What’s in Season in August

Meggan Hill

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Taste the rainbow! Discover the best August fruits and vegetables to harvest and buy this month, then learn how to incorporate these seasonal produce picks in my favorite late-summer recipes.

Fruits and vegetables in season for August.

What’s in season in August? Nearly all of my favorite produce aisle investments! From corn and cantaloupe to peppers and peaches, you have a lot of options if you enjoy cooking seasonal recipes as much as I do.

Your food budget and your taste buds both benefit when you seek out seasonal fruits and vegetables like those listed below in my guide to what’s in season in August. Unlike something shipped in from across the globe, these ingredients are so much fresher and more affordable. (For bonus points, and even more savings, grow your own!)

Consider adding these August fruits and vegetables to your garden-harvesting or shopping list. Then read on for some tasty inspiration about how to put what’s in season in August to use in meals and snacks for yourself, your family, Labor Day parties, or wherever the month takes you.

Still have leftover produce from last month? See what’s in season in July.
Looking ahead to next month? Discover what’s in a season in September. 

Table of Contents

  1. What’s in Season in August?
  2. The Best Fruits and Vegetables to Eat in August
  3. Stone Fruit Recipes
  4. Berry Recipes
  5. Melon Recipes
  6. Cucurbit Recipes
  7. Grasses and Nightshade Vegetable Recipes
  8. Leafy Green and Legume Recipes

What’s in Season in August?

  • Stone fruits: Apricots, mangoes, nectarines, peaches, and plums are at their peak in August. Slice and serve them unadorned (they’re incredibly juicy and sweet right now!), toss them on the grill to caramelize their natural sugars, or showcase stone fruits in crisps, pies, compotes, salsas, or salads.
  • Berries: Savor the last of the strawberries and stock up on raspberries, blueberries, and blackberries while you’re at it. All of the above are ideal to snack on out of hand, incorporate into jams, tarts, pies or cakes, or freeze to enjoy a sweet-tart taste of late summer any time.
  • Melons: We’re entering the tail end of cantaloupe and watermelon season, so let’s celebrate with melon salads, smoothies, chilled soups, and cocktails featuring these versatile August fruits.
  • Cucurbit vegetables: Although melons are also technically “cucurbit” crops” as well, I categorize them separately since we use them in such different ways as the other popular seasonal cucurbit vegetables, cucumber and summer squash. Snag the veggies from this family of produce to feature in spiralized vegetable recipes, salads, side dishes, and beyond.
  • Grasses and nightshade vegetables: Corn (a grass) is ubiquitous on Midwestern tables in August. Grilled, roasted, boiled, or baked, you can’t go wrong serving corn come late summer. Nightshades like bell peppers, eggplant, and tomatoes are also still in fine form. Mix any of the above into salads, soups, salsas, pasta sauces, or casseroles.
  • Leafy greens and legumes: Greens like bok choy, lettuce, and Swiss chard, as well as green beans (legumes), are all popping in August. Try them in wholesome soups, salads, stir-fries, wraps, and sandwiches.

The Best Fruits and Vegetables to Eat in August

FruitsVegetables
Apples Bell peppers
ApricotsBok choy
BlackberriesCorn
BlueberriesCucumbers
CantaloupeEggplant
FigsGreen beans
KiwiHot peppers
MangoesKohlrabi
NectarinesLettuce
PeachesOkra
PlumsSummer squash
RaspberriesSwiss chard
StrawberriesTomatoes
WatermelonZucchini

Stone Fruit Recipes

From drinks to dinner to desserts, peaches and nectarines are ripe for featuring in seasonal recipes this month. Invest in a bag and put them to great use in these cocktails, smoothies, and sweets.

Peach Cobbler
There's no better summer dessert than a warm Peach Cobbler, fresh from the oven, with a scoop of ice cream. This from-scratch recipe is ready to bake with just 10 minutes of prep and you'll love the golden brown topping with bubbly peaches beneath.
VIEW RECIPE
A plate of peach cobbler with vanilla ice cream.

Berry Recipes

Versatile, sweet, and crowd-pleasing berries are definitely better by the bushel this time of year. Round up a mountain of strawberries, blueberries, blackberries, and raspberries to feature in these awesome August recipes.

