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What's In Season?

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Kent is known as the "Garden of England" for good reason, as we grow the best products in the country and right on your doorstep.

SECTION 1 illustrates Produce in season right now (you can 'filter' your choice by type of product e.g. 'Meat and Game').

Click on a picture and you will find information as to:-

- how to prepare and cook it

- how long you should store it in your fridge

- how to prepare it for the freezer and how long you should keep it in your freezer

SECTION 2 Al the produce grown in Kent and their seasons.

We are keen to hear from you if you have other ideas in terms of preparing and cooking items plus any recipes you would like to share. Please send your ideas to info@kfma.org.uk

Filters

All seasons

 Jan  Feb  Mar  Apr  May  Jun  Jul  Aug  Sep  Oct  Nov  Dec 
Green Vegetables
Asparagus
Aubergines
Broad Beans
Broccoli Calabrese
Broccoli purple sprouting
Brussels sprouts
Butternut squash
Cabbages
Cauliflower
Celery
Chard
Chicory
Chillies
Corn on The Cob
Courgettes (zucchini)
Cucumbers
French beans
Green/French Beans
Kale
Leeks
Lettuce
Mangetout
Marrow
Pak choi
Peas
Peppers
Pumpkin/Squash
Radishes
Rocket
Runner beans
Savoy cabbage
Spinach
Spring cabbage
Spring greens
Sweetcorn
Tomatoes
Watercress
Winter cabbage
Winter greens
Root Vegetables
Beetroot
Carrots
Garlic
Onions
Parsnips
Potatoes (Main Crop)
Potatoes (New)
Shallots
Spring onions
Swede
Turnips
Fruits and Nuts
Apples
Apricots
Blackberries
Blackcurrents
Cherries
Chestnuts
Cobnuts
Damsons
Gooseberries
Grapes
Greengages
Loganberries
Melons
Pears
Plums
Raspberries
Redcurrants
Rhubarb
Strawberries
Walnuts
Whitecurrents
Meat and Game
Beef
Chicken
Duck
Goose
Grouse
Guinea fowl
Lamb
Mince
Mutton
Partridge
Pheasant
Pork
Rabbit
Teal and Mallard
Turkey
Veal
Venison
Wood pigeon
Fish
Brill
Clams
Cockles
Cod
Crab
Doversole
Haddock
Hake
Halibut
Herring
John dory
Lemon sole
Lobster
Mackeral
Monkfish
Mussels
Oysters
Plaice
Salmon
Sardines
Scallops
Sea trout
Turbot

PreparationX

More...

FreezeX

More...

BlanchX

  • Boil enough water to cover all the produce
  • Clean produce and then chop into equal sized pieces
  • Place produce in water from 1- 5 minutes and boil until just tender
  • Rinse under cold water until cool (This helps stabilize the colour of green vegetables and protect their flavour and texture. It also destroys microorganisms on the leaves, protects vitamins and wilts them, making them easier to pack.
  • Drain and place in sealed container and freeze

Flash FreezeX

Once blanched, pat dry and place on baking paper so the individual items do not touch each other. Note Place the baking paper/sheet on a hard surface to keep items level so they do NOT touch each other Freeze for up to 8 hours before packing into freezer bags. This keeps items separate and easy to take out of bags

GlazeX

Dip fish in cold water. Place on a sheet in the freezer, freeze, repeat to get a 1/4 inch thick ice glaze

Fridge:X

Getting the best out of your fridge
  • Warm air rises so the coldest area of your fridge is the bottom shelf. The warmest area is in the door
  • Always place newer food behind the same older food
  • Temperature should be between1 and 4°C
  • Store raw meats on the bottom shelf to reduce the risk of dripping meat juices,
  • Cover and seal all food in sealed bags or containers.
  • Read storage instructions as some foods, such as jars and bottles, need to be stored in the refrigerator once opened.
  • Cool leftovers as quickly as possible before placing in the fridge
Optimising Fridge shelf storage
Top ShelfPrepared Foods
Shelf 2Fruits and Veg
Shelf 3Fish/Seafood
Shelf 4Raw meat
Crisper unitSalads

