What to Eat in October

📌 What to look for: Firm, smooth skin with no soft spots or bruises. Choose tart, crisp varieties like Granny Smith or Braeburn for baking; sweeter ones like Honeycrisp or Fuji for eating out of hand; and Golden Delicious or McIntosh for making applesauce.
📌 Storage: Keep them in the refrigerator crisper, where they'll stay crisp for weeks. Store them away from other produce, since apples give off a gas that speeds up ripening in neighboring fruits and veggies.
📌 Easy way to cook: Slice and bake with cinnamon, or simmer into a chutney (see the below recipe). Leave the peels on for extra fiber and color.

📌 What to look for: Pears ripen after they're picked, so it's fine to buy them firm, although I prefer to select ones with just a slight amount of give. To test ripeness, gently press near the stem. When the neck yields fairly easily, they're ready.
📌 Storage: Ripen on the counter, then move to the fridge to hold for a few more days.
📌 Easy way to cook: Slice into salads, roast with a little butter and cinnamon, or cook down into jam or a vinaigrette. Bosc pears keep their shape best for baking and poaching.

📌 What to look for: Ripe figs are soft with a gentle give. They don't ripen after picking, so skip the hard ones. October is late in the season, so enjoy them while you can!
📌 Storage: Very perishable. If you brought them home stacked on top of each other in little cardboard boxes, arrange them in a single layer on a paper towel-lined plate or in a shallow, breathable container and refrigerate for up to 5 days.
📌 Easy way to cook: Halve and serve with cheese and honey, toss in a fall salad with sliced apples, or cook down until jammy. Fresh figs and dried figs are also lovely baked in breads.

📌 What to look for: For cooking and baking, choose small sugar pie pumpkins. They're sweeter and less stringy than carving pumpkins. Look for a heavy pumpkin with a hard rind and a stem still attached.
📌 Storage: Whole pumpkins keep for weeks to a few months in a cool, dry spot. Once cut, refrigerate in an airtight container, and use within a few days.
📌 Easy way to cook: Halve, scoop out the seeds, and roast cut side down until tender. Scoop out the flesh and puree it for soup, muffins, or pie. Save the seeds for roasting.

📌 What to look for: A solid, even tan color with no green patches, a hard rind, and a heavy feel. A long neck means more of the dense flesh and fewer seeds.
📌 Storage: Whole butternut keeps for up to 3 months in a cool, dark place. Store peeled and cut pieces in an airtight container and refrigerate for about five days. Drape a slightly damp paper towel over them to keep them from drying out.
📌 Easy way to cook: Peeling can be a chore. Microwave the whole squash for a minute or two to soften the skin first, or buy it pre-cut. Roast cubes at a high temperature until caramelized.

📌 What to look for: Cream-colored with green stripes, firm, and free of soft spots.
📌 Storage: Its thin skin means it doesn't keep as long as other winter squash, so plan to use it within a few weeks.
📌 Easy way to cook: No peeling needed, since the skin is edible and becomes tender when roasted. Slice in half lengthwise, scoop out the seeds, cut into half-moons, and roast.

📌 What to look for: Firm, smooth skin with no soft spots, wrinkles, or sprouts.
📌 Storage: Keep them in a cool, dark, well-ventilated place and not in the refrigerator, which can affect both their texture and flavor. They'll keep for a few weeks.
📌 Easy way to cook: Roast whole until a knife slides in easily, or cut into cubes or fries for faster cooking.

📌 What to look for: Small, firm, bright green sprouts with tight leaves and no yellowing. Sprouts still on the stalk are the freshest.
📌 Storage: Refrigerate unwashed in a breathable plastic bag for up to about a week.
📌 Easy way to cook: Trim the stem ends, halve, and roast cut side down at high heat until deeply browned. Roasting is the key to sweet, nutty sprouts, not the bitter, mushy ones some people remember. They're also good shredded raw in salads.

📌 What to look for: A heavy head with tight, crisp leaves. Read this post for the differences between various types of cabbage and how to use them.
📌 Storage: A whole head keeps for weeks in the refrigerator. Wrap cut cabbage and use within about a week.
📌 Easy way to cook: Roast wedges, braise, or shred for slaw.

📌 What to look for: Tight, dark green florets with no yellowing, and firm stalks.
📌 Storage: Refrigerate unwashed in a loose bag in the crisper, and wash right before using. I like to wrap a damp paper towel around the stalks to keep them from drying out. Uncut broccoli is best used within 7-10 days, but cut florets should be used in 3-5 days.
📌 Easy way to cook: Roast at high heat for crispy, browned edges or steam until tender. Don't toss the stems. Peel, slice, and cook them along with the florets.

📌 What to look for: A dense, creamy-white head with tight florets and no brown spots. You may also find purple, orange, or green varieties this time of year.
📌 Storage: Keep it loosely wrapped in the refrigerator crisper and use within about a week. Pre-cut cauliflower florets are best used within 3-5 days.
📌 Easy way to cook: Roast florets or thick "steaks" until golden. Cauliflower also shreds or pulses into rice and mash.