A January produce guide to what’s fresh and delicious right now with tips and recipe inspiration. What’s in season in January? Beets, bok choy, blood oranges, grapefruit, tangerines, and other citrus, red cabbage, carrots, turnips, and hardy winter greens.
Updated: January 2024
What’s in Season in January
The time of year has arrived when I stretch my definition of seasonal eating. As the options available at the famers market dwindle, I turn more and more to the grocery store and ingredients shipped all the way from California, while also trying to make the most of year-round local staples. But even with food coming from much farther away, these cold-weather hardy, in-season ingredients are some of the most flavorful and affordable options.
The bright spot in winter eating is citrus and the January Produce Guide features lots of it! In season in January, we have all manner of bright, sweet citrus from blood oranges to grapefruit to tangerines.
Beets
Like carrots, beets with their greens attached tend to be fresher than storage beets without greens. They have a snappier texture and are less dense and sweet. A bonus is that beet greens can be eaten too – use them like you would chard.
- Rainbow Beet and Blood Orange Salad
- Chocolate Beet Cake
- Beet Soup with Beet Green Pistou
- Roasted Beet Wedges with Beet Green Tzatziki
Bok Choy
My garden is currently tucked under a row cover and I haven’t been brave enough to see what survived the hard December frost. Up until then, I had a nice little section of bok choy and was enjoying all the things I could make with it. The stuff I was growing in the garden was regular-sized, kind of unwieldy bok choy. If you can find it, opt for more tender baby bok choy or just select the smallest heads.
- Salmon Red Curry Soup
- Grilled Teriyaki Salmon with Bok Choy
- Chicken and Turnip Noodle Ramen with Bok Choy
- Soy-Glazed Cod with Bok Choy and Shiitake Mushrooms
Blood Oranges
Blood oranges are in season and here to add color to sweet and savory comestibles. Look for firm fruit with a blush of red in the peel.
- Vegan Coconut Milk and Blood Orange Panna Cotta
- Blood Orange and Wild Rice Salad with Chard
- Non-Alcoholic Blood Orange Spritzer
Cabbage
Cabbage is abundant and delicious right now. Even though it’s in season almost all year, I appreciate it more in the winter months. Below, you’ll find three red cabbage salad variations that show just how delicious cabbage can be.
- Red Cabbage Pressed Salad
- Salmon Tacos with Red Cabbage and Cilantro-Avocado Sauce
- Thai-Style Slaw with Pan-Seared Chicken Breast
- Braised Cabbage Wedges with Spring Onions
Carrots
As I mentioned above, I prefer beets and carrots with greens attached, but feel free to use what you can find or have on hand. I use a vegetable brush instead of a peeler and it has greatly improved my relationship to carrot prep.
- Roasted Carrots with Green Tahini
- Carrot and Fennel Soup
- Glazed Carrots with Carrot Top Chimichurri
- Roasted Carrot Salad with Cracked Pepper Crème Fraîche
Grapefruit
Delightfully bitter grapefruit is one of my favorite winter ingredients. Because the bitterness is nicely tempered by sweet and creamy elements, a creamy dressing with honey and sliced avocado is a beautiful complement to grapefruit’s tang.
Greens
We are still eating our greens. Here are a few wintry comfort food recipes that make the most of dark, leafy greens.
- Vegetable Soup with Pasta
- Italian Wedding Soup
- Savory Vegetarian Bread Pudding
- Vegan Sweet Potato Stew with Greens
- Coconut Milk-Braised Greens with Roasted Sweet Potatoes
Mandarins, Tangerines, and Other Citrus
Wintertime is citrus season and it’s an excellent time to experiment with varieties you may not have tried before, Satsuma and other mandarins, tangerines, and Cara Cara all some of my favorites.
- Whole Orange Cake
- Lamb Meatballs in Tomato Sauce with Mint and Orange
- Orange and Pomegranate Salad with Buttermilk Dressing
- Roasted Fennel and Satsuma Salad
- Kohlrabi, Avocado, and Orange Salad
Turnips
Winter is a good time to really explore the range of homely root vegetables. Turnips have a bitter edge that lends complexity to rich dishes. Turnips also make for a very tasty fritter. For a sweeter alternative, try rutabagas, or mix the two tubers.
thank you for another great reminder of what’s fresh right now, starting with beets!