Winter Vegetables: What's in Season December to February

Hello lovelies,

once pumpkin season winds down, it's time for cabbages, roots and leeks. Winter vegetables may look less colorful than summer produce at first glance, but they have character: nutty parsnips, earthy beets, hearty kale and crisp cabbage.

Here's what's in season from December to February, how to pick and store each vegetable, which ones get sweeter in the cold, and what I cook with them. For the season before, see my guide to fall vegetables month by month.

What vegetables are in season in winter?

In winter, the produce aisle is all about cabbages, roots and hardy greens: Brussels sprouts, cabbage, kale and collard greens, leeks, parsnips, beets, carrots, celery, rutabagas and turnips, plus storage crops like winter squash, potatoes and sweet potatoes.

Cabbages and roots carry the season, and the storage crops from the fall harvest fill the gaps. Celery belongs here too, and it keeps for 1 to 2 weeks in the crisper drawer, according to NDSU.

The table shows what to look for when you buy each one and how to store it, according to North Dakota State University (NDSU) Extension.

Which winter vegetables get sweeter in the cold?

Parsnips are the classic example: according to University of Illinois Extension, they need the chill of winter for optimum flavor, and the starch in the root changes into sugar, resulting in a strong, sweet taste. Brussels sprouts also improve in quality during cool or even lightly frosty weather.

The Illinois Extension guide to growing parsnips adds that their flavor is not fully developed until the roots have been exposed to near-freezing temperatures for 2 to 4 weeks. Though parsnips look like white carrots, their flavor is slightly stronger, and they taste like turnips or rutabagas. Smaller ones may be more flavorful and tender, and the whiter the flesh, the sweeter the parsnip. Avoid parsnips that are yellowing or going brown around the core.

Brussels sprouts are a cool-weather crop too. According to the Illinois Extension notes on growing Brussels sprouts, sprouts maturing in hot weather or under dry conditions are more likely to develop bitterness. Illinois Extension also notes that fresh Brussels sprouts, roasted or sautéed, are deliciously delicate in flavor.

With potatoes, the same effect is unwanted. NDSU Extension advises against refrigerating potatoes, sweet potatoes and hard-shell winter squash, because cold temperatures convert the starch into sugar, which affects the flavor.

Cabbage family in winter: savoy, red and green cabbage, kale

Cabbages and their relatives are the backbone of winter cooking, and each one has its own job in the kitchen.

According to the Illinois Extension post on cabbage for every season, many of us may be familiar with green, red or purple, and savoy cabbage. Cabbage can be eaten raw or cooked and works well in a variety of cold-weather and hot-weather recipes. NDSU's tip for buying it: look for heads that are reasonably solid and heavy for their size.

My savoy cabbage and white bean minestrone is a rewarding make-ahead dish with leek, carrots and white beans. Cook the risoni separately and only add them when serving, otherwise they soak up all the broth overnight. Covered, the soup keeps for 3 to 4 days in the fridge, and it freezes in portions for up to 3 months. I like to make the walnut parmesan for it in a double batch; it keeps in a jar for about a week and is lovely on pasta, salad or roasted vegetables.

Red cabbage brings color to winter plates. For my vegetarian red cabbage udon noodles from the wok, I slice the cabbage paper-thin on a mandoline, and the whole dish is ready in 30 minutes. Prep all the vegetables before the wok gets hot, because from then on everything moves fast. Instead of baby corn, snow peas or broccoli florets work well too, and the rice vinegar in the sauce keeps the purple nice and bright.

Green cabbage, also called white cabbage, is the everyday workhorse. My winter vegetables with cabbage and carrots are ready in 25 minutes: slice the cabbage as finely as you can so it steams faster and turns lovely and tender. A small pinch of sugar and a little caraway round out the flavor. Leftovers keep for 2 to 3 days in the fridge and reheat beautifully.

Kale and collard greens are the hardy greens of the season. According to the Illinois Extension post on greens in winter, they keep in a plastic bag in the refrigerator for up to 5 days, and baby kale is less bitter if you don't like the flavor of regular kale. Tough stems can simply be removed: fold each leaf in half lengthwise and cut along the stem. Rinse the leaves thoroughly with clean water until all the dirt is gone.

