A Guide to Eating Seasonally This Summer

The push to eat more seasonally isn't just a fad - it's a sustainable, healthy and delicious way to eat. It allows you to connect with nature and make the most of the best Scottish produce when it’s at its most nutritious, delicious, and affordable. 

In summer we get to enjoy a bounty of flavours - from sun-ripened berries to crisp salad greens and sweet heritage tomatoes.

So whether you're shopping at a local farmers' market, local deli, or growing your own - learning what's in season this summer can help you eat fresher, cook smarter, and support Scottish producers.

There's something magical about biting into a strawberry that was picked just hours ago, or tossing courgette flowers into a salad straight from the garden. This is seasonal eating is all about - capturing ingredients at their peak and celebrating nature's rhythm.

Why Eat Seasonally in Summer?

Fresher Flavour, Better Nutrition

It’s just common sense that a tomato ripened in Scottish sunshine tastes more vibrant than one that's travelled thousands of miles. Scottish strawberries develop complex sugars and antioxidants that greenhouse alternatives simply can't match.

Shorter time between harvest and plate preserves vital nutrients like vitamin C and folate. When you buy from Scottish producers, you're often eating vegetables that were growing just days before.

Reduced Carbon Footprint

Buying and eating local food over mass produced alternatives from across the work dramatically reduces your meal's environmental impact. Scottish carrots may travel 20 miles to your plate versus 2,000+ miles for imports.

Supports Local Farms and Producers

Every pound spent with Scottish farms keeps money in your local food economy. Small-scale farmers depend on direct sales to sustain their businesses and continue growing the high-quality ingredients that make Scotland's food scene special.

What's in Season in Scotland This Summer?

Scotland's summer harvest is a celebration of the country's unique climate and growing conditions.

From June through September, Scottish farms and gardens burst with incredible variety - sweet juicy berries that thrive with our long summer  days, vegetables that thrive in cool temperatures, and herbs that develop intense flavours in the clean air.

Understanding what's at its peak each month will help you plan meals around the very best ingredients while supporting the dedicated growers who make this abundance possible.

Fruits: Nature's Sweet Rewards

Strawberries are perhaps Scotland's most celebrated summer fruit. Strawberry season in Scotland typically runs from early June through August, when the cooler Scottish climate means these berries develop slowly, concentrating their sweetness and developing that perfect balance of tartness.

[Try 6 exciting ways to use Scottish strawberries this summer]

Raspberries follow closely behind, with Scottish raspberries considered among the world's finest. The combination of long summer days and cool nights creates ideal growing conditions. Look for varieties like Glen Ample and Tulameen at farmers' markets.

Blackcurrants thrive in Scotland's climate, offering intense, almost wine-like flavours that are perfect for jams, cordials, and desserts. Their high vitamin C content made them crucial during wartime rationing, and they remain a nutritional powerhouse today.

Gooseberries might seem old-fashioned, but these tart gems are experiencing a revival. Scottish varieties range from the sharp cooking types perfect for crumbles to sweeter dessert gooseberries that can be eaten fresh.

Vegetables: The Garden's Generous Gifts

Courgettes are prolific summer growers in Scotland, and a single plant can provide weeks of harvest. From tender baby courgettes perfect for salads to larger specimens ideal for stuffing or baking into bread, they're incredibly versatile.

Peas represent summer's green abundance. Scottish peas are particularly sweet when picked young, and the entire plant is edible—pea shoots make excellent salad additions, while pods can be used in stocks.

Broad beans are an ancient crop that thrives in Scottish summers. The young beans are tender enough to eat raw, while mature beans develop a more robust flavour that pairs beautifully with Scottish cheeses and cured meats.

Salad leaves grow exceptionally well in Scotland's moderate summer temperatures. From peppery rocket to mild lettuce varieties, Scottish growers produce some of the UK's finest salad greens.

New potatoes are a summer highlight, with Scottish varieties like Ayrshire Earlies and Rocket offering waxy textures perfect for salads. These potatoes have thin skins that require only gentle scrubbing, not peeling.

Carrots reach their sweet peak in Scottish summer soil. Purple, white, and traditional orange varieties offer different flavours and textures, from crunchy finger carrots to robust main crop varieties.

Beetroot develops incredible sweetness when grown in Scottish summer conditions. Beyond the familiar red variety, Scottish growers produce golden, striped, and white beetroots with distinct flavour profiles.

Herbs: Aromatic Garden Treasures

Mint grows abundantly in Scottish gardens, with varieties like spearmint and apple mint offering different aromatic qualities. Fresh mint transforms everything from new potato salads to summer drinks.

Parsley provides bright, fresh flavour that complements almost any dish. Flat-leaf parsley offers more intense flavour than curly varieties and pairs particularly well with Scottish seafood.

Chives are among the first herbs to appear in spring and continue producing through summer. Their mild onion flavour and pretty purple flowers make them both culinary and decorative.

Dill thrives in Scotland's cool summers, providing feathery fronds with a distinctive anise-like flavour that pairs beautifully with salmon and new potatoes.

Where to Find Local Produce

Farmers' Markets in Edinburgh, Glasgow, Inverness

Edinburgh's Saturday farmers' market at Castle Terrace brings together Lothian producers offering everything from organic salads to heritage varieties. Glasgow's monthly Mansfield Park market in Partick showcases west Scotland producers, while Inverness celebrates unique Highland produce from game to soft fruits.

