can add theirs. Mosey runs seasonal food votes too, so a dish in season is a good time to rate it.

Rate what is in season where you live in the Mosey app, then add the best of it to a list for next year.

More guides to read next:

• Berkshires food guide: Great Barrington, Lenox and North Adams
• North Shore Massachusetts food guide: clam shacks and roast beef
• Salem, MA restaurants in October: how to eat during Haunted Happenings

More in the US food guides and the ranked lists of places.