July is the month Kentucky farmers markets really hit their stride. The spring crops are long gone, the fall harvest is still months away, and what’s left in between is about as good as produce gets in this part of the country. If you’ve been to a market lately, you’ve probably noticed the tables are fuller and the colors are louder. Here’s what’s actually in season right now, and a few ideas for what to do with it.
Tomatoes
July through October is tomato season in Kentucky, and July is when they start showing up in real volume. This is the stretch where a tomato tastes like something worth paying attention to, not the pale, mealy version that shows up in grocery stores the rest of the year. Slice one with a little salt and good olive oil and you’ll understand why people get so worked up about tomato season.
Sweet Corn
Corn is a July through September crop here, and there’s a reason so many people plan their summer meals around it. Fresh-picked corn has a sugar content that starts dropping the moment it’s off the stalk, so the corn at a farmers market on a Saturday morning is a different food entirely than what’s been sitting in a truck for a week. Grill it, boil it, or cut it off the cob for a quick salad with tomatoes and basil.
Watermelon and Cantaloupe
Both melons run July through September, and July is right in the sweet spot. A good local melon doesn’t need much done to it. Cold, sliced, maybe a little mint or a squeeze of lime, and that’s dinner on a hot night.
Peaches and Plums
Kentucky peaches run June through August, and plums are a July through September crop, so both are readily available this month. Stone fruit season is short, which is part of what makes it worth chasing down. If you end up with more than you can eat, they hold up well in a cobbler or grilled with a little brown sugar.
Blackberries and Raspberries
Blackberries run June through October and raspberries June through September, so July is smack in the middle of both. Berries don’t keep long once picked, so the “use them fast” rule applies here more than almost anywhere else. Eat them plain, toss them on yogurt, or bake them into something if you can resist eating the whole container first.
Peppers, Cucumbers, and Summer Squash
These are the workhorses of a July market table. Peppers run July through September, cucumbers and summer squash June through October. They’re the kind of vegetables that show up in everything from quick pickles to a simple sauté, and they tend to be some of the most affordable items at the market this time of year because they’re producing so heavily.
Green Beans, Okra, and Eggplant
Rounding out the list, green beans run June through September, okra June through September, and eggplant June through September. All three are staples of Kentucky summer cooking, whether that means a pot of beans simmered with a little bacon, fried okra, or eggplant on the grill.
Why It’s Worth Paying Attention
None of this is complicated information, but it’s easy to lose track of what’s actually in season when grocery stores stock the same produce year-round regardless of the calendar. Farmers markets don’t have that luxury, which is exactly what makes them useful. What’s on the table tells you what’s ready right now, grown close by, and picked recently enough to still taste like something.
If you’re planning meals this month, July gives you a genuinely wide range to work with. Tomatoes and corn alone can carry most of a summer dinner, and everything else on this list is happy to fill in the gaps.
Source: Kentucky Department of Agriculture, Kentucky Proud Seasonal Produce Guide