Farm Shops and Pick-Your-Own Berry Farms

Farm shops provide direct access to same-day harvested produce and specialty varieties never found in supermarkets. Pick-your-own farms like Cairnie Fruit Farm in Fife create family traditions while connecting consumers directly with their food. Many farms now offer subscription boxes of seasonal produce.

Scottish Veg Box Schemes and CSAs

Vegetable box deliveries and Community Supported Agriculture schemes make seasonal eating convenient. These services often include recipe suggestions and cooking tips, transforming unfamiliar vegetables from challenge into adventure while supporting local farms.

Tips for Cooking with Seasonal Ingredients

Keep It Simple to Let the

Ingredients Shine

The beauty of truly fresh, seasonal ingredients lies in their inherent flavour. A perfectly ripe Scottish strawberry needs nothing more than perhaps a light dusting of sugar or a splash of cream.

New potatoes boiled with a sprig of mint and a knob of butter showcase their natural sweetness better than any complex preparation.

This doesn't mean seasonal cooking has to be boring. Instead, it means choosing techniques and accompaniments that enhance rather than mask natural flavours. Grilling brings out the sweetness in summer vegetables, while raw preparations preserve the bright, fresh taste of just-picked produce.

Pair Fruits with Herbs for Summer Desserts

Scottish summer fruits pair beautifully with fresh herbs in unexpected ways. Strawberries and basil create a sophisticated combination, while raspberries and thyme offer earthy complexity.

These pairings work particularly well in simple preparations like fruit salads, sorbets, or light tarts.

The key is using herbs sparingly—they should whisper rather than shout. A few torn mint leaves in a bowl of Scottish berries, or a sprig of rosemary in a gooseberry compote, can transform simple ingredients into memorable dishes.

Batch Prep Salads, Soups, and Dips

Summer's abundance can be overwhelming, but smart batch preparation helps you make the most of seasonal plenty. Cold soups like gazpacho or chilled pea and mint soup improve after a day in the refrigerator, allowing flavours to meld and develop.

Prepared salad components store well when kept separate—washed greens in one container, chopped vegetables in another, and dressing made fresh just before serving. This approach means weeknight dinners can feature peak-season produce with minimal effort.

Vegetable-based dips and spreads use surplus produce while creating convenient, healthy snacks. Beetroot hummus, broad bean and mint dip, or courgette and herb spread all celebrate summer flavours while providing protein-rich options for busy days.

Storing and Preserving Summer Abundance

Freezing Berries for Later Use

Scottish berries freeze beautifully, preserving summer's flavours for darker months ahead. The key is freezing berries individually on trays before transferring to containers—this prevents them from freezing into solid blocks.

Strawberries benefit from a light coating of sugar before freezing, which helps preserve their texture. Raspberries and blackcurrants freeze well without any additions, maintaining their shape and flavour for months.

Frozen berries work excellently in smoothies, baking, and cooked desserts. While they won't maintain the texture needed for fresh applications, they provide intense fruit flavour that can transform winter meals.

Making Herb Oils and Vinegars

Summer's herb abundance can be preserved in oils and vinegars that capture their essential flavours. Herb oils work best with hardy herbs like rosemary and thyme, while more delicate herbs like basil and parsley are better suited to vinegar preservation.

The process is simple but requires attention to food safety. Clean, dry herbs are essential to prevent bacterial growth. Store finished products in sterilized containers and use within reasonable timeframes.

These preserved flavours add complexity to winter cooking, providing bright herb notes when fresh options are limited or expensive.

Quick Pickles and Ferments

Excess summer vegetables transform beautifully into quick pickles and ferments. Unlike traditional preserving methods, these techniques require no special equipment and produce results in days rather than months.

Quick-pickled vegetables like carrots, beetroot, and courgettes add acidity and crunch to meals while extending the life of surplus produce. Fermented vegetables like sauerkraut and kimchi provide beneficial probiotics along with preserved flavours.

These preservation methods also reduce food waste, allowing you to use vegetables that might otherwise spoil before you can eat them fresh.

Choosing Imperfect Veg

If reducing food waste is something important to you, then embracing imperfect, or ‘wonky’ veg is an easy swap to make immediately.

Perfect looking vegetables often come at the cost of flavour and environmental impact. Misshapen vegetables taste just as good as their perfect counterparts but often cost less and require fewer resources to produce.

Many farmers' markets and box schemes specifically offer "imperfect" produce, celebrating the natural variation that comes with sustainable growing methods. These vegetables often have more character and flavour than standardized supermarket produce.

Choosing imperfect vegetables also supports farmers by reducing waste and providing income for produce that might otherwise be discarded for cosmetic reasons.

Embracing Summer's Seasonal Bounty

Eating seasonally this summer is an opportunity to reconnect with nature, boost your culinary creativity, and support local Scottish producers. Whether you're whipping up a quick salad or preserving the best of July's berries, summer ingredients offer endless inspiration.

By choosing Scottish summer produce, you're participating in a food system that values quality over quantity, flavour over appearance, and sustainability over convenience. These choices create a more resilient local food economy while providing your family with the freshest, most nutritious ingredients available.

The techniques and recipes in this guide provide starting points for your seasonal cooking adventures. Let the ingredients guide your creativity, and share these experiences with others—seasonal eating becomes most meaningful when it builds community around shared appreciation for quality food.

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