Tips for seasonal cooking for July including curated lists of in-season produce, suggestions for using preserved items, and favorite recipes to simplify meal planning.
Plus download the free printable seasonal menu planning pages to help you focus on cooking through the seasons and build a custom seasonal eating plan.
This article is part of a year-long series that helps you cook seasonally each month — a practical resource for menu planning, saving money, and reducing food waste.
Each monthly guide includes:
- A clear list of what’s in season that month.
- Suggestions for preserved foods you may want to use up.
- Favorite recipes featuring seasonal produce to help plan simple, flavorful meals.
- A free printable weekly menu planner with space to record what’s in season for you and what you already have to use.
You can find all months of this seasonal eating series in the site archives.
Welcome to the July edition of our seasonal cooking series. This post focuses on practical tips for making the most of summer produce, preserving peak flavors, and planning easy weeknight meals.
How to use this guide and the printable meal planner:
- Create a weekly menu from the produce lists and recipes here that matches what you’re harvesting or buying.
- Choose fresh produce from your garden, a farmer’s market, or the store, prioritizing what’s local and abundant.
- When grocery shopping, use the lists to spot seasonal sales and pick the freshest items.
- Try one new in-season ingredient or recipe each week to diversify your meals.
- Save successful recipes in a binder or digital folder to rotate during the same season next year.
With so much produce available most of the year, seasonality can be easy to forget. The free weekly menu planner helps you note what to use up and what to buy so you cook with the best flavors and waste less.
Download the printable menu pages, print them, and use them to record seasonal foods, preserved items to use up, and the recipes you’ll make each week. If you’re already a subscriber, you may find this resource in the VIP library.
Seasonal Eating for July
July marks the heart of summer in the Northern Hemisphere. Fruit and vegetable harvests ramp up and many crops reach peak flavor and value. This is a perfect month to enjoy fresh produce and preserve extra bounty for the rest of the year.
Short-season fruits — like nectarines and apricots — are at their best now. If you want to enjoy them year-round, consider freezing, canning, or drying while prices and flavors are ideal. The same goes for berries, peas, cucumbers, and other summer favorites.
Common tasks in July include freezing berries, drying fruit, fermenting vegetables like sauerkraut, and pickling cucumbers and mixed vegetables. These simple preservation techniques help capture summer flavor and reduce waste.
Seasonal Produce for July
Fruits in season:
- Apricots
- Blackberries
- Blueberries
- Cherries (for a few more weeks)
- Nectarines
- Peaches
- Raspberries
- Strawberries (winding down)
Vegetables in season:
- Beets
- Broccoli
- Cabbage
- Carrots
- Cauliflower
- Cucumbers
- Garlic (early to mid-month harvest)
- Green beans
- Lettuce
- Onions
- Peas
- Potatoes
- Radishes
- Zucchini and other summer squash
- Tomatoes (often later in the month)
Preserved seasonal foods to use up:
Pro tip: Track preserved items on your planning page so you use them before adding more from this season’s harvest.
Freezer: Clear out random vegetables and leftover sauces now to make space for newly frozen produce. From July through October, prioritize eating fresh local produce and adding only what you need to preserve.
Pantry: Tomato-based products often build up before late summer tomato harvests. Use up canned tomato sauce, salsa, and diced tomatoes while you prepare for fresh tomatoes later in the season.
- Salsa
- Tomato sauce
- Canned diced tomatoes
Seasonal Eating Recipes for July
Caesar Slaw with Bacon
A crisp, creamy slaw dressed with Caesar-style dressing makes cabbage, carrots, and onions shine. It’s a backyard barbecue favorite and a great way to get kids to try slaw.
10-Minute Chicken Lime Lettuce Wraps
Use fresh garden lettuce for no-cook lettuce wraps—perfect for hot July nights. They’re fast, light, and customizable with fresh herbs and crunchy veggies.
Sausage and Corn Stuffed Zucchini
Early July zucchini are tender and ideal for stuffing. Combine with sausage and corn for a hearty, family-friendly dish. If fresh corn is not yet available, frozen corn works well.
Cumin Lime Coleslaw
Slaws are great in summer because they can be made ahead and improve with time. This cumin-lime version pairs especially well with grilled chicken or tacos for an easy, bright meal.
Three (or Two!) Pea Salad with Feta & Walnuts
Celebrate the season’s peas with a simple salad tossed in a light vinaigrette. Use fresh or frozen English peas if needed — the flavor still shines.
Easy Grilled Potato “Planks”
Sliced potatoes grilled until crisp are a fast, crowd-pleasing side for burgers and sausages. Serve with a fresh slaw for a relaxed summer meal.
Simple Berry Parfaits with Honey Sweetened Cream
Highlight July berries with a three-ingredient parfait: fresh berries, whipped cream, and a touch of honey. It’s effortless, elegant, and showcases peak-season fruit.
No-Bake Low-Sugar Blueberry Pie
When temperatures rise, a no-bake blueberry pie is a welcome, low-effort dessert that celebrates summer’s best berries without excess sugar.
What are your go-to dishes for July? Use the menu planner to note favorites and preserve a little summer to enjoy later.
Originally published in July 2011 and fully updated for clarity and usefulness. Enjoy cooking through the season!