Winter Produce Guide

As each year ends, a new season arrives. And with it a supply of fresh ingredients that offer you comfort from the cold. From hardy root vegetables to bright, sweet citrus, winter produce delivers a surprising range of flavors for you to enjoy with family and friends.

To select, pick those that are firm to the touch and heavy for their size. Avoid any fruits with mold or spongy spots.

Recipes:
• Beet, Blood Orange, Kumquat, and Quinoa Salad
• Blood Orange Sangria
• Fennel, Blood Orange, and Watercress Salad 
• Blood Orange Layer Cake
• Shrimp Salad with Blood Oranges and Slivered Fennel

See More: Season's Best: Citrus Fruits

To select, choose small to medium beets with firm, smooth skin and no soft spots, with stems and leaves attached.

Recipes:
• Easy Pickled Beets
• Beets with Dill and Walnuts
• Spiced Beet and Carrot Soup
• Golden Beet, Greens, and Potato Torta
• Roasted Carrot and Beet Salad with Feta, Pulled Parsley, and Cumin Vinaigrette

See More: In Season: Beets

To select, choose pomegranates that feel heavy, are bright in color, and are free of blemishes.

Recipes:
• Pomegranate and Pear Jam
• Pomegranate-Orange Salsa
• Sparkling Pomegranate Cocktail
• Blackened Shrimp with Pomegranate-Orange Salsa
• Pineapple and Orange Salad with Toasted Coconut

See More: Pomegranate Power

To select, test with a gentle squeeze, and buy only firm fruit.

Recipes:
• Kumquat-Cranberry Cornmeal Loaf
• Cranberry-Kumquat-Date Relish
• Kumquat Jam
• Pepper-Crusted Beef Tenderloin with Kumquat Marmalade
• Pear Relish

See More: In Season: Kumquats

Recipes:
• Roasted Winter Vegetables
• Beer-Braised Beef with Onion, Carrot, and Turnips
• Spicy-Sweet Turnips
• Guinness Lamb Stew
• Chickpea and Winter Vegetable Stew

Although leeks resemble large green onions, they're milder and sweeter. Leeks are usually cooked since they're very fibrous when raw.

To select, buy leeks with crisp leaves and blemish-free stalks.

Recipes:
• Braised Leeks with Warm Pancetta Dressing
• Leeks à la Grecque (Greek-Style Leeks)
• Halibut with Leeks
• Chicken Fried Rice with Leeks and Dried Cranberries
• Creamed Corn with Bacon and Leeks

This hardy root vegetable enjoys cool climates—it requires frost to convert its starches to sugars and to develop its sweet, nutty flavor.

To select, look for small to medium-sized parsnips with beige skin. They should be blemish-free and firm.

Recipes:
• Pasta with Black Kale, Caramelized Onions, and Parsnips
• Roasted Root Vegetables
• Chicken and Parsnip Soup
• Roasted Vegetable Couscous with Chickpeas and Onion–Pine Nut Topping
• Crispy Root Vegetable Latkes with Beet Puree

See More: In Season: Parsnips

To select, look for a deep blue-green color and choose small bunches devoid of any signs of wilting or discoloration.

Recipes:
• Bacon and Butternut Pasta
• Garbanzo Beans and Greens
• Whole-Wheat Spaghetti with Kale, Poached Eggs, and Toasted Breadcrumbs
• Apple-Walnut Kale Salad
• Braised Chicken with Kale

See More: 14 Kale Recipes

To select, you probably won't be able to choose them individually, so check the see-through plastic to make sure you get bright, intensely colored berries.

Recipes:
• Cranberry, Cherry, and Walnut Chutney
• Classic Cranberry Sauce
• Upside-Down Cranberry-Ginger Cake
• Orange-Cranberry Pork Stew
• Cranberry Curd

See More: Cranberry Sauce and Relish Recipes

To select, look for smooth, brightly-colored skin (green means under-ripe), and lemons that feel heavy for their size.

Recipes:
• Meyer Lemon Chicken
• Lemon-Earl Grey Squares
• Meyer Lemon Panna Cotta
• Lemony Chicken Saltimbocca
• Seriously Lemon Tart

See More: 10 Things to Know About Lemons

To select, choose firm oranges that have smooth skins and are not moldy. Don't worry about brown patches on the skin; this does not indicate poor quality.

Recipes:
• Oranges with Caramel and Cardamom Syrup
• Broccoli Slaw with Oranges and Crunchy Noodles
• Pineapple and Orange Salad with Toasted Coconut
• Tomato-Citrus Salmon
• Tuscan Cake with Citrus Compote