This time of year brings family and friends together over flavorful food inspired by seasonal autumn fruit and vegetables. If you’re looking forward to hosting your friends and family at your home, it’s time for a trip to the grocery store or farmers’ market.

In this article, we’ve gathered a list of some of the most essential autumn fruit and vegetables to cook up this season.

A Few Essential Autumn Fruit and Vegetables

When you have a kitchen packed with powerful, pro-style appliances, there’s no limit to the dishes you can create.

If you’re interested in trying a new dish this season, consider cooking with the flavor of the season. With the right recipe, these ingredients can be integrated and paired with any combination of chicken, beef, or fish.

Here are a few essential autumn fruit and vegetables your friends and family will love.

Apples

Fall is the perfect time for apples. Orchards are full and if you are lucky enough to live near one, picking your own is something you won’t want to miss. Talk about a rewarding experience for everyone involved – with lots of memories to be made. 

Whether you are into crunchy apples, soft apples, sweet ones, tart ones, or somewhere in between — apples are delicious and great sources of fiber and vitamin C, too. 

Cranberries

The much healthier version of dried cranberries is fresh cranberries. They are popular during this time but aren’t in season for very long at all. Cranberries that are fresh can be very tart so they aren’t eaten on their own very often. Rather, it is best to cook them into a sauce, pair them with other fruits, or add them to a sweet pie filling. 

Persimmons

If you are interested in trying something new this fall that you probably don’t normally have in your kitchen, persimmons should be it. Just before Thanksgiving every year, persimmons begin popping up everywhere in the U.S. – with the majority of their crops being in California. 

This spicy fruit is commonly used in bread and other baked goods throughout the holiday season. 

Grapes

Everyone loves a good, sweet grape. They can usually be found year-round, but it is during the autumn months when they tend to be at their peak. It doesn’t matter whether you like green grapes, red grapes, black grapes, cotton candy grapes, or another variety — they are all a delicious treat. Try them frozen!

Pears

Looking for a fruit that tastes great but is also full of antioxidants and fiber? Well, you should be. And, pears are where it’s at. There are Bosc pears and Bartlett pears and Asian pears (which resemble apples, by the way), Comice pears, Anjou pears, and more. They are all juicy and soft and can be both a sweet treat or a great addition to a savory dish. 

Brussel Sprouts

Brussel sprouts are one of those vegetables that you either love or you hate. And it always seems that those who hate them are very vocal about it. But, there is a good chance that they have never had them after the first frost. Rumor has it that they are tastier and sweeter when harvested after a frost. So, as soon as those temps start dropping, you know what to do. That’s right, buy some brussel sprouts

Broccoli and Cauliflower

Broccoli and cauliflower are two things that many of us eat regularly throughout the year, whether fresh or frozen. But they are in season during the autumn months. Buying it fresh from your local farmers’ market or produce stand will get you some of the freshest tasting broccoli and cauliflower around. You will surely be able to tell the difference. 

Beets

Beets are a root veggie that many people run from. Sure, maybe they do taste a little like the ground they grew in. But really – they are good. And they are super good for you. As in, beets should be added to the superfood food list for their potassium, magnesium, fiber, phosphorus, iron, vitamin A, vitamin B, vitamin C, beta-carotene, and folic acid. Should we keep going? 

If you ever wanted to add something good and healthy into your diet, now is the time — when beets are in their prime. 

Winter Squash

Different from yellow summer squash, winter squash includes butternut squash, buttercup squash, acorn squash, spaghetti squash, and dumpling squash. And that is just to name a few. Squash is just so good and so well enjoyed. It can be a side, a soup, or the main dish. Those who know how to cook with them, love them. Those who don’t shy away from them. Not because they aren’t good,  but they are a bit intimidating. 

This fall, make it a point to learn how to cook them. They are good for you, too. 

Sweet Potatoes

Sweet potatoes can be found anytime throughout the year, but they are most commonly used in recipes and dishes during the autumn months. Sweet potato fries and chips, sweet potato pies and casseroles, or even a sweet potato all by itself. Perhaps one of the reasons they are so popular this time of year is because they pair so well with all the fall seasonings and spices. 

Kale, Arugula, and Other Leafy Greens

Leafy greens like kale, arugula, swiss chard, and all are so wonderful and rich – in both taste and nutritional value. And they make a great addition to our diets – whether cooked or raw or even thrown into a smoothie. 

Isn’t it ironic that all other leaves turn shades of oranges, yellows, and browns until they finally fall off of a tree, but these leafy greens are at their peak during this time of year? That must mean something, right? 

Parsnips

Like beets, parsnips are another root vegetable that many haven’t had or don’t really know what to do with. They look similar to a white carrot, but their texture when cooked feels like that of a potato. They taste a bit bitter but with a slight sweetness like a carrot. 

They can be made like mashed potatoes, roasted, baked, sauteed, or even steamed. And they pack a punch nutritionally, as well.

Well, there you have it. As you start spending more and more time in that kitchen of yours and putting those appliances to work this season, don’t forget to include some fruits and veggies, too.