Foodies Foods You Eat Out-of-Season?

[Tom]

What are some foods that you eat out of season?
Not just fruits & vegetables, entrees, snacks and whole dinners too?

I like making a whole turkey in the summer, not just for dinner, I love leftover turkey.

I'm thinking of making a batch of pickled eggs. Pickled eggs are a spring snack for around Easter time. I just have a hankering.

What out of season foods do have to have that are not local. Foods that must be delivered to your area.
I see fresh strawberries all year round, from California.

Do you regularly buy any foods that are imported from another country?
Many foods that you would think are imported are actually produced in this country.

For those of you from Europe (other than USA) are there any foods you must have that are imported from the USA?

 

[Kevin]

My wife & I both enjoy turkey we so tend to have it all year.

Pickled eggs as in redbeet pickled eggss? Oooh, I love them. Growing up they were a regular item for us thanks to a Polish grandmother & a PA Dutch grandmother so those we also make any time. My wife does not like them, she prefers Deviled Eggs, but pickled eggs I love. Besides eating them with just a little Morton's Seasoning Salt I also like to slice them down and put them on sandwiches, especially ham sandwiches.

Thinking out loud, there aren't many "must have" out of season food items that we'll get shipped in but we do get POG juice (Passion - Orange - Guava) in cans shipped from Hawaii. While out there on vacation years ago I got hooked on the stuff as the prefect drink for a hot day but nobody around here sells anything like it. We get it from Amazon US and it isn't the cheapest but is a nice drink in the Summer.

 

[Tom]

Here on the coast there are a lot of Mexican grocery stores where you can buy foods from Mexico and Central America. Lots of different spices and peppers but different fruit drinks and cookies, cakes and snacks. I keep a handy supply of Jumex juices for desserts and slushies.

I make many different 'flavors' of pickled eggs. Red beet pickled eggs with sweet onions in them are my favorite.
I did some basil pickled eggs with okra once - I hated them but my kids loved them. Aside from the normal beet pickled eggs I think the ones everyone likes next has to be my "HOT" pickled eggs.
I love deviled eggs too! Standard PA Dutch style is my favorite but I have had horseradish & pepper deviled eggs too. I love deviled egg potato salad but my favorite is Amish potato salad.

Another seasonal food that I really miss from PA is 'Brickle'. Its only available around Christmas and as far as I know there is no written recipe. An Amish family that my Brother-In-Law works with makes it every year. I bought 5 lbs the last time I was up there and froze it so I had it in July down here - I let everyone taste it and now they all want more...LOL. I think it is made with pecans but I'm not sure. Its like peanut brittle but smooth hard and melts in your mouth all creamy and rich.

Another seasonal food I really miss are apple cider, cherry cider and homemade apple butter. Plus, Homemade maple syrup is liquid gold for me.(Edit: I picked up some homemade cherry cider once while driving thru Lancaster, PA. It was sold in glass milk bottles. It was amazing. No cherry cider has ever since been as good.)

Are there any foods that you will only eat if its local? I'm a stickler for local honey. Plus, Hearth breads must be baked locally.

 

[Tom]

I have also noticed that Baklava is now available at Walmart every Christmas. I love it but as a diabetic if I indulge I have to drink a lot of water to bring my sugar back down.

Have you ever had a fruitcake that you liked? I did, but it was Amish and in PA years ago. I sampled one of "The Best Fruitcake Ever" available at Walmart and one bite and I threw it away.

My sis used to make Christmas cookies (I think she still does the Christmas Cookie Party thing). She made these ones that she called cringlers or Kringlers and they were so good. Does anyone do Christmas cookies in the summer?

Another seasonal dish I do for Thanksgiving is Apple Cider Ham. Oh, I cook hams all year long but the Apple Cider Ham I only do at Thanksgiving or Christmas. My kids and their families love it and sadly, there are never any leftovers for SAMMICHES!

Ever had BBQ sweet potatoes? I cut them lengthwise about 1/2 inch thick and bag them with some olive oil, balsamic vinegar and assorted seasonings overnight, then I throw them on the grill till they are soft inside and crispy outside. Amazing!