What’s in Season? January Produce Guide

This January Produce Guide is a concise resource for seasonal fruits and vegetables this winter. Discover the best produce for January, like citrus fruits, mushrooms, and root vegetables, along with tips for storage and recipes to inspire your cooking.

January Produce Guide: What’s in Season This Month

Marcella Hazan once said, looking for ingredients should be more deliberate than dropping them into your basket and checking them off a shopping list. As a cook, it’s essential you become familiar with your produce. Intuitively and over time, you’ll be able to establish a connection with them and they’ll naturally guide you to making food that you enjoy.

The beauty in letting each season guide your cooking lies in the fact that it’s a gentle reminder that everything is temporary and cyclical. What you cook in the winter is not what you’ll be making in the summer.

You’re comforted by the idea that you can fully enjoy a steaming bowl of soup in January and an asparagus salad in the spring, knowing that you’ll probably have to wait a whole year to have them again, but in the meantime, you’ll enjoy fresh tomatoes and watermelon in the summer and a big old pumpkin pie in the fall.

In nature, nothing goes to waste and everything has a purpose. Cooking seasonally is also a quiet revolutionary act: by doing so, you’re automatically supporting local farmers and not taking part in the long chain of food transportation.

That’s a small but significant impact. Food transportation is a huge carbon burden and the point is not to be perfect and only buy local and seasonal, but it’s more about being conscious about it. It’s about making your own choice, considering your circumstances.

January, much like December, is a month for citrus fruits, root vegetables, mushrooms, and sprouts, to name a few. Here’s a short but comprehensive January Produce Guide so you can make the most of the season.

January Produce Guide: Vegetables in Season for January

From root vegetables, to fragrant herbs and citrus fruits, January is all about comfort foods and bold flavors. Let’s quickly go over some of them:

Brussel Sprouts

An autumn-winter vegetable, Brussel sprouts peak from October to February. They thrive in the winter. They can be boiled, sautéed, steamed, and stir fried. They have a strong nutty or earthy flavor, and can be slightly bitter. When growing, they can sustain freezing temperatures for short periods of time, which slightly sweetens their flavor.

They’re high in fiber, vitamin C, vitamin K and rich in folate.

Some of their botanical relatives are broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower, collard greens, kale, and kohlrabi.

Storing tips: store fresh, unwashed, and untrimmed Brussels sprouts — both loose and on the stalk — in a plastic bag in the crisper drawer of the refrigerator. Remove any yellowed or wilted leaves first. Extend the life of your Brussels sprouts by refrigerating them in zipper-lock freezer bags, pressing all of the air out of the bag.

They can last up to a week in the fridge, sometimes a little longer, but their taste gets stronger and less sweet with time. They are at their best when prepared within three to four days of purchase.

Avoid washing Brussels sprouts until you’re ready to prepare them, as the moisture can cause decay.

For a side dish bustling with flavor, make this Brussels Sprouts With Pancetta and Parmesan Breadcrumbs:

Carrots

When chopped and slowly sautéed, carrots provide a sweet foundation for many soups and stews. When served on their own, they can be braised very slowly in butter in a skillet with just enough water or slowly roasted in the oven.

The one cooking method that does nothing for carrots is boiling or steaming. It dilutes its flavor and it doesn’t yield the best texture.

Buy carrots that are brightly colored; smooth of skin; firm, not limp; and sound, not cracked. Pick medium-size carrots over large ones -they’re usually doughy and not as sweet.

Storing tips: If the tops are still on, you can easily judge their freshness. Don’t cut them off before stowing the carrots in the refrigerator; otherwise they will drain away moisture from the root. Store carrots in a plastic bag in the refrigerator’s vegetable drawer, where they will keep for as long as two weeks.

Make this Doenjang Beans and Greens Stew or this classic Chicken Noodle Soup for a cozy dinner.

Potatoes

Potatoes are available year-round. They can be baked, boiled, deep-fried, gratin, grilled, mashed, pureed, roasted, sautéed, and steamed.

Buy potatoes that are clean and very hard. Look at it, hold it, turn it over, press it. There should be no spongy spots, indentations, or dark splotches.

Storing tips: Keep potatoes in a cool, airy, dark place in brown paper bags. If they’re packed in plastic, punch holes in the bag. Don’t wash them until you are ready to cook them. Potatoes don’t like bright light. Their skin may turn green, which means a bitter chemical called solanine has developed. Cut away any decidedly green sections before cooking.

Make this Classic Beef Stew this January, adding potatoes in or serving over mashed. It’s a wonderful dish!

Sweet potatoes

This autumn-winter vegetable can be baked, boiled, deep-fried, fried, grilled, mashed, roasted, sautéed, and steamed.

Some flavor affinities consist of spices like allspice, cinnamon, and ginger. For a dinner dish, think apples, sage, bacon, onion and rosemary. For the ultimate winter dish, try combining sweet potatoes with kale, orange, and pecans.

Storing tips: sweet potatoes can last up to two months if stored in a cool, dry, dark place, or up to a week at room temperature. Cooked sweet potatoes can be stored in the fridge for about five days, or frozen for longer.

Sweet potatoes make a healthy filling breakfast. Try this Sweet Potato Gremolata Bowlfor a bright breakfast or this Sweet Potato and Halloumi Bowl for a breakfast full of flavors and textures.

