Spring is a busy time in the countryside as the land is prepared and summer horticultural crops, the island’s main crop, are sown. Since 2020, with the arrival of covid, uncertainty dominates the growers’ agenda.
Spring is a time of sowing and the transition between winter and summer crops. During these months, leafy greens such as chard, spinach and winter lettuce as well as garlic and spring onions are still being harvested and sold in the markets. The first tomatoes, courgettes and cucumbers are also beginning to appear.
After the long winter, avocados and oranges can continue to be enjoyed until summer arrives. At this time of year the first fruits appear, among them loquats. They are followed by cherries, which in Ibiza are called cires, the local variety, smaller but very tasty. Apricots are another of the fruits that are highly appreciated at this time of year. Another fruit that lasts several months is the strawberry, which began to be produced in March, which means that freshly harvested fruit ripens on the ground during the spring and summer, and even into the autumn.
Spring is also the season for lamb, our most emblematic livestock
It is also the season for lamb, our most emblematic livestock. Fed free-range on farm pastures, these months’ rains have provided fresh and nutritious grass, and this is very much evident in the meat. Moreover, it should not be forgotten that sheep farming is in decline and is the agricultural activity that maintains the most land. These reasons, together with the high quality of the product, make its consumption highly recommended.
The sea, at its best
And from the sea, fishing is at its best. It is the time for salmon, octopus, horse mackerel, cuttlefish and lobster, which can be caught from the first of April. In addition to these, there are fish that can be found all year round, such as John Dory, scorpion fish, ray fish, dogfish and langoustines. In April tuna fishing began, a species that used to be fished in Ibiza but was no longer caught due to restrictions. Fortunately, for the last three years the traditional small-scale fleet has been catching this fish again, which means that it is now on display in fishmongers’ shops.
For the last three years, in April, the artisanal fleet has started catching tuna
Spring is the time to begin sowing Ibiza’s most important garden crops to be harvested in summer, such as tomatoes, watermelon, melon, peppers, lettuce, courgettes, cucumbers and aubergines.
At the moment the work is hard and the day is short for the growers.
Ibizan seasonal products have many benefits: every euro invested goes directly to the grower, products are of a very high quality, they cause hardly any environmental damage from transport, and they are good for your health. A real luxury without leaving the island.