FreezerX

  • Must be kept below -18°C
  • ALWAYS label all items with a description and date of freezing
  • Food stored within a freezer should be carefully wrapped to avoid freezer burn.
  • If a freezer is turned off and defrosted, all foods that have not been kept frozen should be disposed of.
  • Packing for freezer.
    • Freezing in small or individual portions is the most effective way of freezing, e.g. wrap steaks as individual items and place into a zip bag or vacuum pouch, this will both freeze quickly & save time defrosting & help control food waste.
    • To avoid freezer burn, meat especially, needs to be fully wrapped with as little air as possible in the bag. The best way to do this is using a vacuum packer as it seals the pack and removes the air. Tightly wrapping in cling film and placing into a ‘zip bag’ also works well.
    • NEVER freeze warm food
    • ALWAYS try to freeze raw food on the day of purchase
    • DEFROST raw food in the fridge (note:- a large turkey of 5-7kg could take up to 4 days to fully defrost)
    • ALWAYS cook defrosted food on the day of taking out of the fridge
    • DO NOT re-freeze raw food, though it can be cooked and re-frozen

Stir FryX

to cook rapidly over a high heat whilst stirring

StewX

to cook slowly in liquid in a closed pan

CompoteX

fruit cooked in sugar and water

DefrostingX

In all cases make sure there is no possibility of any residue dripping onto food stored below.
  1. In the fridge on kitchen towel Remove packaging, place product on a suitable plate with 2 sheets of kitchen towel underneath. Cover with cling film and leave in the fridge for 12-24 hours until fully defrosted. This method protects the product, draws away excess moisture and ensures the quality.
  2. In the fridge in vac pack Cut off just a corner of the pack and position it so that the water can drip out of the hole into a bowl.
  3. Under a cold tap Keep the product in its packaging and run it under COLD (never warm!) water. Make sure there are no holes in the packaging as it will affect quality and flavour.
  4. In Microwave Remove all packaging, use the microwave de-frost function, inspecting every 60 seconds. Be careful not to start cooking the product!

PestoX

A sauce made by crushing basil leaves, pine nuts, garlic, parmesan cheese and olive oil.

BakeX

Baking is a method of preparing food that uses dry heat, typically in an oven. Heat is gradually transferred from the surface of cakes and breads to their centres. As heat travels through the item the batter and doughs are transformed into baked goods with a firm dry crust and a softer centre.

RoastX

Roasting is a cooking method that uses dry heat where hot air covers the food, cooking it evenly on all sides with temperatures of at least 150C (300F). Roasting can enhance the flavour through caramelization on the surface of the food and is suitable for slower cooking of large pieces of meat. Meats and most root and bulb vegetables can be roasted.

SautéX

BoilingX

Boiling is the cooking of food in water that has been heated to near its boiling point (212 F / 100 C) Note:-. Sugar and salt, raise the boiling point of the water. Boiling is used to cook meats and vegetables.

SteamingX

Steaming uses hot steam to heat the food, leaving it tender and moist. It's advantage is that there is no agitation involved, so it's gentler and, as it doesn't require the food to be submerged, it avoids the loss of nutrients through leaching. It also cooks relatively quickly.

Poaching X

BakingX

Baking is a method of preparing food that uses dry heat, typically in an oven. Heat is gradually transferred from the surface of cakes and breads to their centres. As heat travels through the item the batter and doughs are transformed into baked goods with a firm dry crust and a softer centre.

BakingX

Baking is a method of preparing food that uses dry heat, typically in an oven. Heat is gradually transferred from the surface of cakes and breads to their centres. As heat travels through the item the batter and doughs are transformed into baked goods with a firm dry crust and a softer center.

PoachingX

Poaching heats food submerged in a liquid, such as water, milk, stock or wine. It uses a relatively lower temperature (about 70 C and 176 F)) which makes it particularly suitable for delicate food, such as eggs, poultry, fish and fruit, which might easily fall apart or dry out using other cooking methods. It is often considered a healthy cooking method because it does not use fat for cooking or flavouring the food.

SautéX

A French term used to describe a method for frying food using high heat. The food is fried in the pan uncovered using a small quantity of butter or oil. When the food is turned only once in the pan in order to cook both sides.

SautéX

A French term used to describe a method for frying food using high heat. The food is fried in the pan uncovered using a small quantity of butter or oil. When the food is turned only once in the pan in order to cook both sides.

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