6 Foods Worth Buying in September Before Their Season Is Over

September sits in an odd overlap between summer and fall, which means the produce section is quietly running two seasons at once. Some of what looks perfectly normal on the shelf right now is actually on its way out, and waiting even a few weeks means settling for a worse, out-of-season version of the same thing.

Heirloom Tomatoes

September is genuinely the last reliable month for good tomatoes, and heirloom varieties in particular are close to their final stretch. Farm stands and produce guides list ripe tomatoes as still plentiful this month, but that window closes fast once temperatures drop.

Once the season ends, tomatoes shift to greenhouse or long-distance shipped versions that are picked underripe for transport rather than flavor. Buying a few extra pounds now, whether for sauce, canning, or just eating plain with salt, is the last real chance before the difference becomes obvious.

Sweet Corn

Sweet corn holds on through early fall in many regions, but it’s firmly in its final weeks by September. Produce guides note that corn is still available this month alongside other late-summer vegetables, right before the harvest tapers off for the year.

Fresh corn loses sweetness quickly after it’s picked, as the sugars convert to starch, so buying it in-season and using it soon after is what actually makes the difference in flavor. Grilled, boiled, or cut off the cob into a salad, it’s worth grabbing while the ears are still genuinely fresh.

Peaches and Plums

Stone fruit is holding on by a thread in September, with peaches and plums representing the last of the summer harvest before they disappear for the year. Seasonal guides describe late-season stone fruit as still available, but explicitly note to enjoy them while they last.

Once the season passes, stone fruit available in stores comes from much farther away and rarely matches the flavor of something picked at peak ripeness nearby. Freezing sliced peaches or plums is an easy way to stretch the season a little further into the colder months.

Figs

Figs have one of the shortest windows of any common fruit, and September is close to the tail end of it. Fresh figs are described as having a delicate, short season that makes them worth grabbing the moment they’re spotted, rather than waiting.

Their soft texture and floral sweetness don’t hold up well in storage or shipping, which is part of why they’re rarely found fresh outside their actual season. Pairing them with a soft cheese or slicing them into a salad is one of the simplest ways to use them before they’re gone.

Zucchini and Summer Squash

Zucchini and other summer squash are wrapping up an unusually abundant season by September, often described as producing more than anyone knows what to do with by this point in the year. That abundance won’t last much longer once cooler weather sets in.

It’s a good month to stock up for grating into baked goods or slicing for the freezer, since zucchini’s texture doesn’t hold up especially well once the fresh season passes. Zucchini bread exists largely because of exactly this late-summer surplus.

Blackberries and Raspberries

Late-season brambleberries are wrapping up their run by the end of September, making this one of the last chances to get them fresh rather than imported. Guides list blackberries and raspberries among the final fruits still in their true growing window this month.

Freezing a batch while they’re at peak ripeness is a simple way to hold onto that flavor well past the point when fresh ones disappear from local stands. Once the season ends, most berries sold in stores are shipped in from distant growers and rarely taste the same.