Discover ideas and inspiration for September seasonal cooking, including what produce to buy, what to use from your pantry or freezer, and simple recipes to help plan seasonal meals. PLUS a free printable seasonal menu planner to simplify cooking through the months.
This post is part of a year-long series that shows how to cook with seasonal foods month by month. It’s designed to help you plan meals, save money, and reduce food waste while enjoying produce at its peak.
Each month’s guide includes:
- A list of what’s in season that month.
- Ideas for what you might have in your freezer or pantry to use up.
- Favorite seasonal recipes from An Oregon Cottage to help with meal planning.
- A free printable weekly menu planner that lets you note what’s in season and what you need to use up.
You can find all months of the seasonal cooking series in the site’s seasonal cooking archive.
September signals the shift from summer into fall, and it’s one of the most abundant months for fresh produce. This guide will help you take advantage of that abundance while planning simple, satisfying meals.
If you’re new to the series, check the June installment for a short primer on what seasonal cooking means, why it matters, and a few cautions to keep in mind when choosing seasonal produce.
How to use this page and the printable menu planner:
- Use the produce lists and recipes here to build a weekly menu based on what you’re harvesting or buying.
- Harvest from your garden or shop at local farmers’ markets for the freshest options.
- If you shop the supermarket, use the lists to focus on sales and the best-value seasonal picks.
- Try something new each season to expand your favorite recipes.
- Keep successful new recipes in a binder or digital folder to rotate in future seasons.
Because stores carry produce year-round, it’s easy to forget what’s truly seasonal. The free weekly menu planning page helps you record what’s in season and what leftovers or preserved foods you should use first.
Download and print the menu planner, then use it to list the produce you need, the preserved foods you want to use up, and the recipes you’ll prepare that week.
Note: Subscribers can find this printable in the VIP library.
September Seasonal Eating
In the Pacific Northwest, September is a bounty-rich month. Many summer favorites—tomatoes, beans, corn, and early apples—keep producing well into the month, so you have plenty to enjoy fresh or preserve for later.
Preserving a large harvest can feel overwhelming. Canning, freezing, and drying are all useful, but I balance what I can realistically manage with the joy of having those flavors all year. Often that means using simpler preserving methods that don’t take too much time.
I favor quick, low-effort preserving techniques. For example, I’ve had good results freezing green beans without blanching, and I’ve found other fast approaches that let me store produce now and process or can it later when time allows.
If you’re interested in easy preserving methods, there’s a compiled guide that covers simple freezing techniques for dozens of common vegetables, fruits, and herbs.
Seasonal Produce for September
Fruits in season:
- Apples
- Apricots
- Blackberries (wild harvests often continue into September)
- Melons
- Peaches
- Pears
- Plums
- Fall raspberries
Vegetables in season:
- Beets (roast and freeze for easy use later)
- Cabbage
- Carrots
- Corn
- Cucumbers
- Eggplant
- Garlic
- Green beans
- Kohlrabi
- Lettuce
- Onions
- Peppers
- Potatoes
- Squash
- Tomatoes
- Tomatillos
Preserved seasonal foods to use up:
Pro Tip: Track what’s in your pantry and freezer on the planning page so you use preserved goods before making space for the new harvest.
From the pantry and freezer: September is often the month we add to the freezer while enjoying fresh food now. Use preserved staples to fill gaps and reduce waste as you bring in new produce.
Seasonal Cooking for September Recipes
Easy Slow Cooker Maple Sweetened Apple Butter
Slow-cooking apples into a concentrated apple butter is effortless and yields rich flavor. A touch of maple syrup enhances the apples naturally.
Green Beans with Caramelized Onions and Tomatoes
Caramelized onions and fresh tomatoes pair beautifully with green beans—best when all the ingredients are in season.
Simple, Flavorful Tomato Bruschetta Topping
This bruschetta shines when tomatoes are ripe and flavorful—especially heirlooms.
Easy Mexican Chicken Corn Soup (30 Minute Recipe)
A light, cozy soup that highlights sweet summer corn—great for cooler September evenings.
Roasted Sausages, Peppers, and Onions Sheet Pan Dinner
A quick sheet-pan meal that’s terrific with fresh peppers; add potatoes if you want a heartier dish.
Simple Corn, Pepper & Onion Saute
A fast, flavorful side starring seasonal corn and peppers—pairs well with grilled or Tex-Mex mains.
Spicy Asian Slaw: Quick & Easy Salad
Make a crunchy slaw with cabbage, carrots, and peppers—great beside grilled meats or stir-fries.
Zucchini Freezer Meat Meatballs
Add grated zucchini to ground meat for flavorful meatballs you can freeze—an easy way to preserve bumper crops.
Garlic Cheese Zucchini Bread (100% Whole Wheat)
A savory, moist zucchini loaf that works as a snack or side—freezes well for later.
Whole Wheat Dark Chocolate Zucchini Cupcakes
If you prefer sweet treats, these moist chocolate cupcakes are a delicious way to use zucchini.
What are your favorite recipes for September? Use the menu planner to record them so you can enjoy seasonal cooking all month long.
Originally published in September 2011; this post has been fully updated for clarity and usefulness.