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What's in season in March 2024, and other timely information:

This page has a table below that tells when each fruit or vegetable is normally ready to be harvested in Michigan!  We also have a page with links to our own simple instructions on canning, freezing and drying  many fruits and vegetables, such as  how to make jam, apple butter, applesauce, spaghetti sauce, salsa, pickles, ketchup or freezing corn.

Typical Crop Availability - When to Pick in Michigan

Fruit/Veg Jan Feb March April May June July August Sept Oct Nov December
apples                         X X X X X X    
Asian pears                         X X X X X X    
asparagus         X X X X X                      
beans                 X X X X X X X X X X    
beets                       X X X X X        
blackberries                 X X X X                
blueberries                       X X X            
broccoli       X X X                 X X X X    
cabbage       X X X             X X X X X X    
cantaloupes                     X X X X X X        
cherries                   X X X                
chestnuts                               X X X    
Christmas trees                                     X X
cucumbers                     X X X X            
eggplant                     X X X X X X        
greens         X X X X X X X X X X X X X X    
Fruit/Veg Jan Feb March April May June July August Sept Oct Nov December
herbs         X X X X X X X X X X X X X X    
nectarines                     X X X X            
peaches                 X X X X X X X X        
peas               X X                      
peppers                     X X X X X X        
plums                             X X X X    
potatoes             X X X X X X                
pumpkins                             X X X X    
raspberries                     X X X X X X        
rhubarb             X X X X                    
squash                 X X X X X X X X X X    
strawberries       X     X        
sweet corn                         X X X X        
sweet potatoes             x x x x
tomatoes X X X X
watermelons                         X X X X X X    

The light green indicates light crops at the beginning, end, or in between seasons - dark green is when the bulk of the crop ripens and picking is best.

Typical apple ripening dates in Michigan

Apple Varieties Approx Ripening Dates Description & Uses
Jersey
(summer) Mac
mid Aug -
early Sept
Smaller and slightly sweeter than winter mac - eating, sauce, jelly.
Paula Red mid Aug -
early Sept
Crunchy and juicy - good for pies, baking, sauce, drying, jelly.
Gala September Very sweet, soft, does not store well at all
Ginger Gold late August Sweet yellow, like Golden Delicious
Whitney Crab early Sept Large - for spicing and jelly.
State Fair early Sept Sweet/tart, not a real hard apple - eating sauce, jelly, baking, salads.
Early Gold early-mid Sept Tart and crisp, a cross between transparent & a golden - eating, baking, pies, sauce.
Wealthy early-mid Sept Tart and tangy, an antique apple that's excellent for pies, sauce and baking, tart for eating.
Jona-Mac mid-later Sept Jonathan and Macintosh cross - eating, baking, sauce, jelly, pies.
Macintosh mid-late Sept The perennial favorite! - eating, baking, pies(cooks down), sauce, jelly.
Jonathan Mid- September- mid October Sweet, medium firm, eating, baking, sauce, jelly, pies.
Jonagold Mid- September- mid October Sweet, medium firm, eating, baking, sauce, jelly, pies.
Golden Delicious Mid- September- mid October Very sweet, soft, does not store well at all,  - eating, salads, baking, pies, sauce.
Red Delicious Mid- September- mid October Very sweet, soft, does not store well
Cortland mid-late Sept White flesh, crispy, a best seller! Excellent for eating, drying, pies, sauce, baking, jelly, salads.
Honeycrisp late September -
early Oct
Large, firm, juicy dessert apple - our fastest selling eating apple (not recommended for baking).
Sweet 16 late September -
early Oct
Crunchy, juicy, sweet - similar to Honeycrisp (but not quite as hard or large) - eating, salads, can bake.
Snow Apples early Oct Tiny, sweet, aromatic eating apple (an antique apple) - not a keeper!
Spartan early Oct Crunchy, tart, juicy - eating, salads, pies, baking, keeper too!
Gala early Oct Our sweetest apple! crunchy, non-acid eating apple, not large - good for lunch boxes, salads.
Wolf River early-mid Oct Giant, sour old-time pie apple.
Empire early-mid Oct Cross between a Mac and Red Delicious, juicy taste-test favorite! - eating, salads, sauce, drying, can bake.
Cameo early-mid Oct Crisp, sweet/tart eating apple! Great for applesauce
Jonathan early to mid Oct Tart and aromatic - eating, pies (does not "mush"), baking, jelly, applesauce!
Red Haralson mid Oct Tart and juicy. Excellent flavor for pies (cooks down), drying, baking, eating.
Jona-gold early to mid Oct Part Jonathan, part Golden Delicious - good eater, pies, baking, sauce, jelly, salads.
Fuji mid-October Great all-around apple - sweet, firm, stores great
Braeburn mid-October Nice firm, sweet all-purpose apple
Goldrush late-October Sweet golden apple, stores well firm a yellow apple
Rome October Very firm, almost hard apple.  Good formaking baked apples.
Ida Red mid-late Oct All-purpose apple! super keeper - pies, baking, eating (tart), drying, frying!
Northern Spy mid-late Oct Big and firm - pies, baking, drying, eating.
Double Red Stamen Winesap late Oct "Wine-like" flavor, creamy interior, not a large apple in the north - pies, baking, eating.
Yellow Newton Pippen late Oct Antique (Geo. Washington's favorite!) tart, crisp nutty flavor, good keeper and eater. Firm in pies and baking.