Raw in the Florida Heat: Eating Well When Summer Never Lets Up

Anyone who has lived through a Florida summer knows the feeling. By nine in the morning the air is thick, by noon the idea of turning on an oven feels absurd, and by August you are planning errands around the afternoon thunderstorm. Raw food makes a lot of sense here. It does not heat up the kitchen, and a cold, crisp plate is exactly what you want when it is 95F outside.

Eating raw through a Florida summer comes with its own quirks, though, and they are not what people from cooler places expect.

Our Seasons Run Backward

In much of the country, summer is peak produce season. In Florida, the main vegetable season runs roughly from fall through spring. By late May and June, the last big crates of heirloom tomatoes and cucumbers are coming in, and they are wonderful. Buy generously while you can, because by July the heat and humidity make those crops hard for local growers to keep going.

What takes over is a different, more tropical list:

• Mangoes, the undisputed star from June through August
• Avocados, especially the large, smooth-skinned Florida varieties
• Lychee and longan, for a short and precious early summer window
• Passion fruit, dragon fruit and carambola from markets and backyard trees
• Young okra, which is surprisingly good raw when small and tender
• Hot peppers and heat-loving herbs like Thai basil and lemongrass

Learning to eat with this calendar rather than against it is the single biggest improvement you can make.

Make the Most of Early Summer Tomatoes and Cucumbers

While those crates are still around, they deserve simple treatment. Slice the tomatoes thick, salt them and let them sit for five minutes so they release some juice. Add sliced cucumber, torn basil, olive oil and a splash of vinegar. That is lunch.

Blend whatever you cannot eat fresh. A raw gazpacho of tomatoes, cucumber, sweet pepper, a little onion, garlic, olive oil and vinegar keeps for three days in a glass jar in the fridge and tastes even better on day two. Very ripe tomatoes can also go straight into the dehydrator for dried tomatoes you will use all summer.

Handling Produce in Heat and Humidity

Heat is hard on fresh food. A bag of greens left in a hot car for one extra stop can wilt beyond saving. A few habits help:

• Shop early in the morning, when produce is freshest and the day is coolest
• Keep an insulated bag with a cold pack in the car on market days
• Refrigerate greens, herbs and cut fruit as soon as you get home
• Leave tomatoes, mangoes and avocados on the counter only until ripe, then move them to the fridge
• Check the fruit bowl daily, because ripening moves fast in a warm kitchen

Humidity affects dry goods too. Crackers, dehydrated vegetables and nuts absorb moisture from the air and go soft or stale quickly. Store them in tightly sealed glass jars, and keep nuts and seeds in the fridge during the hottest months.

Running a dehydrator in a hot kitchen adds warmth you do not want. Many of us move dehydrating to overnight hours, or set the machine up in a garage or laundry room with good airflow. High humidity also slows drying, so expect recipes to take several hours longer at 115F than they would in a dry winter month.

Meals That Feel Right in the Heat

Summer meals here lean light, juicy and cold. These are on repeat in my kitchen:

• Mango and cucumber salad with lime, cilantro, mint and a little chili
• Zucchini noodles with a blended tomato and sweet pepper sauce, served chilled
• Avocado halves filled with diced tomato, corn and lime
• Collard wraps with mango, sweet pepper, herbs and a spicy cashew sauce
• Frozen mango and banana blended into soft serve for the evening

A pitcher of cold water with cucumber slices and mint waiting in the fridge makes the hottest afternoons far more pleasant.

Enjoy the Slow Season

Summer is a quieter time at many Florida markets. Some vendors take a break, and the tables get smaller. Rather than fighting that, lean into it. Buy mangoes by the box, keep meals simple and keep the kitchen cool. When fall arrives and the crates of greens and tomatoes return, you will be more than ready for them.