What’s In Season: January

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Wondering what’s in season this winter? Look no further than the first edition of our new Sweet New Roots monthly series focused on eating seasonally. At the beginning of each month, you’ll find a list of seasonal fruits and vegetables, along with a few recipe ideas to bring these seasonal ingredients to life. 

While the list is in no way comprehensive, and eating seasonally varies depending on many factors, including climate and location, the goal here is to get familiar with a range of healthy seasonal fruits and vegetables.  

Let’s dive right in!

What’s In Season: Beets

There are some strong feelings when it comes to beets – you either love ‘em or you can’t stand ‘em. We’re Team Beet here at Sweet New Roots. Those of us who love beets are always on the lookout for these winter gems. Check out the incredible health benefits of purple fruits and vegetables, like the beautiful beet.

What’s In Season: Butternut Squash

Give us all the winter squash! These seasonal vegetables are versatile and packed with a lengthy list of nutrients, including vitamins A, C, and K, potassium and beta carotene. Winter squashes include acorn, butternut and spaghetti squash. The following butternut squash recipes offer a hearty dose of cold-weather comfort.

What’s In Season: Carrots

Carrots are at their seasonal peak in winter and spring, and make for a comforting soup or side dish. It’s not difficult to spruce up this healthy, versatile vegetable, which pairs well with sweeter spices like cinnamon or savory aromatics like garlic and herbs.

What’s In Season: Citrus

Winter citrus season is here! Think about how incredible it is that seasonal fruits and vegetables have the ability to nourish our bodies at just the right times. Case in point: during the depths of winter, citrus fruits like lemons, oranges, limes, grapefruit and so many more varieties are at the height of harvest. One orange can contain more than 50% of the daily recommended value of Vitamin C!

What’s In Season: Persimmons

I fell in love with Fuyu persimmons when I lived in Asia and I couldn’t be more thrilled that they’re becoming commonplace in the U.S. I used to have to visit Asian markets to find persimmons, so imagine my delight when my local grocer began stocking (not one, but two) varieties of persimmons.

Also known as sharon fruit, persimmons are subtly sweet and have a window of seasonality from fall to early winter. January is prime time for persimmons! Fuyu persimmons are wonderful when enjoyed alone as a snack or as part of a recipe, like the following persimmon salad.

More Winter Fruits and Vegetables

Seasonal fruits and vegetables to enjoy in January also include Brussels sprouts, cabbage, cruciferous vegetables like broccoli and cauliflower, winter greens such as collards and kale, pomegranate and root vegetables like turnips and parsnips.