What Fruit and Veg are at their best now?

 Hi Everyone , I'm new to the site even though I've been reading it for some time, I'm not really computer savvy, but my son has been giving me a helping hand! It's taking me forever to write this post! I am passionate about fresh food and I have noticed in a lot of restaurant menus that they have meals that are available only in "temporada" , which is seasonal food. Something we are not so used to in the UK. None the less I have recently noticed that the season has started for grapes and has ended for strawberries and from what I understand we are just about to go into the season for oranges again, there are a lot of oranges in my area and they are just devine.

I was just wondering what other fruit and vegetables are best to eat at the moment? As they always taste better when in season and I don't want to miss out on anything! 

Any info?

 Hi happyjo welcome to Eye on Spain! In reference to your question I know that apart from the olive harvest which is just around the corner, starts mid October and continues through to December it is also the season for wild mushrooms (setas) right now. I remember when I used to live in Madrid, I used to go with a friend of mine and his father to pick wild mushrooms in the mountains near La Escorial on Sunday mornings. Then we would take them back, just brush off the earth with a soft brush, because if you wash them they loose all their flavour and he would cook them over a wood fired BBQ and serve them with a little olive oil, pressed garlic and fresh parsly drizzled on top. They were absolutely delicious! Highly recommend them!

Hi - around my area the pomegranite trees are absolutely bursting with fruit - but in four years I have never seen them being picked!  It´s dreadful to see them all just rotting on the trees, yet they are still quite expensive in the shops.

I wish someone would organise a Pick you Own scheme here, at least then the farmers would get some kind of return on their crops.

 In Valencia there are oranges everywhere and there is a "pick your own scheme" called ; " Take what you can and run" ! :) Incredible but when you drive pass there is always someone filling up the boot of their car!

You'll probably find that those fields have been inherited by family members who aren't interested in agriculture if they have been abandoned for four years.

The figs may or may not be gone according to where you  live - again, I believe the take what you can and run scheme operates.  Unfortunately, if you eat too many your running ability may be impeded - my husband once partook of about 20 whilst walking the dog up a country lane and met with adverse consequences.

We also have land with massive fig trees, but not in the village where we have our house, so are rarely there now to pick them (so we don't mind people taking advantage).  Incidentally, they are currently to be had for 4 for 50p in Morrisons in the UK - you used to see them sometimes, one for a £1, so that's pretty good. 

There might also still be some grapes around, I should think.

In the south, our oranges aren't usually ready until about December and then they hang around until May at the latest.

The figs may or may not be gone according to where you  live - again, I believe the take what you can and run scheme operates.  Unfortunately, if you eat too many your running ability may be impeded - my husband once partook of about 20 whilst walking the dog up a country lane and met with adverse consequences.

We also have land with massive fig trees, but not in the village where we have our house, so are rarely there now to pick them (so we don't mind people taking advantage).  Incidentally, they are currently to be had for 4 for 50p in Morrisons in the UK - you used to see them sometimes, one for a £1, so that's pretty good. 

There might also still be some grapes around, I should think.

In the south, our oranges aren't usually ready until about December and then they hang around until May at the latest.

 I can't say I've seen many fig trees in my area, it all seems to be orange trees, olive trees and almonds. However I must admit I do love figs. I will be looking out for them. 

There are a few fig trees along by the river where I live in Melegis, Lecrin el Valle, Andalucia.  Also loads of orange and lemon trees but they are not ready until at least November/December.  A lot of thes are left to drop and rot - such a waste, so I pick them whenever I can along my walks, usually with my pockets bulging!  I have two lemon trees in my garden area, an orange tree and a mandarin tree (not keen on those - too many pips and they are quite small).  Wish I had a fig tree!  Love them but, no, not good to eat too many at one time!!  Can't seem to get watercress in any of the supermarkets so I brought a pack back with me from Tesco when I last went over - full of vitamin D and I love it.

Does anyone know where you would find Sloes growing in the Alicante area?  I love making sloe gin but think this area is probably too dry to grow the bushes - also known as Blackthorn.  Someone did tell me they grew up around the Alcoy area but I have never seen them.

I wouldn't plant a fig tree in your garden as although figs are tasty, the trees look very ugly for most of the year and spread out quite a bit and you can't burn the wood.  Banana trees can also be a mistake; they also spread like crazy and have ugly looking 'leaves/fronds' (don't know what they're called in any language).  I was very proud that I managed to grow one from a small plant and now wish I hadn't bothered and have cut it right back.  Often you can't get your hands on the bananas as they dangle over the neighbour's garden.  I agree about the mandarins, especially if they're on an old tree - lots of horrid pips; this can happen with old vines, too, with horrid seeded grapes. 

A lovely tree that you should grow in the south (don't know how far up the country these will grow) is the loquat (nispero).  This is possibly the tastiest fruit on the planet and also makes a good jam, if you've got a glut.  They are out in the south around May.  We don't see them in UK supermarkets as they don't travel well.  I've got a load of loquat plants growing in Wales but according to a google search, they will not produce fruit (they might if they were put into an enormous greenhouse). 

One thing that it is almost impossible to get in the south is the marvellous raspberry (contender with the loquat for the accolade of best fruit ever).  Apparently they need to grow at a certain altitude and temperature.  Some friends didn't even know what a 'frambuesa' was until I managed to get hold of some one day to put on my brandy, cream and raspberry gateau.  In the south they also have an inexplicable habit of growing 'chirimoya' (custard apple).  I can't stand that one and used to get given plastic bagfuls, probably because the person giving them couldn't stand them either. 

 I couldn't say that I have seen Sloe berries in Alcoy, but I believe you are right, I have heard the same thing. However the region that has most sloe berries is Navarra, home of the pacharran. (endrinas) The season finishes at the end of October as far as I am aware.