Israeli Produce Calendar

This page is connected with my posts on Machane Yehuda Market. Click here for my post on “The Shuk Calendar.”

Almost all produce in Israel is locally grown, and thus seasonal. Over the past year, plus, I have created a calendar of when foods first become available at Jerusalem’s Machane Yehuda Market.

The calendar below (click pictures for larger images) just marks when the seasons begin. Some produce stays in season for a long time, some very short. The calendar below is approximate, and I will try to update. It is not comprehensive, but comes close.

After the monthly calendar, I also list the produce alphabetically, so you can search to find out when something specific comes into season.

Available Year-Round

Multi-colored Cherry and Grape tomatoes

Tomatoes are available year-round in Israel

Some produce in Israel is available (more or less) the whole year, either due to different varietals, greenhouse cultivation or storage. And there is a small portion of imported produce, also lengthening seasons.

Even though these fruits and vegetables are always available, there are still better times to buy them. For example, apples are better in fall and early winter, citrus fruits and root vegetables in winter, tomatoes in late spring/early summer, etc.

Apples, Bell Peppers, Broccoli, Cabbage, Cauliflower, Celery, Chili Peppers, Citrus Fruits, Cucumbers, Eggplants, Fennel, Garlic (dried), Grapes, Lettuce, Melons (they sell many varieties, all simply sold as “melon,” that ripen throughout the year), Mushrooms, Onions, Potatoes, Radishes, Scallions, Summer Squash (normal dark-green zucchini isn’t always available, but other varieties are), Tomatoes.

January


Mangold, Pomelo

Citrus fruits (oranges, lemons, clementines, grapefruits) are starting to hit their prime.

February


Asparagus, Bok Choy, Cardoon, Hass Avocado (other avocados are available before and after), Kumquat

Late February


Chamomile, Fava Beans, Loquat, Passionfruit, Pea, Rhubarb

March


Fresh Almond, Blood Orange, Fresh Chickpea, Grape Leaves

Late March


Baby Eggplant, Corn (available, but not very good until June), Fresh Garlic (not dried, available starting a few weeks before Passover)

April


Papaya

Late April


Cherry, Green Sour Plums, Nectarine, Peach, Watermelon, Winter Squashes (e.g. acorn, butternut, kobocha/Japanese pumpkin)

May


Akub (Hebrew/Arabic name, aka Gundelia or Thorn Thistle – a type of small wild artichoke), Apricot, Okra, Pineapple (tiny now, bigger in a few months), Plum, Wax Bean

June


Fig, Lychee

July


Blackberry, Mango, Raspberry

Late July


Pomegranate

August


Avocado, Dragonfruit, Fresh Date, Jujube, Quince, Sabra (Prickly Pear/Cactus Fruit)

September


Banana, Lime, Pear

October


Carambola/Star Fruit, Custard Apple/Annona, Guava, Kiwi, Persimmon, Raw Olives (for home pickling)

Root vegetables starting to get large.

November


Baby Artichoke, Strawberry

December


Artichoke

Alphabetical list of Produce in Season

Acorn Squash – Late April
Akub – May
Almonds (fresh) – March
Annona – see Custard Apple
Apples – Year-round
Apricots – May
Artichokes – December
Artichokes, Baby – November
Asparagus – February
Avocado – August
Avocado, Hass – February
Bananas – September
Bell Peppers – Year-round
Blackberries – July
Blood Oranges – March
Bok Choy – February
Broccoli – Year-round
Butternut Squash – Late April
Cabbage – Year-round
Cactus Fruit – see Sabra
Carambola – see Star Fruit
Cardoon – February
Cauliflower – Year-round
Celery – Year-round
Chamomile (fresh) – Late February
Cherries – Late April
Chickpeas (fresh) – March
Chili Peppers – Year-round
Corn – Late March
Cucumbers – Year-round
Custard Apple – October
Dates (fresh) – August
Dragonfruit – August
Eggplants – Year-round
Eggplants, Baby – Late March
Fava Beans – Late February
Fennel – Year-round
Figs – June
Garlic (dried) – Year-round
Garlic (fresh) – Late March
Grapes – Year-round
Grape Leaves – March
Grapefruits – Year-round
Guava – October
Gundelia – see Akub
Japanese Pumpkin – see Kobocha

Jujube – August
Kiwi – October
Kobocha – Late April
Kumquats – February
Lemons – Year-round
Lettuce – Year-round
Limes – September
Loquats – Late February
Lychee – June
Mango – July
Mangold – January
Melons – Year-round
Mushrooms – Year-round
Nectarines – Late April
Okra – May
Olives (raw) – October
Onions – Year-round
Oranges – Year-round
Oranges, Blood – March
Papaya – April
Passionfruit – Late February
Peaches – Late April
Peas – Late February
Pears – September
Persimmon – October
Pineapple – May
Plums – May
Plums, Green Sour – Late April
Pomegranate – Late July
Pomelos – January
Potatoes – Year-round
Prickly Pear – see Sabra
Quince – August
Radishes – Year-round
Raspberries – July
Rhubarb – Late February
Sabra – August
Scallions – Year-round
Star Fruit – October
Strawberries – November
Summer Squash – Year-round
Thorn Thistle – see Akub
Tomatoes – Year-round
Watermelon – Late April
Wax Beans – May
Winter Squash – Late April