Fruits and Veggies in the Winter

Wednesday, January 18, 2012 Comments (0)

I miss the summer months when I can go to the local farmer’s market and buy fresh fruits and veggies. I live in the centre of “orchard-land” so I get to enjoy peaches, plums, watermelon, you name it when it first ripens. Being able to eat locally like this means my fruit and veggies are super fresh and incredibly tasty. But then comes the winter! All my fresh fruit and veggies have gone away and I am left to fend for myself in the grocery store with food that has travelled in a freezer for weeks and has been sitting in storage for who knows how long. To say the least, I thought it would be a good idea to research what kinds of fruit and veggies would be good to select during the cold months. There are fruits and veggies that are harvested in the fall and winter months that are picked at that perfect time for maximum taste. And in some cases you may be able to buy local. Here’s what I found. BEETS! These guys are good right into late fall and freeze well. Look for beets that have their stems still on. They will be tastier. BROCCOLI! This veggie actually tastes best when it is harvested in the colder months. It will have a sweeter taste to it. CABBAGE! What a great switch from lettuce. Cabbage is crispy when eaten raw and gets sweeter with cooking. It’s a known fact that the cooler the weather that cabbage grows in the sweeter it will taste. CELERY! This veggie can tend to have a bitter taste during the summer, but if you get it fresh in the fall and winter you will notice a huge difference. CLEMENTINES! Get the small, sweet orange that comes with Santa. This is when its best. GRAPEFRUIT! This fruit comes into season in January in California, Texas and Arizona, so you know it’s going to be more fresh and sweet.

Some other super popular and yummy fruit and veggies include: Veggies: Parsnips,onions,potatoes,radicchio,turnips, winter squash or leeks Fruits: Pears, Mandarins,Pommelos,Kiwi, and lemons

If you can’t make it to a farmer’s market, (they are hard to find in the winter), check out your local stores that insist on quality. They will order seasonal fruit and vegetables that they trust. These stores tend to support their region so they will have better tasting fruit and veggies as well.

No matter what, keep on getting 8-10 servings a day of fruits and veggies, they are so yummy and so good for you!

Have a Happy Day!