# What "standard" food/ingredient is only available seasonally? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Tags:** food-cooking\ **Created:** [December 13, 2024, 6:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-standard-food-ingredient-is-only-available-seasonally/1011615 "2024-12-13T18:30:49Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 14\ **Page:** 5
**Author:** ![Ellecram](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ellecram/32/18948_2.png) [@Ellecram](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ellecram)\ **Post date:** [January 4, 2025, 5:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-standard-food-ingredient-is-only-available-seasonally/1011615/81 "2025-01-04T17:50:48Z")
Here in Western PA we get fresh vegetables all year long but the winter crops are just tasteless a lot of the time. Especially tomatoes. ---
**Author:** ![CalMeacham](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/calmeacham/32/35_2.png) [@CalMeacham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CalMeacham)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2025, 12:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-standard-food-ingredient-is-only-available-seasonally/1011615/82 "2025-01-06T12:08:16Z")
Concord Grapes are only available in the early fall, and sometimes not even then. You can also only obtain other Labrusca varietal grapes in the early fall, if at all. I know this because that’s the only time I can make my grape pies. Other grapes, the “seedless” red a nd green grapes, are available year 'round, imported from elsewhere. But I guess they figure there’s not enough market to justify growing Concord grapes elsewhere and importing them. ---
**Author:** ![TRC4941](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/trc4941/32/6792_2.png) [@TRC4941](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TRC4941)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2025, 3:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-standard-food-ingredient-is-only-available-seasonally/1011615/83 "2025-01-06T15:03:41Z")
Also the grapes they call Moon Drops or Sapphires. They’re “black” grapes that are elongated. VERY good. But only available for a very short time in the fall. ---
**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2025, 3:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-standard-food-ingredient-is-only-available-seasonally/1011615/84 "2025-01-06T15:38:39Z")
It’s hard to get fresh Arctic Char except in the fall when most of it is harvested. ---
**Author:** ![Treppenwitz](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/treppenwitz/32/3445_2.png) [@Treppenwitz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Treppenwitz)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2025, 4:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-standard-food-ingredient-is-only-available-seasonally/1011615/85 "2025-01-06T16:43:40Z")
> [@Treppenwitz](#): > > Seville Oranges (aka Marmalade Oranges). One to two weeks in early/mid January, and that’s it. Mrs T hit paydirt shopping in Sainsbury’s this morning, and scored 3 Kg of them, then phoned our friend A to say that they were in. A went to the same store and, by her account, bought the last of the stock. I assume they have more boxes that they’ll put out tomorrow, but you never know. These are nervous times for marmalade makers. j ---
**Author:** ![puzzlegal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/puzzlegal/32/3827_2.png) [@puzzlegal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/puzzlegal)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2025, 2:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-standard-food-ingredient-is-only-available-seasonally/1011615/86 "2025-01-07T02:27:53Z")
Even frozen char seems to be seasonal. ---
**Author:** ![Zyada](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zyada/32/3028_2.png) [@Zyada](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zyada)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2025, 2:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-standard-food-ingredient-is-only-available-seasonally/1011615/87 "2025-01-07T02:30:49Z")
For a month or two in the summer, I can get really good watermelon. It’s edible the rest of the time,bu not great ---
**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2025, 2:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-standard-food-ingredient-is-only-available-seasonally/1011615/88 "2025-01-07T14:07:48Z")
My seafood guy said he couldn’t find any frozen char. That was the only source I checked so far. Last October I made some Charlox, it was fantastic. Nine months from now I’ll have to make a lot of it. ---
**Author:** ![puzzlegal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/puzzlegal/32/3827_2.png) [@puzzlegal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/puzzlegal)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2025, 2:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-standard-food-ingredient-is-only-available-seasonally/1011615/89 "2025-01-07T14:50:48Z")
Whole foods sells out for a while. It’s helpful to know it’s a fall harvest, i never know when to expect it. ---
**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2025, 3:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-standard-food-ingredient-is-only-available-seasonally/1011615/90 "2025-01-07T15:16:11Z")
I’ve seen it frequently on the menu at Legal Seafood and some other places but never noted the time of year. Probably didn’t notice when it wasn’t on the menu either. Possibly they have a supply of frozen or since it’s mostly farmed maybe they maintain some live at the source. Now that I know about this I’ll keep my eyes and ears open on the subject. It is available frozen from several sources. Pretty pricey, back in October I think it was $12 a pound fresh. A pretty good price for fresh fish these days. I also learned it’s a freshwater fish but according to some sources safer to eat without cooking than farm raised salmon because of the clean water it’s raised in. And if you find make some [Charlox](https://iammyowndeli.com/recipes/24-hour-charlox/), it’s heavenly. Better than the best Nova. ---
**Author:** ![puzzlegal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/puzzlegal/32/3827_2.png) [@puzzlegal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/puzzlegal)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2025, 3:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-standard-food-ingredient-is-only-available-seasonally/1011615/91 "2025-01-07T15:33:06Z")
Hmm, i didn’t think i have any gin, but i have some smokey, peaty Scotch that might do the trick. That sounds delicious. I don’t suppose you can freeze charlox? And i wonder if i could make it with defrosted fish. I don’t think I’ve ever seen a fresh raw filet for sale. (My husband doesn’t eat fish, so i don’t spend a lot of time at fishmongers but i sometimes buy a small fish for myself. That’s why the portioned frozen fish is great for me.) ---
**Author:** ![jnglmassiv](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f07891/32.png) [@jnglmassiv](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jnglmassiv)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2025, 3:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-standard-food-ingredient-is-only-available-seasonally/1011615/92 "2025-01-07T15:52:09Z")
> [@puzzlegal](#): > > Definitely cranberries. I’ve been lowkey looking for the last week, certain I’d find some, but nope. Ubiquitous, scattered underfoot a few weeks before, gone by New Years’. Lions mane mushrooms, yes. Cardoon, yes. Midwest localish cranberries, gone. ---
**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2025, 3:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-standard-food-ingredient-is-only-available-seasonally/1011615/93 "2025-01-07T15:56:53Z")
> [@puzzlegal](#): > > I don’t suppose you can freeze charlox? I have frozen my own salmon lox and store bought also. Comes out well, some texture lost. Slice it a little thick and lay out the slices on paper or plastic. I imagine freezing it unsliced works fine though maybe difficult to slice to your preference after thawing. Since char loins are not very big freezing them whole before or after curing might be the best approach. I didn’t have any gin either so I used tequila. Scotch sounds good, I’ve used that when coating lox to smoke. ---
**Author:** ![jnglmassiv](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f07891/32.png) [@jnglmassiv](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jnglmassiv)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2025, 3:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-standard-food-ingredient-is-only-available-seasonally/1011615/94 "2025-01-08T03:02:00Z")
> [@jnglmassiv](#): > > Midwest localish cranberries, gone. Naturally, I found some tonight, at a store I thought I’d looked at already. 2-2 lb bags for $5. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-standard-food-ingredient-is-only-available-seasonally/1011615.md?page=4)