In the market for a rich, flavorful tomato or sweet, fresh peaches?
"In August, you see some of the produce that requires more heat to mature," says James Parker, facility team leader for the global produce for Whole Foods Market. "Really the peak is toward the end of August and early September."
Prices on many summer favorites have already dropped, and they'll decrease only slightly in August, he says, but look for better flavor and greater variety.
Among the highlights: Large "slicer" tomatoes will drop 50 cents to $1 per pound. "And it's the best time of year for tomato flavor," Parker says. As for peppers, field peppers start competing with greenhouse varieties, "so you may see some values there," he says. You can save 50 cents to $1 per pound on peppers, plus they're sweeter and you'll find more varieties, according to Parker.
Prices for peaches and nectarines can be expected to fall 25 cents to 50 cents per pound, Parker adds. And you might find modest discounts on melons, for which "the sugar content continues to get better the further into summer we go."