SEASONAL FRUIT AND VEGETABLES AVAILABLE IN JUNE…

Here is a list from the Soil Association of Fruit and Vegetables popular in June.

-Aubergines – available from June onwards, at their best in July

– Broad Beans – these are thriving at this time of year, and are a staple for home-growers

– Chard – in the first of its two annual seasons

– Courgettes 

– New Potatoes, like Jersey Royals

– Spring Onions

– Salad Leaves, like watercress, spinach, and rocket

– Strawberries – June is known as the month for strawberries, and their arrival signals the start of the summer season!

– Raspberries are also available at this time of year, especially in July

– Gooseberries have a short lived season in June and early July. If you haven’t tried them before, give their tart flavours ago in summer crumbles and jams

– June and July is currant season – look out for blackcurrants and redcurrants; around 14 billion blackcurrant berries are harvested in the UK each year!

– Cherries are also now available in the UK, and should be so until September.

The National Trust features Strawberries for the month of June and wrote that the quintessentially British, strawberries conjure up thoughts of picnics, tennis and are one of the simple pleasures of summer.

Although imported, strawberries are available in supermarkets for many months of the year. June is the month to eat locally grown ones, which have been ripened outside in the summer sunshine.

Growing your own strawberries allows you to try varieties that you won’t find in the shops. While commercial growers favour firm fruits with a bright colour and uniform size, home gardeners can choose for flavour alone. Some of our favourites include Royal Sovereign, Gariguette and Mara des Bois.