What’s in Season: Summer

Stone fruit, mangoes, litchis and tomatoes: summer produce in South Africa.

Season: Summer
Months: December to February
Region: South Africa
Varies: By area and weather

Potter's hands shaping stoneware on a wheel

Summer is the season of fruit. What’s available, and when, varies by region and by the season itself, so treat this as a starting point and ask at your market what’s good that week.

Fruit

Peaches, nectarines and plumsRipe stone fruit gives slightly near the stem and smells sweet. Keep it at room temperature until ripe, then in the fridge.
Mangoes and litchisBoth grow in the warm north-east. Litchis have a short season, mostly around December and January.
Watermelon and spanspekA ripe watermelon sounds hollow when tapped and has a creamy yellow patch where it lay on the ground.
Grapes and figsBoth arrive later in summer and carry on into autumn.

Vegetables

TomatoesAt their best now. Keep them out of the fridge, which dulls their flavour.
SweetcornSweetest soon after picking. Cook it the day you buy it.
Green beans, baby marrows and brinjalsQuick to cook: grill, roast or stir-fry them while they’re plentiful.

How to tell

Produce that’s in season is usually plentiful, at its best price, and sold by several stalls at once. That’s often the simplest guide.