Oregon seasonal food calendar: crab, berries, hazelnuts, mushrooms

Oregon eats by the season more than most states. The ocean, the Willamette Valley, the high desert and the forests produce different foods at different times, and many menus change with them. If you are planning a trip around food, or just want to know what to order in a given month, this calendar helps. Timing varies with weather and harvest, so confirm with the market, farm or restaurant.

What is in season in winter?

Winter is crab season on the coast. Oregon State University's Sea Grant program lists the commercial Dungeness crab season as opening in December. The start date can shift when the state tests crabs for quality or safety, so check the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife before you drive to the coast. Winter is also truffle season in the Willamette Valley, with a festival each year around Eugene and the valley. Citrus is not local, but root vegetables, kale and storage apples are.

What arrives in spring?

Spring brings asparagus, rhubarb, spring onions, early greens, morels and the first strawberries at farmers markets. Salmon runs begin on some rivers, and menus often add them when they come in. Spring is also when markets reopen after the winter break, which makes it a good time to taste the first of the year. Rain is common, so bring a layer for outdoor markets.

When do the berries come?

Summer is berry time. Strawberries come first, then raspberries, blueberries, blackberries and marionberries, a blackberry variety developed in Oregon. Marionberries ripen through the summer, so check with a farm or market for the peak week. Berries appear in pies, ice cream, jams and cocktails. Pick-your-own farms near Portland and in the valley open for the season, and weekend lines can be long.

What else is a summer food?

Corn, tomatoes, peaches, cherries, melons and peppers fill markets from July. Hood River's orchards sell cherries and peaches. The coast has fresh tuna and razor clams in some seasons. Barbecues and food carts spread into the evenings. Summer is the busiest season for restaurants in tourist towns, so book early.

What do you eat in fall?

Fall is hazelnut harvest. Oregon grows most of the hazelnuts in the United States, and the nuts show up in chocolate, pastries, salads and oils. Apples and pears peak in the Hood River and Rogue Valleys, and wine harvest fills the valley with visitors. Wild mushrooms, including chanterelles, run roughly from September through November and appear on menus and at markets. Never eat a mushroom you have picked unless an expert has identified it.

When is seafood at its best?

Oregon seafood changes with the season. Dungeness crab is the headline in winter, and oysters are good in the cooler months. Salmon, albacore tuna and shrimp have their own seasons. Sea Grant publishes a seasonal guide to what is fresh and when. If you want a specific item, ask the restaurant or fish market what came in that week. Frozen and previously frozen seafood is common outside the peak.

How do you plan a trip around the calendar?

• For crab and chowder, plan a winter or spring trip to the coast.
• For truffles, aim for the winter festival season around Eugene and McMinnville.
• For berries, go in June and July and book a farm visit.
• For wine and hazelnuts, go in September and October.
• For quiet markets and low prices, go in spring or late fall.

Check ferry, road and weather conditions, since winter storms close coast roads on some days.

What are the best markets to taste the seasons?

Portland, Salem, Eugene, Bend and the Rogue Valley all hold farmers markets that run through the warm months, and some run year round. Winter markets are smaller, with root vegetables, preserved foods and baked goods. Ask vendors what is at its peak and what they are cooking at home. Many will offer a sample. Buying from a market is also the simplest way to learn which varieties of berries or pears you prefer.

Is Oregon food expensive?

Fresh seafood and wine can be, especially on the coast and in wine country. Markets and food carts are cheaper. Oregon has no sales tax on meals, which helps, and restaurants must pay full wages, so menu prices reflect that. Eating seasonally often costs less, since in-season produce is plentiful.

What should you ask a restaurant about the season?

Ask what came in this week, where it was grown or caught and whether the dish will change soon. A server who can answer in a sentence usually works in a kitchen that buys carefully. If a menu lists strawberries in January or crab at a time the season is closed, the item is probably frozen or imported, which is not wrong, but worth knowing.

How do you remember what you ate?

A year of Oregon eating is long, and the dishes blur. Mosey is a food-first app where diners find places by dish, mood and neighborhood and rate what they actually ate. Rate each crab dish and each berry pie, and your history reminds you what to order when the season comes around again. Add the Fresh Seafood tag to the coast stops worth the drive.

More guides to read next:

• Oregon beyond Portland: eating in Bend, Eugene, Salem and Hood River
• Rogue Valley food guide: Medford, Jacksonville and Grants Pass
• Oregon coast seafood: Astoria, Cannon Beach, Dungeness crab and chowder

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