Why does seasonality matter?

1 Fresh food tastes better.

Fruit that needs to travel the world is often picked before it’s ripe so it can be transported without spoilage. Some vegetables, such as asparagus and green peas, begin to lose their quality within a day of being picked.

2 When food is more plentiful, it’s often cheaper.

Look for bargains. You might even get some food for free if you go foraging, are lucky enough to have a veg patch or fruit tree, or perhaps have a friendly neighbour with an allotment.

3 It costs the planet less, too.

Heated greenhouses growing unseasonal produce in colder climates use valuable energy, while transporting fruit and veg by plane burns up even more fossil fuel.

Words taken from Jenny Chandler’s latest book, Green Kids Cook. You can find family recipes from her book on page 49.