This page has a table below that tells when each fruit or vegetable is normally ready to be harvested in Wisconsin! We also have a page with links to our own simple instructions on canning, freezing and drying many fruits and vegetables, such as how to make jam, apple butter, applesauce, spaghetti sauce, salsa, pickles, ketchup or freezing corn.
Fruit/Veg | Jan | Feb | March | April | May | June | July | August | Sept | Oct | Nov | December | ||||||||
apples | X | X | X | X | X | |||||||||||||||
Asian pears | X | X | X | X | X | |||||||||||||||
asparagus | X | X | X | X | X | |||||||||||||||
beans | X | X | X | X | X | |||||||||||||||
beets | X | X | X | X | X | |||||||||||||||
blackberries | X | X | X | X | ||||||||||||||||
blueberries | X | X | X | |||||||||||||||||
broccoli | X | X | X | X | X | X | X | |||||||||||||
cabbage | X | X | X | X | X | X | X | X | X | |||||||||||
cantaloupes | X | X | X | X | X | X | ||||||||||||||
cherries | X | X | X | |||||||||||||||||
Christmas trees | X | X | ||||||||||||||||||
cucumbers | X | X | X | X | ||||||||||||||||
eggplant | X | X | X | X | X | X | ||||||||||||||
greens | X | X | X | X | X | X | X | X | X | X | X | X | X | X | X | |||||
Fruit/Veg | Jan | Feb | March | April | May | June | July | August | Sept | Oct | Nov | December | ||||||||
herbs | X | X | X | X | X | X | X | X | X | X | X | X | X | X | ||||||
nectarines | X | X | X | X | ||||||||||||||||
peaches | X | X | X | X | X | X | X | X | ||||||||||||
peas | X | X | X | |||||||||||||||||
peppers | X | X | X | X | X | X | ||||||||||||||
plums | X | X | X | X | ||||||||||||||||
potatoes | X | X | X | X | X | X | ||||||||||||||
pumpkins | X | X | X | X | ||||||||||||||||
raspberries | X | X | X | X | X | X | ||||||||||||||
rhubarb | X | X | X | X | ||||||||||||||||
squash | X | X | X | X | X | X | X | X | X | X | ||||||||||
strawberries | X | X | X | X | ||||||||||||||||
sweet corn | X | X | X | X | ||||||||||||||||
sweet potatoes | X | X | X | X | ||||||||||||||||
tomatoes | X | X | X | X | X | X | X | |||||||||||||
watermelons | X | X | X | X | X | X |
The light green indicates light crops at the beginning, end, or in between seasons - dark green is when the bulk of the crop ripens and picking is best.
Apple Varieties | Approx Ripening Dates | Description & Uses |
Jersey (summer) Mac |
mid Aug - early Sept |
Smaller and slightly sweeter than winter mac - eating, sauce, jelly. |
Paula Red | mid Aug - early Sept |
Crunchy and juicy - good for pies, baking, sauce, drying, jelly. |
Gala | September | Very sweet, soft, does not store well at all |
Whitney Crab | early Sept | Large - for spicing and jelly. |
State Fair | early Sept | Sweet/tart, not a real hard apple - eating sauce, jelly, baking, salads. |
Early Gold | early-mid Sept | Tart and crisp, a cross between transparent & a golden - eating, baking, pies, sauce. |
Wealthy | early-mid Sept | Tart and tangy, an antique apple that's excellent for pies, sauce and baking, tart for eating. |
Jona-Mac | mid-later Sept | Jonathan and Macintosh cross - eating, baking, sauce, jelly, pies. |
Macintosh | mid-late Sept | The perennial favorite! - eating, baking, pies(cooks down), sauce, jelly. |
Jonathan | Mid- September- mid October | Sweet, medium firm, eating, baking, sauce, jelly, pies. |
Jonagold | Mid- September- mid October | Sweet, medium firm, eating, baking, sauce, jelly, pies. |
Golden Delicious | Mid- September- mid October | Very sweet, soft, does not store well at all, - eating, salads, baking, pies, sauce. |
Red Delicious | Mid- September- mid October | Very sweet, soft, does not store well |
Cortland | mid-late Sept | White flesh, crispy, a best seller! Excellent for eating, drying, pies, sauce, baking, jelly, salads. |
