Planning your home preserving activities around the seasons just makes sense, so Ness and I put together this little schedule with the approximate windows for local fruits and vegetables. 

January

In January, you’ll be working with winter-stored fruits and vegetables, as well as fresh milk.

• Cheese making – an excellent time to be making hard cheeses that take time to cure, and will store for longer periods of time.

February

Very little changes between January and February. You’ll be working with winter-stored fruits and vegetables, as well as fresh milk. Get out and go for a ski – things are going to get busy in the kitchen in a few months.

March

April

May

With the real beginning of spring, you’re going to be busy in the kitchen! May arrives with a round of spring fruits and vegetables – the same ones you can enjoy all year round with a little bit of planning (and preserving!).

• Asparagus can be canned, fermented, dehydrated, or frozen. We suggest freezing whatever you have room for, as well as dehydrating some to save space (great for winter soups), and pickling more for salads and pizzas.
• Radishes are best eaten fresh, in our humble opinion.
• Spinach will be available, but not at its best until June, so hold off on canning it for you.

Asparagus is normally available in early May until the beginning of June.