Get ready to warm up this winter with some delicious, in-season ingredients! What’s in season in January are hearty root vegetables, tangy citrus fruits, and nourishing brassicas.
As the winter weather settles in, it’s the perfect time to turn to the abundance of fresh and flavorful ingredients and vegetables of the January season. From root vegetables like carrots, parsnips, and beets, to tangy citrus fruits like oranges and grapefruits, there is plenty of seasonal produce to choose from when it comes to what to cook in January. Also, in your January recipes, don’t forget to take advantage of the abundance of brassicas like cabbage, kale, and cauliflower.
Whether you’re looking to roast, braise, or sauté, there’s no shortage of in-season ingredients to inspire your weeknight dinners in the new year. So, cot’s jump straight into the January produce guide and learn what fruits and vegetables are in season January.
What Produce Is in Season in January
Citrus
If you wonder what fruits are in season in January, these are grapefruit, oranges, clementines, tangerines, and lemons. These January fruits are abundant at the local farmer’s markets and you can also easily find them in grocery stores.
Citrus foods are a good source of vitamin C and other nutrients. You can use them in cooking and baking to add flavor and zest. And you can keep their skin to make all-purpose citrus cleaner.
You can enjoy grapefruits as a snack or add flavor to salads, marinades, and desserts. I love making grapefruit juice as a quick pick-me-up. Oranges, especially sweet oranges, can be eaten on their own as a snack or enjoyed as a juice – check my top 3 ways to make orange juice (it’s great on its own, or as a base for cocktails or mocktails).
Clementines and tangerines, similar to mandarins, are all fruits in season in January. Eat them as a snack or use them to add flavor and nutrition to salads (like this citrus fruit salad), desserts, and other dishes. You can also make candied fruit with them.
Lemons are available yearlong, but January is their high season. You can use them in cooking and baking to add flavor and brightness to dishes. Make delicious homemade lemonade, lemon garlic butter sauce, lemon pasta, and many more recipes. Plus, you can preserve them in the form of pickled lemons, candied lemon slices, or lemon simple syrup.
Furthermore, I love using them as a natural cleaning agent. Besides making the Citrus Cleaner, I use lemons and limes for cleaning my electric kettle, wooden chopping board, microwave, and sometimes even my oven.
Brassica Vegetables
Brassica vegetables are the main produce in season in January. These include kale, cauliflower, brussel sprouts, cabbage, collard greens, and swiss chard.
They are rich in vitamins and minerals, including vitamin C, potassium, and folate. Plus, they are a good source of dietary fiber. You can enjoy them raw or cooked in a variety of dishes.
You can easily add kale to salads like salmon, kale, and potato salad. Or make a healthy snack like kale chips. You can also use it in smoothies for added nutrients – like in this blueberry smoothie. You can also use collard greens as well as spinach, beet greens, and others in place of kale in a lot of recipes.
Cauliflower is great when roasted – switch up the seasoning and you will never get tired of it. Serve it as grilled cauliflower steaks, whole roasted cauliflower head, or Buffalo cauliflower wings. You can also make a nutritious soup.
Brussel sprouts are easy to prepare and delicious when served roasted. On the other hand, you can enjoy cabbage raw, cooked, boiled, or pickled. You can also make roasted cabbage steaks. Plus, you can make nutritious coleslaw or salads like this raw cabbage cucumber salad.
Swiss chard is another great vegetable to enjoy in January. You can make lentil soup with chard or stuffed chard rolls.
Winter Squash Recipes
There are many different types of winter squash, including butternut squash, acorn squash, kabocha, buttercup, and others. They are usually harvested in the late fall so they are in abundance in the winter. Their sweet nutty flavor is perfect for a variety of recipes like soups, stews, pasta dishes, baked goods, and more. Winter squashes are a good source of fiber, vitamin A, and potassium.
Butternut squash is easy to recognize thanks to its long, curved shape and creamy, orange flesh. You can enjoy it roasted, baked, boiled, and sautéed. Make delicious soup, pizza crust, or stuffed butternut squash.
Acorn squash is small in size but can be enjoyed in many ways – roast it, bake it or even stuff it. Kabocha and Buttercup are two other small winter squash varieties that can be prepared in many ways (roasting, baking, sautéing, mashing, etc). It’s easy to pair either of these with other flavorful ingredients, such as herbs, spices, and more.
Root Vegetables
If you wonder what veggies are in January season, there’s a lot to choose from: carrots, celery root, beetroot, parsnips, turnips, yams, sweet potatoes, and potatoes. These vegetables are rich in vitamins and minerals and are a good source of dietary fiber. You can enjoy them raw or cooked in a variety of recipes.
Carrots are super versatile and popular January foods. Make carrot soup or roasted carrots. Enjoy them as a dip, simple salad, or juice. Also, their crunchy texture and sweet, earthy flavor are perfect to make overnight oats and carrot cake.
Celery root, also known as celeriac, parsnips, and turnips are all vegetables in season in January. Plus, they are all great in soups, stews (like beef stew), and purees. You can also enjoy them raw in salads, roasted, or even fry them.
Beetroot (beets) can be eaten raw or cooked. Enjoy them in a salad or make fresh juice with them for plenty of nutrients. Or, you can also use them in soups, stews, or roast them alongside other vegetables. Plus, you can make beet hummus, pink pasta, or even enjoy them as a snack in the form of beetroot chips.
Yams, sweet potatoes, and potatoes are all types of root vegetables that can be prepared in tons of ways. You can enjoy them in salads like this egg potato salad or as a nutritious breakfast like sweet potato breakfast hash or breakfast potatoes. Plus, you can boil them, mash them, roast them, bake them, make a casserole, or even candy them. Make fries, au gratin, soup, or even potato flatbread.
Others
Other January seasonal fruit and veg are pomegranate, kiwi, pears, and leeks. All the January fruits in season are a good source of minerals and vitamins, including vitamin C.
Pomegranates are great for adding flavor and nutrition to salads, desserts, and other dishes. They also make a great addition to homemade kombucha.
You can enjoy kiwis fresh as a snack, but you can also use them to add flavor and nutrition to salads, smoothies, etc. Make a simple kiwi juice, add slices to fruit and yogurt parfait, or make a kiwi Tanghulu.
Pears are great fresh. Or you can also add them to pies, tarts, and compotes. Plus, you can use them to add flavor and nutrition to salads and other dishes.
Leeks are delicious in soups, stews, and other recipes. Plus you can also grill and roast them.
Some Recipes Using the Best of January Produce
Here are some recipe ideas to eat seasonal fruit and veggies in January.
Citrus Fruit Salad
Candied Orange Slices
Root Vegetable Salad
Grilled Cauliflower Steaks
Cauliflower Soup
Honey Roasted Carrots
Roasted Brussel Sprouts
Salmon and Kale Potato Salad
Stuffed Butternut Squash
Ginger Butternut Squash Soup
Pomegranate Juice
Pomegranate Molasses
More Seasonal Produce Guides
If you enjoyed this season produce guide or try any of these recipes, let me know your thoughts in the comments below. I would love to see your recipe recreations – tag me on Instagram @Alphafoodie!
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