Mangos offer a good deal this month.
In the produce world, the mango "bridges the gap between the winter and summer season," says James Parker, team leader for the global produce buying office of Whole Foods Market. "Whatever you use peaches for, you can use fresh mangos for: ice cream, smoothies, tarts or eaten out of hand for dessert."
For the most versatile and juiciest fruit, look for yellow-hued varieties (such as the Manila and the Ataulfo), Parker recommends.
Out of season, you can pay as much as $3 each for mangos. This month, depending on the size, you can pick them up for $1.50 to $2 each, he says.
During the first weeks of March, Florida will be in peak strawberry production. So will Mexico and Oxnard, Calif., Parker says. That means great prices for strawberry lovers. Weather permitting, shoppers can expect to save about 25 percent from last month's prices, he says.
Parker adds that supplies of fresh fruit are very much at the whim of the March weather, and prices are, too.