Mushrooms

There are countless varieties of mushrooms, but most of them can be braised, fried, grilled, sautéed, simmered, steamed, and stir-fried. Known for their savory umami flavor, they’re great additions to stews and soups.

When buying fresh mushrooms, look for the ones that are firm and plump. The scent of the mushrooms will vary by variety, but in general, they often have a fresh woody smell. The color should be even and be void of soft spots or bruises. Avoid any mushrooms that may be wet or smell like mildew- these have spoiled or are about to spoil.

Storing tips: keep fresh mushrooms in the fridge. Avoid washing the mushrooms prior to storing (and most often, entirely) to avoid spoilage. Most fresh mushrooms can be kept in the fridge for 3-5 days, however, delicate mushrooms like enoki are best eaten within 1-2 days.

For a quick dinner, make this umami rich Miso Mushroom Pasta. These Mushroom and Zucchini Pita Wraps make a great vegetarian lunch or snack.

Fennel

You may see fennel in the market all year, but it’s best from December to early spring. Look for fennel with its tops on. Bright, unwilted leaves are a sign of freshness.

The tops are cut off before the bulbs are used. I like using the leaves in soups and stews, and to garnish salads. The bulb itself should feel heavy for its size, and its thick outer leaves should be intact, bearing no gashes or bruises. When preparing fennel for a salad or for cooking, wash it on the outside under cold running water, then wash it again after cutting it.

Storing tips: If you are not cooking it immediately, cut off the leaves and store the fennel’s bulb in an open plastic bag in the vegetable drawer for up to a week or even ten days, depending on its freshness.

Make this bright Chopped Salad with White Beans and Tahini as side dish or main along with some protein. Add it to soups or make this delightful Chicken Paprikash Pot Pie.

January Produce Guide: Fruits in Season for January

Cranberries

Cranberries are low in sugar, fat-free, cholesterol free and a good source of fiber.

When buying fresh cranberries, look for berries that are shiny, plump and firm. Avoid shriveled berries or ones with brown spotting. Inspect the bag for soft, mushy or mouldy berries, and make sure no liquid has collected in the bag. Fresh cranberries rarely eaten raw. They’re usually very tart.

Storing tips: Fresh cranberries must be stored in the refrigerator to retain their freshness. They can be kept in an airtight container or in their original packaging for up to three months.

Frozen cranberries can be kept in a sealed container in the deep freeze for up to three years. Don’t rinse before freezing and try to use them from frozen when preparing them.

Lemon

Lemons are available year-round, which is a great thing considering how important they are. You should always have it on hand.

Acid is an essential aspect of how a dish tastes, whether it is there subtly or very obviously. Lemon can be used by itself or with other ingredients because it’s a flavor enhancer. Lemons make flavors much brighter. It can be an underlying flavor component as much as the star.

Use the zest if you want to add a lemon flavor to your dish without the tartness.

Storing tips: lemons are best kept in the fridge. Keep them in the fridge, in the vegetable drawer or on a shelf. Fresh lemons will keep for two weeks or more. Keep them in a sealed container so they can last longer.

Try this zesty Lemon Sumac Chicken Thighs for a bright lunch or these Lemon and Ricotta Donuts for a nice treat!

January Produce Guide: Herbs in Season for January

Rosemary

Rosemary is known for its distinct woody stems with needle-like leaves and evergreen aroma.

This woodsy aromatic herb has notes of evergreen, citrus, lavender, pine, sage, pepper, mint, and sage. Unlike more fragile herbs, rosemary is sturdy and holds up extremely well to heat and prolonged cooking times. It can be added at the beginning of cooking to braises and stews. In fact, the longer it cooks in liquid, the stronger its flavor becomes.

Rinse the fresh bunch under cold water, gently rubbing the rosemary stems to remove any dirt or debris. Pat the herb dry with a paper towel.

Rosemary can be used with the needles removed and minced or as whole sprigs, to infuse flavor into a larger dish like a stew or roast.

Make these quick Peach Pork Chops for a special dinner.

Sage

A member of the mint family, sage has an earthy, sweet-yet-savory flavor that makes it the perfect addition to heavy, rich dishes like sausage, stuffing, cured meats, and creamy pastas.

Due to its strong flavor and aroma, sage should be added early in the cooking process, rather than at the end of cooking like many delicate herbs.

Frying a strong herb like sage mellows its flavor. If fried, sage can be crumbled over a dish to heighten flavor at the last moment.

Sage can also be used to add herbaceousness to sauces, compound butters, meat marinades, pastries, and breads.

In Italy, sage makes an aromatic addition to rich tomato sauces and creamy pasta dishes. In France, it’s used in sausage fillings. In the United States and Canada, sage is best known as an ingredient in traditional Thanksgiving stuffings and turkey dishes.

One of the best, and most common, pairings for sage is browned butter, making it the perfect addition to indulgent pasta dishes or simple chicken and vegetable recipes.

For a fun winter salad, make your own version of this Grilled Fig, Peach and Goat Cheese Salad, swapping the peaches for a seasonal fruit!

I hope you enjoyed this January Produce Guide! Let me know your favorite seasonal recipes and tips in the comments!

What’s in Season? January Produce Guide

This January Produce Guide is a concise resource for seasonal fruits and vegetables this winter. Discover the best produce for January, like citrus fruits, mushrooms, and root vegetables, along with tips for storage and recipes to inspire your cooking.

January Produce Guide: What’s in Season This Month