Produce Availability Calendar
Most seasonality charts are written for home cooks and describe a single domestic growing season. Commercial buyers need something different: what is actually available to order, across all the origins a distributor is buying from, and where in the year an item gets tight or expensive.
This is that chart. It reflects typical availability across the origins we buy from — Mexico, Central and South America, the Caribbean and the United States. Specific origins, sizes and packs shift week to week, so treat this as a planning tool and confirm current supply with our sales team before you commit a menu or a promotion.
| Product | Typical availability | Notes for buyers |
|---|---|---|
| Mangoes | Year-round | Peak Mar–Aug (Mexico), with South American and Caribbean fruit filling the rest |
| Papayas | Year-round | Very steady; Maradol from Mexico and Central America, Solo types from Hawaii and the Caribbean |
| Pomegranates | Aug–Jan domestic, Feb–Jul import | Arils follow the whole-fruit season |
| Medjool Dates | Year-round | Harvested late summer to autumn, stored and released through the year |
| Meyer Lemons | Nov–Mar | Genuinely seasonal; plan promotions inside the window |
| Green Kiwi | Year-round | Northern and Southern Hemisphere seasons overlap |
| Asian Pears | Aug–Mar | Long controlled-atmosphere storage extends the domestic crop |
| Pineapple | Year-round | Steady supply, price moves with freight rather than crop |
| Blueberries | Year-round | Domestic peak Apr–Aug; South American import Oct–Mar |
| Blackberries & Raspberries | Year-round | Tighter and more expensive in the shoulder months |
| Green Asparagus | Year-round | Peru and Mexico carry most of the year; domestic peak Mar–Jun |
| White Asparagus | Mar–Jun | Short seasonal window; best run as a special |
| French Beans, Snow Peas, Sugar Snaps | Year-round | Steadiest Nov–May from Central America and Mexico |
| Fresh Herbs | Year-round | Basil is the most weather-sensitive; cold snaps move price fast |
| Specialty Mushrooms | Year-round | Cultivated indoors, so availability does not follow weather |
| Baby Vegetables | Year-round | Baby squash with blossoms is the most seasonal item in the group |
| Chilies & Peppers | Year-round | Heat levels rise in hot, dry growing seasons |
| Tomatillos | Year-round | Steady from Mexico |
| Heirloom Tomatoes | Peak Jun–Oct | Available outside the window but flavor and price both suffer |
| Edible Flowers & Microgreens | Year-round | Grown under cover; supply is stable, shelf life is not |
| Root Vegetables | Year-round | The most freight-efficient and longest-holding category we ship |
| Specialty Potatoes | Year-round | Storage crop; quality dips at the very end of the storage season |
| Lettuces & Greens | Year-round | Weather events in growing regions move price sharply within days |
How to Use This When Planning
Build menus around the wide windows and specials around the narrow ones. Items marked year-round can be printed on a permanent menu. Items with a defined window — white asparagus, Meyer lemons, heirloom tomatoes at their peak — belong on specials boards and seasonal features, where running out is part of the story rather than a failure.
Year-round does not mean flat price. Almost everything on this list has a cheap season and an expensive one. Berries in the shoulder months, basil after a cold snap, and lettuce after a weather event in a growing region can double in a week. The weekly market outlook is where we flag those moves before they hit your invoice.
Plan promotions six to eight weeks out. Retail programs and menu prints need lead time, and so does a grower. Telling us in advance that you want volume on an item in a given window is the difference between getting it at a good price and paying the spot market.
Plan a Season With Us
Send us the items and volumes you expect to need and the weeks you need them, and we will tell you honestly which are realistic, which will be tight, and where a substitution would serve you better. Miami 305.591.8173, Los Angeles 213.895.6968, or use the contact page. Browse all product categories to see the full range.
