11 Foods That Taste Better in September

Grocery store produce sections barely change from month to month, but what’s actually at peak flavor shifts constantly. September sits right at the overlap of summer’s last good crops and fall’s first harvest, which makes it one of the better months to actually pay attention to what’s in season.

Tomatoes

Tomatoes hit their absolute peak flavor in the final stretch of summer, right before the first cool nights arrive. The extended heat throughout the season gives them time to fully develop their sugars, which is why a September tomato tastes noticeably sweeter than one from June.

That window closes fast once temperatures drop, making early September some of the last truly great tomatoes of the year.

Corn

Sweet corn stays in peak season through early September in most regions, still riding the momentum of a full summer of sun. The sugar content is highest right after harvest, before it starts converting to starch.

Buying corn still in its husk and cooking it the same day is the closest most people get to tasting it at its actual best.

Figs

Fresh figs have a short, specific window, and September is right in the middle of it for many varieties. Their flavor turns richer and more honeyed as the season progresses, especially compared to the firmer, less sweet figs available earlier in summer.

They’re delicate enough that most of that flavor is lost in shipping, which makes farmers market figs noticeably better than anything found at a regular grocery store.

Apples

Early apple varieties like Gala and Honeycrisp start hitting their stride in September, offering a crispness and balanced sweetness that later winter storage apples can’t quite match. Freshly picked apples simply taste different than ones that have spent months in cold storage.

That crunch fades over time, which is part of why an apple eaten within weeks of harvest tastes so different from one sitting in a supermarket display months later.

Concord Grapes

Concord grapes have a narrow harvest window that lands squarely in September and early October. Their flavor is deeper and more distinctly grape-like than table grapes available the rest of the year, with a slip-skin texture that’s part of their identity.

They rarely show up outside their actual season, which makes September one of the only real chances to taste them fresh rather than as juice or jelly.

Butternut Squash

Butternut squash starts showing up as the earliest fall harvest kicks in, and the first squash of the season tends to have a cleaner, less starchy sweetness than squash that’s been stored for months. Cooler nights help trigger the sugar development that makes it worth roasting.

Squash harvested later in fall and stored through winter still tastes fine, but early September squash has a brightness that fades the longer it sits.

Brussels Sprouts

Brussels sprouts actually improve as temperatures start to dip, since cooler weather triggers the plant to convert starches into sugars as a natural response. Early fall sprouts tend to taste less bitter than the ones available in the heat of summer.

That shift in sweetness is part of why sprouts have a reputation for tasting better as the season moves along rather than staying consistent year-round.

Pears

Most pear varieties are picked while still firm in early fall and ripen afterward, which makes September pears some of the freshest available all year. Buying them close to harvest means less time spent in cold storage before they reach a plate.

Left at room temperature for a few days, a September pear develops a juiciness that a pear picked and stored months earlier rarely matches.

Pomegranates

Pomegranate season typically begins in September, meaning the fruit found early in the month is about as fresh as it gets. The arils inside are juicier and less dried out compared to fruit that’s been sitting in storage.

Because the season is relatively short, a fresh September pomegranate tastes noticeably different from ones sold later after months on a shelf.

Sweet Potatoes

Sweet potatoes are harvested starting in early fall, and freshly dug ones have a cleaner, less fibrous texture than sweet potatoes that have been in storage for half a year. Their natural sugars are also more pronounced right after harvest.

That freshness fades gradually over months in storage, which is why sweet potatoes picked up in September often taste better than the same vegetable bought in late winter.

Bell Peppers

Bell peppers hit peak sweetness in late summer into September, when extended sun exposure has had the most time to develop their sugar content. Red and yellow peppers in particular taste dramatically different at this point in the season compared to the green, less-ripened peppers available earlier.

That extra ripening time is the difference between a pepper that tastes sharp and one that tastes genuinely sweet.