What’s in season in August

Heat-loving crops like tomatoes, cucumbers and chilies are in their prime now. Even aubergines and peppers, which are imported to the UK all year round, can be found growing in British greenhouses and veg gardens this month.

If you don’t grow your own, visit your local farm shop, market or greengrocers to enjoy all that summer has to offer.

Vegetables to harvest or buy

Aubergines Beetroot Broccoli Cabbage Cauliflower Carrots Celery Chard Courgettes and summer squash Cucumbers Fennel French beans Lettuce and other salad leaves Potatoes Peas and mangetout Peppers and chilies Runner beans Tomatoes Spring onions Sweetcorn

Fruit to harvest or buy

Blackberries Blueberries Raspberries Plums Early apple varieties such as ‘Discovery’ 8

This month we're talking about sweetcorn

There is nothing like sweetcorn picked, peeled and popped in the pan straight away. It bears little resemblance to those starchy, ready prepared cobs you find wrapped in plastic on the supermarket shelves. If you don’t grow your own, look for cobs at greengrocers which are sold in their leafy husks, as these keep fresher for longer. The individual yellow kernals should release a milky liquid when cut into.

Sweetcorn is a close relation of maize but, while maize is left to mature and become starchy so the kernals can be ground into flour, sweetcorn is eaten young and sweet. Fresh sweetcorn has been enjoyed by Native Americans for centuries and is now popular all over the world. Modern varieties we buy in the UK or grow ourselves have been bred to be extra sweet.