Basic guide to seasonal fruits: which are they and how to choose them?

With the winter season comes the cold, and with it, the typical illnesses of this period, such as the flu. However, nature is very wise and provides us with fruits high in vitamins and minerals, such as guava, lime, strawberry, lemon, orange, grapefruit, tangerine, kiwi, and pineapple to combat any cold.In Mexico, throughout the year and according to the season, there are seasonal fruits that differ from those harvested by month. These fruits are rich, inexpensive, and accessible.In addition to adding variety to the diet, seasonal fruits provide vitamins and minerals to the body, necessary for its proper functioning and suitable for the change of season.To ensure you never buy an unripe, out-of-season mango again, here are some fruits available throughout the year, by month.January: strawberry, guava, lemon, tangerine, melon, orange, papaya, pineapple, banana, tamarind, grapefruit, lime, and apple.February: strawberry, guava, lemon, tangerine, melon, orange, papaya, pineapple, banana, tamarind, grapefruit, soursop, and apple.March: strawberry, lemon, mango, melon, orange, papaya, pineapple, banana, watermelon, tamarind, grapefruit, soursop, and apple.April: strawberry, soursop, lemon, mango, melon, orange, papaya, pineapple, banana, watermelon, grapefruit, and tamarind.May: lemon, mango, melon, papaya, pear, pineapple, banana, and watermelon.June: lemon, mango, melon, papaya, pear, pineapple, banana, and watermelon.July: lemon, mango, melon, papaya, pear, pineapple, banana, watermelon, and prickly pear.August: guava, lemon, mango, melon, papaya, pear, banana, watermelon, and prickly pear.September: guava, lime, lemon, mango, melon, papaya, pear, banana, watermelon, grapefruit, and prickly pear.October: guava, lime, lemon, tangerine, orange, papaya, pear, banana, grapefruit, and apple.November: guava, lime, lemon, tangerine, orange, banana, grapefruit, and apple.December: strawberry, guava, lime, lemon, tangerine, orange, papaya, pear, pineapple, banana, tamarind, grapefruit, and apple.In the city markets, you can find a wide variety of these fruits, so now that you know in which month each fruit is available, follow this guide to know how to choose them and take home the best of these foods.If you're looking for citrus fruits like orange, tangerine, grapefruit, and lemon that yield large amounts of juice, you should choose those with smooth and soft skin, and that are large and heavy. You can store fruits with these characteristics in the refrigerator for up to ten days, and they will retain their properties intact.On the other hand, guava is the preferred fruit for obtaining a high vitamin C content. In the market, there will be various sizes and colors, but undoubtedly the best ones are those with a yellowish skin with pinkish touches and a sweet smell.Sugarcane juice contains 46% sucrose, is highly nutritious, and helps combat colds, coughs, and kidney pain, so to buy the best in the market, you should select the freshly cut ones, without black spots on the skin and cut from the lateral ends.Tejocote is a fruit that contains iron, B complex, and vitamins; it is used for punch and on Day of the Dead altars, so you should acquire those with orange skin that are very firm; even if you buy those that are still green, you can ripen them by wrapping them in brown paper in a warm place.The important thing when choosing fruits and vegetables is to use your senses and feel their texture and firmness, see their colors, or even smell the fruit to know if it is ripe or not.