What’s in season in October? A UK produce guide for shoppers and cooks

October is the most interesting month in the British food year, because two seasons are on the stall at the same time. The last outdoor tomatoes sit next to the first parsnips. It will not happen again until next autumn, so it is worth shopping deliberately.

The orchard, at its peak

Apples and pears are the month’s headline, and this is the fortnight to take them seriously. The varieties you will never see in a supermarket are the whole argument for buying local: Egremont Russet, Ashmead’s Kernel, Blenheim Orange, whatever your county happens to grow. Ask what is good this week rather than asking for a variety by name. Cooking apples are abundant and cheap.

Pears are shorter and fussier. Buy them firm and let them ripen on a windowsill, because a pear left to ripen on the tree is usually a disappointment.

The squashes arrive

Pumpkins and winter squash come in now and, properly cured, keep for months in a cool, dry place. This is the moment to buy more than you need for the week. A squash bought in October and stored well is still good at Christmas.

Roots and brassicas take over

Parsnips, swede, celeriac, leeks and the first kale. Parsnips genuinely are better after a frost, which concentrates their sugars, so the ones later in the month will be sweeter than the early ones. Brussels sprouts begin, although they improve as the cold deepens.

The last of the summer

Outdoor tomatoes, runner beans and courgettes are finishing. If you want them, buy them now and do not expect them in November. Sweetcorn is done.

Game and the hedgerows

The game season is under way, and pheasant in particular is good value this month. In the hedges there are sloes, elderberries and rosehips, with the very last blackberries worth checking carefully.

What to do with it

October is a storing month as much as a cooking one. Apples wrapped individually and kept somewhere cold will last into the new year. Squash wants warmth and air for a week to cure, then cool and dark. A glut of cooking apples becomes sauce and freezes flat.

For the full month-by-month picture see our seasonal produce calendar at /resources/uk-seasonal-produce-calendar, and the boxes page will show you what growers near you are packing this week.