Seasonal fruits and vegetables, the vitamins of the Malaga spring garden
The spring flavor that will fill a corner of our table with life, color and flavor
March 21 is marked on our calendars as the official beginning of spring, a season that gives us a special feeling of joy and warmth after leaving behind the winter when the days are shorter and the nights are longer. The move to this new season allows us to enjoy more hours of sunlight, encouraging us to go out and share unique moments with family and friends, from outdoor getaways on the numerous hiking routes offered by the extraordinary rural enclaves of our province through the Great Path or the Coastal Path, a 160 kilometer route that connects the Costa del Sol through 14 coastal municipalities, 125 beaches and twelve marinas; a pedestrian path also enabled for cycling and that offers us its natural charms of great natural and environmental value, such as Mediterranean dunes and coastal sandbanks that have species of vegetation flora and fauna, without forgetting the hundreds of experiences and activities to which they can be accessed through the Blue Path.
However, it is very common that during spring, symptoms such as a feeling of weakness and generalized lack of vitality, both physically and intellectually, appear. We know this as "spring asthenia," which, without having a defined organic cause, is correlated with the onset of spring, especially if the heat arrives too early and is accompanied by fluctuations in pressure.
Many of the products from the orchards of Malaga reach their ideal ripeness at this time, with the region of Valle del Guadalhorce being a prime example. Here we find producers like La Huerta de la Familia Hevilla or La Huerta de Carmen, among others. Their fields are filled with spring fruits and vegetables, which are essential seasonal foods rich in vitamins that help support our health. That's why our land provides us with a variety of local products that have been sown and cultivated with care and dedication by the hands of skilled farmers.
At the end of March, in the orchards of Malaga, the last fruits and vegetables of winter are still present, such as broccoli, peas, lettuce, oranges, or lemons, among others. These are highly sought after in our city, giving way to other seasonal delights with the arrival of spring, where the harvesting of fruits, vegetables, and greens from the fields of Malaga is already prepared to offer us optimal conditions for consumption. Fresh and flavorful products to enjoy and incorporate into our Mediterranean diet, while also providing us with the necessary nutrients for health.
The fruits we can enjoy during entire spring are avocado, orange and loquat. There are other fruits we will find and eat late in this season, such as apricot, plum, cherries, peach and nectarine.
The healthy benefits of local product
The avocado, primarily grown in the Axarquía region, is a fruit with high nutritional content. Additionally, it plays a crucial role in reducing levels of bad cholesterol in the blood while increasing the good cholesterol.
Oranges, very common in the Guadalhorce Valley, are a fruit available all year round, usually harvested from October to June. However, during this springtime, we find in our province particularly tasty and juicy varieties. It's worth noting that this fruit provides a rich source of vitamin C, fiber, and antioxidants, promoting the health of the immune system and skin. It's an essential ingredient in the typical Malaga salad.
The loquat, popular and abundant in the municipality of Sayalonga, where the first Sunday of May each year is celebrated as the Day of the Loquat, is a fruit rich in vitamins C, B, and A, which help strengthen the immune system. Additionally, it provides other nutrients such as potassium, magnesium, and calcium.
The apricot, a fruit that thrives in temperate climates and is very common throughout the province, especially in the Guadalhorce Valley, is rich in vitamin C. It also contains small amounts of flavonoids that act as antioxidants and protect cells.
Regarding plums, also very common in the Guadalhorce Valley, they are rich in vitamins C, K, and E. They are a fruit with great antioxidant power, in addition to containing a high degree of fiber, potassium, magnesium, and calcium.
As for cherries, the star product of Alfarnate – a municipality located in what is known as the Alta Axarquía and where thousands of people gather each year to enjoy the Cherry Festival – they are fruits rich in antioxidants, especially anthocyanins, which can help fight inflammation and promote heart health.
Peaches, typical of Periana, are rich in minerals and provide calcium, potassium, phosphorus, iron, and manganese. They also have a high fiber and flavonoid content and contain vitamins A, B1, B2, and C.
Nectarines, predominant in the Guadalhorce Valley, are rich in water and provide very few calories. They are rich in vitamins C, B6, B3, B2, and B1, and are a source of minerals such as phosphorus, potassium, magnesium, sodium, iron, selenium, iodine, and zinc.
As for the vegetables typical of this spring season, we highlight artichokes, Swiss chard, zucchini, celery, pumpkin, asparagus, beans, onions, cauliflower, spinach, arugula, lettuce, potatoes, cucumbers, beets, peas, spinach, cabbage leaves, among others. Of particular relevance are the green leafy vegetables typical of this season, which have high levels of antioxidants, high fiber content, potassium, iron, calcium, and magnesium. These are minerals that protect our cells and are a source of folic acid (vitamin B9), a substance that protects us from brain or cardiovascular diseases.
It is also worth noting the importance of Malaga's farmers in the cultivation, processing, and harvesting of delicious seasonal fruits and vegetables. Among them, we find companies such as Aguacates Dehesa Alta in Cártama, Cítricos El Romeral in Alhaurín de la Torre, Esencia de Frigiliana in Frigiliana, Sabor a Mango in Málaga, or Finca la Juntilla in Coín.
The springtime flavor of these fruits and vegetables will fill the shelves of small local businesses, such as Frutería Carrasco or Frutería Hermanas Briales, with life, color, flavor, and aroma, not to mention the popular and traditional markets and squares of our Malaga towns and neighborhoods.
