What’s in season in April?

In this article, you will learn what is in season in April, what to look for when selecting produce. You’ll discover delicious and easy recipe ideas, and get helpful cooking tips for making the most of these fresh ingredients.

I will provide tips on how to select, prepare, and cook April’s seasonal produce. I will also offer helpful household and entertaining tips.

Whether you’re an experienced home-cook or just getting started in the kitchen, these practical tips and tricks will help you make the most of your market haul.

This post is based on a Betty Crocker’s Cooking Calendar, published in 1962. I collect vintage cookbooks and found this book in an antique store. I’ll share the content on a monthly basis and give you a breakdown of each month’s plan.

How many million Aprils came before I ever knew how white a cherry bough could be a bed of squills so blue! ~ Sara Teasdale

Flower: Sweet Pea or Daisy
Gem: Diamond

Did you know eggs are naturally a variety of colors and shapes?

We may be able to dye eggs in a multitude of colors, but nature outdoes us! Eggs come in all shapes, sizes, and colors. They are white, brown, beige, green, blue, pink, spotted, and mottled. They can be in the shape of a pear, cylindrical, or round. Sizes can vary from the tiny hummingbird egg that is no larger than the tip of your little finger, to the now extinct Aepyornis’ eggs that had a volume of more than 2 gallons!

What’s old is new again – how to fix a vintage hat with veil:

Do you have a vintage spring hat? To make your “old favorite” look like new again, try this simple trick on an old veil. Spread the veil between waxed paper and press gently with a warm iron. That’s it. The veil will now look refreshed!

Household Tip:

Now is the best time to have an annual check-up (tune up) on your home air conditioner. Get an appointment with a service technician between April and May for the best prices. It might also be a good time to have a tune up on your car air conditioner while you’re at it. Your air conditioning systems will be in top shape to avoid any complications (and higher prices) during the hot summer months!

Entertaining:

April is a month on entertaining and a month of religious significance. Combined with the seasonal produce, ham is a common choice for entertaining and spring brunch.

When I started researching and writing this article, I discovered tons of information (related to what is in season in April) that focused on a ham. How to cook a ham, how to score a ham, what temperature to cook a ham.

Here is what I found and decided to bring it into this article. I hope it helps you plan your next spring brunch!

Tips for cooking a ham:

Oven should be set at 325 degrees
Place meat “fat side up” on a rack in pan
Insert a meat thermometer into the center of thickest part
Do not cover meat
Do not add water
Roast ham to internal temperature of 160 degrees
Roast a picnic or shoulder butt to 170 degrees
Let meat rest for 15-20 minutes before carving

How to score a ham:

About a half an hour before ham is done, take out of oven and remove rind (that hard skin covering). Score ham by cutting fat into diamond shapes. Insert whole cloves into intersections where corners of diamonds meet. Cover with a sweet glaze (recipes below) and return to oven at 400 degrees for browning.

What is cooking time for ham?

	Weight	Time
Ham	4 pound	2 1/2 hour
	6 pound	3 1/4 hour
	8 pound	3 1/2 hour
	10 pound	3 3/4 hour
	12 pound	4 hour
Picnic	6 pound	3 hour
	8 pound	4 hour
Shoulder butt	2 pound	2 hour
	4 pound	4 hour

How to make a glaze for ham:

Apricot glaze:
Mix 1 cup apricot jam and 1/3 cup honey spread over him after scoring

Cranberry glaze:
Combine 1 cup brown sugar (packed) and one tablespoon dry mustard. Add half cup bottled cranberry cocktail. Spoon over ham after scoring.

Pineapple glaze:
Combine one cup pineapple juice, one cup brown sugar (packed), 4 teaspoons mustard, and 2-3 tablespoons lemon juice. Glaze ham after scoring.

Explore all that April has to offer – your taste buds (and your wallet) will be glad that you did!

H&S recipes that fit in well with the April season:

Sweet potato casserole
Broccoli and cheese casserole
Capriotada

Tips on buying carrots:

One pound serves 4
Fresh bright orange, smooth, firm, clean, crisp, straight.
Long, tender roots are best. Avoid green at top or soft, flabby, cracked carrots.

Tips on buying pineapples:

One medium pineapple yields 3 cups of cut up fruit
Pineapple is ripe if top center leaves pull out easily, distinct crevices around each section, and fruit is pliable to touch.
Quality fruit is heavy for size.

Learn more: Guide to freezing fruits

For each month’s freshest ingredients and tastiest recipes, look for locally grown and organic options whenever possible. These choices will not only support your local farmers, but will also help you reap the full benefits of in-season produce. So, get creative in the kitchen and make the most of this spring season!

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What’s in season in April?