When the calendar flips to spring the grocery store isles fill with bright, juicy fruits that look and taste amazing. Strawberries, apricots and mangoes start to line the shelves, bringing fresh flavors after a long winter.
You can enjoy these fruits in many ways such as, mixed in salads, blended into smoothies or baked into desserts. Besides providing deliciousness, eating seasonal fruits also means that you’re getting food that’s fresher and better for the environment.
To find out what seasonal fruits students at Ida B. Wells-Barnett High School like the best, 50 IBW students filled out a Google Form to pick their favorite fruit. The results showed that 38% of students chose strawberries as their favorite followed by pineapples at 18% and blackberries at 12%. This makes strawberries a clear winner for springtime snacks.
When it comes to choosing fruits most people say taste is the biggest factor. Through this survey, 64% of students said they pick fruits mainly because of how good they taste, while price and nutrition were less important.
Plus, 64% of students also noticed that fruits taste different depending on the season. This means that when spring season fruits arrive, their fresh flavor and texture stand out compared to when they’re not in season. Adalyn Britton, a freshman at IBW, says “When strawberries are in season they’re very red but out of season they’re green, bitter, harder and not as enjoyable.”
Nearly half the survey participants chose summer as the season with the most impressive variety in fruit. Spring was a close second. Many people also feel that each season has its own unique and exciting fruits, encouraging people to enjoy the gifts of nature throughout the year.
Sylvia Scott, a Health teacher at IBW, shared which seasonal fruit she would eat for the rest of her life “I’d probably pick strawberries because those are so bad in the winter time. They’re like hard and flavorless.” Scott’s choice highlights how much the quality of fruits can change with the seasons. That being said, most people prefer fruits like strawberries and peaches in the spring and summer because they’re fresh, juicy and full of flavor.
Though, with the current temperature trends and the recent warm winter we have had, some people worry about how the weather will affect produce. Leanne Van Horn says, “With how warm the year has been it’s going to have a huge effect on the crops of berries soon it’s going to have to change the way farmers have to deal with them.”
Van Horn’s concerns show a growing issue many farmers face when the weather starts to change. Warmer climates can mess with traditional growing seasons, making farmers have to adapt their methods to protect crops and fruit quality.
Therefore, when summer arrives try to enjoy the fresh fruits like watermelon, cherries and plums. Eating seasonal fruits is a delicious way to enjoy every season and feel connected to nature.