Honeycrisp | late September - early Oct |
Large, firm, juicy dessert apple - our fastest selling eating apple (not recommended for baking). |
Sweet 16 | late September - early Oct |
Crunchy, juicy, sweet - similar to Honeycrisp (but not quite as hard or large) - eating, salads, can bake. |
Snow Apples | early Oct | Tiny, sweet, aromatic eating apple (an antique apple) - not a keeper! |
Spartan | early Oct | Crunchy, tart, juicy - eating, salads, pies, baking, keeper too! |
Gala | early Oct | Our sweetest apple! crunchy, non-acid eating apple, not large - good for lunch boxes, salads. |
Wolf River | early-mid Oct | Giant, sour old-time pie apple. |
Empire | early-mid Oct | Cross between a Mac and Red Delicious, juicy taste-test favorite! - eating, salads, sauce, drying, can bake. |
Cameo | early-mid Oct | Crisp, sweet/tart eating apple! Great for applesauce |
Jonathan | mid Oct | Tart and aromatic - eating, pies (does not "mush"), baking, jelly, applesauce! |
Red Haralson | mid Oct | Tart and juicy. Excellent flavor for pies (cooks down), drying, baking, eating. |
Jona-gold | mid Oct | Part Jonathan, part Golden Delicious - good eater, pies, baking, sauce, jelly, salads. |
Fuji | October | Great all-around apple - sweet, firm, stores great |
Braeburn | October | Nice firm, sweet all-purpose apple |
Goldrush | Mid-October | Sweet golden apple, stores well firm a yellow apple |
Rome | October | Very firm, almost hard apple. Good formaking baked apples. |
Ida Red | mid-late Oct | All-purpose apple! super keeper - pies, baking, eating (tart), drying, frying! |
Northern Spy | mid-late Oct | Big and firm - pies, baking, drying, eating. |
Double Red Stamen Winesap | late Oct | "Wine-like" flavor, creamy interior, not a large apple in the north - pies, baking, eating. |
Yellow Newton Pippen | late Oct | Antique (Geo. Washington's favorite!) tart, crisp nutty flavor, good keeper and eater. Firm in pies and baking. |
More
Variety | Description | Ripening Time |
---|---|---|
Lodi | yellow, transparent, thin-skinned, pie and sauce | July 20-30 |
Pristine | yellow, crisp, spritely taste, eating | Aug. 1-10 |
Duchess | pink stripe, tart, pie & sauce | Aug. 5-15 |
Discovery | pink, sweet, pear-like taste, eating | Aug. 5-15 |
Williams Pride | dark red blush, crisp, spicy, eating | Aug. 5-15 |
Redfree | bright red, juicy, Jonathan flavor, eating | Aug. 15-25 |
Paulared | red, fine texture, sauce & eating | Aug. 15-25 |
Zestar | pink blush over yellow, crisp, excellent eating | Aug. 15-25 |
Earliblaze | red blush over green, hard & tart, eating & cooking | Aug. 20-30 |
Red Gravenstein | dark red blush, cooking & sauce | Aug. 25-Sept.5 |
Red Wealthy | red striped, tart, juicy, pie & sauce | Sept. 1-10 |
Sansa | pink-red, Gala cross, sweet eating | Sept. 1-10 |
Jonamac | firm,crisp large McIntosh type, eating McIntosh-Jonathan cross | Sept. 1-10 |
Ginger Gold | yellow, firm, crisp, sweet, eating | Sept. 1-10 |
Buckeye Gala | bright red, sweet, crunchy, eating. Cox Orange-Golden Del. cross | Sept. 5-15 |
Royal Gala | red striped, sweet, crunchy, eating. Cox Orange-Golden Del. cross | Sept. 5-15 |
LindaMac | bright red, early mac type, all-purpose | Sept. 5-15 |
McIntosh | red, crisp, tart-sweet, all-purpose | Sept. 10-20 |
Royal Court | deep red, large, Cortland type, all-purpose | Sept. 10-20 |
Sweet 16 | red, crisp, nutty flavor, eating | Sept. 10-20 |
Ribston Pippin | red blush, juicy, tart-sweet, eating | Sept. 10-20 |
Honeycrisp | red striped, crisp, juicy, sweet, excellent eating. Keepsake-Minn 447 cross | Sept. 15-25 |
Macoun | purple-striped, firm, tart-sweet, eating. McIntosh-Jersey Black cross | Sept. 15-25 |
