What Foods are in Season in June

British Produce for Seasonal Cooking in Early Summer

Apr 8, 2009 Susan Morris

Promoting local food, new recipes and top chefs, the Great British Menu cookbook sets out its what's in season when for British produce. Here's a lowdown on June foods.

Great British Menu, as seen on BBC Television, released the Great British Menu Cookbook (Dorling Kindersley, 2007) with a focus on "New Recipes, Top Chefs, Local Food". Tucked away towards the back of the cookbook, are a two-page list of what food's in season. In the British cookbook calendar, seasonal produce is divided up by month and into groups of

  • fruits & nuts,
  • meat, game & poultry,
  • vegetables,
  • cheese,
  • fish & shellfish

Seasonal Fruit & Nuts in June

Early summer, the month of June, brings out cherries, elderflowers, gooseberries (in some regions), red currants, early cultivars of strawberries and tayberries. Absorbing summer sun, freshly picked ripe fruits in June can create lush desserts, fruit salads, jams and wines.

Seasonal Meat, Game & Poultry in June

June is a month for cooking with the new season of lamb. Cooking with lamb in June does not pack the strong lamby taste of Fall lamb. New season's lamb can be roasted simply with rosemary and/or thyme.

Seasonal Vegetables in June

Summer season vegetables in Britain includes

  • greens of peas, broad beans, calabrese broccoli,
  • salad vegetables of watercress, cucumber, radishes, lettuce,
  • root vegetables including carrots, new potatoes, horseradish
  • vegetables needing days of full sun like aubergines, zucchini, peppers
  • perennial vegetables such as globe artichokes, asparagus and including the culinary herb wild fennel and seaweed samphire.

Seasonal Cheese in June

British cheese, considered by Great British Menu Cookbook (Dorling Kindersley, 2007) as seasonal for June are "farmhouse Cheddar, Ewe's milk cheeses and fresh Goat's milk cheeses". Regional, national and international cheese competition are a keen benchmark and reward for local artisan cheesemakers recognising the quality of their seasonal dairy produce.

Seasonal Fish & Seafood in June

Coastline catches of mackerel and sardines in the South West of England will fetch good prices in June. Catch of the day seafood cookery can use crab, grey mullet, hake, lobster, wild salmon, sea trout and whitebait for June lunch and dinner recipes. Oily fish, shellfish and other seafood could be cooked up outdoors on a backyard barbecue or beachside grill in June.

Variations on Seasonal Food in June

Produce availability of seasonal foods in June across the UK will vary. Overseas supply of produce identified with a country and region of Britain as its origin may focus on certain key foods in season in Britain's summer month of June. Quality and quantity of fruits and vegetables can change across the month of June. Growing your own strawberries, peas, broad beans, lettuce, carrots, potatoes and courgettes or zucchini will bring home, in the month of June, what fruit and vegetables are in season when.

The copyright of the article What Foods are in Season in June in Seasonal Cooking is owned by Susan Morris. Permission to republish What Foods are in Season in June in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.
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