Blueberry Muffins
My bakery-style Blueberry Muffins come topped with a buttery brown sugar streusel that takes their flavor over the top. Skip the coffee shop version; these homemade Blueberry Muffins can be yours in just 45 minutes.
VIEW RECIPE
Blueberry muffins on a cooling rack.
Strawberry Shortcake
You don’t need to be a pastry chef to master homemade Strawberry Shortcake. With some fresh berries, a little biscuit recipe know-how, and this foolproof shortcake recipe to guide you along, you're all set to stun with this classic dessert recipe.
VIEW RECIPE
Strawberry shortcakes on a white platter.
Strawberry Margarita
This easy-breezy Strawberry Margarita is made with just 5 ingredients and a blender. Add a salted rim and have it on the rocks or frozen. Either way, its delicious!
VIEW RECIPE
Strawberry margarita in a clear stemmed glass.

Melon Recipes

Loaded with edible hydration and lightly sweet flavor, watermelon and cantaloupe can infuse water and non-alcoholic drinks and cocktails, star in fruit salads and smoothie bowls, and more.

Watermelon Agua Fresca
Pretty, pink, and refreshingly sweet, Watermelon Agua Fresca makes drinking water feel like a party! The watermelon version is perfect during the summer months when watermelon is in peak season. Low in calories and high in flavor, you’ll feel like you’re on vacation with every sip!
VIEW RECIPE
Watermelon agua fresca in glasses with wedges of watermelon.

Cucurbit Recipes

Yellow squash, zucchini, and cucumbers are overflowing from farmers market tables, supermarket bins, and perhaps your garden in August. Harvest or add them to your cart, then prep for success with my best summer casseroles, cocktail party snacks, family dinner ideas, and more.

Zucchini Lasagna
Grilled ribbons of zucchini stand in for lasagna noodles in this Italian comfort food entree. With layers of ricotta and marinara-coated ground beef, you won't even realize this is a low-carb casserole.
VIEW RECIPE
A slice of zucchini lasagna on a white plate.
Pickles
Homemade dill pickles add a pop of flavor to sandwiches, salad dressings, and so much more. Learn how to make pickles as mild or spicy as you like. No canning required!
VIEW RECIPE
Three mason jars filled with pickles.
California Pasta Salad
This delicious and colorful California Pasta Salad is always a hit as part of a party menu. Make this easy pasta salad recipe up to a day ahead if you like; the flavors only get better as it marinates.
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A bowl with California pasta salad.

Grasses and Nightshade Vegetable Recipes

Marinara and pomodoro and vodka sauce, oh my! Now is the time to make massive batches of tomato sauce to can or freeze to use all year long. August is also ideal to get your fix of eggplant casseroles and dips as well as all things corn.

Quick Tomato Sauce
Keep this Quick Tomato Sauce in your back pocket for lazy days and last-minute dinners. The recipe is simple to prepare and tastes great after a short simmer time (just 15 minutes).
VIEW RECIPE
A saucepan with quick tomato sauce simmering in it.
Corn on the Cob (4 Ways)
Few things are as wonderful as fresh Corn on the Cob in the heat of summer. Here are four different ways to cook it (grill, instant pot, microwave, and stove), all of them foolproof and completely delicious.
VIEW RECIPE
4 ears of corn on a white plate.
Eggplant Parmesan
This recipe for Eggplant Parmesan uses the high heat of the oven for crispy breaded eggplant without the mess of a deep fryer. Add my 10-minute quick tomato sauce or your favorite jarred sauce and lots of mozzarella for a delicious homemade Italian dinner.
VIEW RECIPE
Eggplant parmesan in a white baking dish.

Leafy Green and Legume Recipes

Let us (get it?) dive in to a big platter of greens! Emerald-hued leaves and beans are so fresh and flavorful in late summer.

Easy Garden Salad
This Easy Garden Salad is colorful, delicious, and completely customizable depending on the season, where you live, and what you have. It's the perfect side dish to almost any meal!
VIEW RECIPE
Easy garden salad on a white platter.
Rainbow Thai Salad with Mango
This Rainbow Thai Salad is full of colorful vegetables, herbs, sweet mango, crunchy nuts, and a delicious sweet and spicy peanut dressing.
VIEW RECIPE
A bowl of rainbow thai mango salad with peanut dressing on the side.
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Meggan Hill is a classically-trained chef and professional writer. Her meticulously-tested recipes and detailed tutorials bring confidence and success to home cooks everywhere. Meggan has been featured on NPR, HuffPost, FoxNews, LA Times, and more.

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Comments

    1. Hi Curtis, thank you for the compliment! I hope these seasonal guides inspire you! – Meggan