Liberty | red striped, crisp, sprightly sweet ,eating. Macoun- PRI cross | Sept. 15-25 |
Spartan | drk red, spicy, firmer McIntosh type, all-purpose. McIntosh-Newtown Pippin cross | Sept. 20-30 |
Cortland | red, firm, pure-white flesh, all-purpose. McIntosh-Ben Davis cross | Sept. 20-30 |
Crimson Crisp | very crisp, tart flavor, eating & cooking | Sept. 20-30 |
Snow | red, red-streaked white flesh, eating, sauce | Sept. 20-30 |
Greening | Yellow-green, large, coarse flesh, pies & sauce | Sept. 25-Oct.5 |
Swiss Gourmet (Arlet) | Red blush, russeted, crisp, sweet-tart, eating. Golden Del.-Idared cross | Sept. 25-Oct.5 |
Royal Empire | deep burgundy, firm, sweet, all-purpose. McIntosh-Red Del. cross | Sept. 25-Oct.5 |
Sept. Wonder Fuji | bright red, crunchy, sweet, eating | Sept. 25-Oct.5 |
Red Delicious | dark red, crisp, sweet, eating. (We leave them on the tree until sweet) | Oct. 1-10 |
Sonata (Pinata) | Red blush on yellow, sweet tangy flavor, eating. Golden Del.-Cox Orange-Duchess cross | Oct. 1-10 |
Karmijn | Cox orange-Jonathan cross | Oct. 1-10 |
Jonathan | ruby red, crisp, juicy, tangy, eating & pies | Oct. 5-15 |
Snowsweet | bronze-red, white flesh, all-purpose | Oct. 5-15 |
Blue Pearmain | Large,blue skin heirloom | Oct. 10-20 |
Golden Delicious | yellow, firm, tangy, partly russeted, all-purpose | Oct. 10-20 |
Jonagold | red blush on yellow, crisp, sweet, eating. Jonathan-Golden Del. cross | Oct. 10-20 |
Red Jonaprince | deep red Jonagold, sweet eating | Oct. 10-20 |
Melrose | red, Jonathan flavor in a large apple, keeper. Jonathan-Red Del. cross | Oct. 10-20 |
Regent | red,crisp, sweet, eating. Red Del.-Duchess cross | Oct. 10-20 |
Suncrisp | orange-yellow, crisp, juicy, sweet, eating | Oct. 15-25 |
Idared | bright red, crunchy, tangy, keeper. Jonathan-Wagener cross | Oct. 15-25 |
Blushing Golden | yellow, waxy skin, firm, Jonathan-golden flavor. Jonathan-Golden Del. cross, excellent keeper | Oct. 15-25 |
Rome | bright red, mild flavored, pies & cooking | Oct. 15-25 |
Northern Spy | red, firm, tart flavor, good keeper, pies | Oct. 20-30 |
Keepsake | red, hard & sweet, small size but a keeper. Northern Spy- Minn 447 cross | Oct. 20-30 |
Fireside | mostly green, large, sweet, all-purpose keeper. | Oct. 20-30 |
Ashmeads Kernel | heirloom, russet-like | Oct. 20-30 |
Hudsons Golden Gem | large,russeted, pear flavor, heirloom | Oct. 25-Nov. 5 |
Golden Russet | golden, tart, great cider apple | Oct. 25-Nov. 5 |
Braeburn | red blush, crisp, sweet-tart flavor, keeper | Oct. 25-Nov. 5 |
Goldrush | yellow, sweet, crisp, keeps 10 months | Oct. 25-Nov. 5 |
Water bath canner with a jar rack
Pressure canners for gas, electric and induction stoves: Presto 23Qt or T-fal 22Qt
Canning scoop (this one is PERFECT)
Ball Blue book (most recent version)
Jars: 8oz canning jars for jams
Farm markets and roadside stands
Road trips and camping resources
Local Honey, apiaries, beekeepers
Consumer fraud and scams information
Home canning supplies at the best prices on the internet!
Maple Syrup Farms, sugarworks, maple syrup festivals
Environmental information and resources
Farms For Your Event for birthday parties, weddings, receptions, business meetings, retreats, etc.
Festivals - local fruit and vegetable festivals
Get the
most recent version of
the Ball Blue Book
With this Presto 23 quart pressure canner and pressure cooker, you can "can" everything, fruits, vegetables, jams, jellies, salsa, applesauce, pickles, even meats, soups, stews. Model 01781
You can make jams, jellies, can fruit, applesauce, salsa and pickles with water bath canners, like this Granite Ware 12-Piece Canner Kit, Jar Rack, Blancher, Colander and 5 piece Canning Tool Set