Whats in season: Spring Fruit and Veg
Spring in Australia is glorious. The mornings are still crisp, but the light is warmer, the days stretch a little longer, and the markets begin to swell with colour. This is the season of renewal, tender greens, and the earliest flush of summer fruit making its debut.
Seasonal eating in spring is about freshness and variety. It is also, in a cultural sense, a reminder of heritage: agricultural shows, food festivals, and community events that have always marked the return of abundance after winter.
What fruit and veg is in season in spring in Australia?
September brings the last of the citrus – mandarins, tangelos, Lady Williams apples – alongside tropical papaya and pineapple. The flavour is sharp and cleansing, still anchored in winter. At country shows and spring fairs, citrus marmalades and apple pies are still judged in their categories, carrying forward a tradition of celebrating produce at its peak.
Asparagus and artichokes arrive, broad beans come into their short but glorious season, and leafy greens like spinach, silverbeet, and Asian greens are at their best. Many of these vegetables appear in agricultural show competitions, their quality judged alongside preserves and baking as a symbol of regional skill.
October is when sweetness arrives. Strawberries, loquats, mangoes, and Valencia oranges spill into markets. In Queensland and New South Wales, strawberry festivals signal the shift: families gather to pick fruit, eat jam-topped scones, and mark the fact that strawberries are best eaten fresh and sun-warmed.
Cucumbers and choko return, watercress comes into season, and white asparagus appears. For cooks, this is when salads shift from hearty to light, mirroring the season’s longer days.
November is a month of abundance. Cherries, lychees, and melons appear, joined by bananas and papaya. The first cherries are particularly tied to heritage: the annual cherry festivals in towns like Young, NSW, have become a seasonal marker, as much cultural as agricultural. For many, November fruit belongs in picnic baskets at racing carnivals, when strawberries, mangoes, and cherries are packed into hampers for long days on the lawn.
Peas in every form (snow, sugar snap, and green) come into their own. Sweetcorn, tomatoes, and zucchini flowers begin to announce summer. These vegetables have long been part of picnic and racing season fare, easy to pack into salads and tarts that travel well.
Avocados, lettuce, leeks, and mushrooms carry through the season, a steady backdrop to more fleeting arrivals.
Eating fruit seasonally in spring is a way of participating in this rhythm. It begins with citrus breakfasts in September and ends with bowls of mixed stone fruit at summer’s threshold.
Why eat seasonally?
Seasonal eating is not simply about flavour (though asparagus picked in October is incomparable to imports in April). It is also about rhythm and restraint: a way of connecting to the cycles of land and climate. Seasonal produce tends to be more affordable, grown closer to home, and harvested at peak ripeness.
In spring, seasonal eating ties directly to culture. Agricultural shows and food festivals are built around it, whether it’s broad beans in the pavilion, strawberries eaten in the fields, or cherries celebrated in their own festivals. To eat seasonally is to participate in a larger Australian tradition of marking the seasons by what the land offers.
How to cook with spring produce
Some practical ideas to make the most of whats fresh:
- Use broad beans and peas in a simple risotto or tossed with mint and olive oil.
- Grill asparagus with lemon and serve alongside fish or lamb.
- Make a citrus salad with pink grapefruit, orange, and fennel for a fresh side dish.
- Bake strawberries with a little sugar for spooning over yoghurt or ricotta.
- Keep mangoes and cherries chilled for eating outdoors at spring festivals or racing picnics.
FAQs
What fruit is in season in spring in Australia?
September:
- apples
- mandarins
- tangelos
- pineapples
- papaya.
October:
- strawberries
- mangoes
- loquats
- Valencia oranges
November:
- cherries
- lychees
- melons
- bananas.
What vegetables are in season in spring in Australia?
Spring brings
- asparagus
- artichokes
- broad beans
- peas
- spinach
- Asian greens
- cucumbers
- sweetcorn
- zucchini flowers.