More recipes with cabbage and other winter vegetables:

Asian Red Cabbage Salad with Peanuts

Roasted Red Cabbage Steaks with Feta

Japanese Okonomiyaki with Cabbage

Root vegetables: parsnips, beets, rutabagas and turnips

Parsnips and carrots keep for weeks in the fridge, which makes roots the pantry of winter.

My silky parsnip and white bean soup is ready in 30 minutes, keeps covered for about 3 days in the fridge and freezes well. I cook 2 to 3 kinds of beans at the start of the week, so the soup comes together in no time, and I stir in the last 50 ml (3.5 tbsp) of cream only after blending, which makes it especially silky.

Beets should be firm and round with a slender tap root, and NDSU recommends using the tops as soon as possible, while the roots keep for about a week in the fridge. How long beets cook and whether to peel them first is all in my guide to cooking, peeling and storing beets.

In Switzerland, beets are called Randen. For my pasta with roasted beets and flower sprouts, you can roast the beets a day ahead and keep them in the fridge. If you can't find flower sprouts, simply use kale. For my vegetarian savory beet waffles with goat cheese, purée the beets really finely; small pieces burn in the waffle iron and taste bitter. Leftover waffles freeze well and crisp up again in the toaster.

Rutabagas and turnips round out the winter roots. Both are hardy to fall frosts and may even be sweetened by cool weather, according to the Illinois Extension guide to turnips and rutabagas, while roots that mature in hot weather don't develop their typical sweetness. Rutabagas are a cross between cabbage and turnip, with rounder, larger and firmer roots. Both store well in the refrigerator, and turnip tops are often eaten as cooked greens or raw in salads.

Which winter vegetables can you eat raw?

Quite a few winter vegetables work raw. Cabbage can be eaten raw or cooked, according to Illinois Extension, turnip tops are often eaten raw in salads, and kale turns tender enough for a salad once you massage it.

My massaged kale salad with orange and fennel is eaten raw: massage the kale firmly for 2 to 3 minutes until it darkens and turns soft, which takes away the bitterness. I love slicing the fennel paper-thin on a mandoline so it stays extra tender. The dressed salad keeps for 1 to 2 days in the fridge and does not collapse.

Leeks and lamb's lettuce: winter greens

Leeks and lamb's lettuce bring fresh green into a season that otherwise belongs to cabbages and roots.

Look for leeks with fresh green tops, and keep them in the fridge for about a week, says NDSU. My creamy millet risotto with leek is ready in 35 minutes. Rinse the millet briefly with hot water before cooking to wash off the bitter compounds; if you like, dry toast it in the pan afterwards for a wonderfully nutty aroma. The risotto turns creamy from stirring it with the cream at the end.

For fresh leaves in winter, there's lamb's lettuce, also sold as mâche. When it's in season, how to wash it and how long it keeps is all in my lamb's lettuce guide on season, washing and storage.

Storage crops: winter squash, carrots and potatoes

Part of the fall harvest keeps well into winter if you store it the right way.

Winter squash should have an intact shell with no soft spots or cracks, and NDSU recommends keeping it somewhere cool, dry and well ventilated, not in the fridge, where it lasts for several months. My pumpkin soup with apple, parsnip and ginger brings storage squash and winter roots into one pot. Stored airtight, it keeps for 3 to 4 days in the fridge and often tastes even rounder the next day, and it freezes well in portions. When reheating, add a little water or stock, as it thickens as it stands.

Carrots should be well formed with smooth skins and a good orange color, and they keep for 2 to 3 weeks refrigerated, cold and humid. For the holidays I make my festive carrot soup with saffron: add the saffron only at the end and let it steep briefly in the hot soup. If you like it creamier, blend it a little longer or add another splash of vegan cream. Any leftover soup freezes beautifully in portions.

Potatoes should be smooth, clean and without sprouts, and NDSU recommends storing them at 7 to 10 °C (45 to 50 °F) in a dark, well-ventilated place. More on waxy and starchy potatoes and where to keep them is in my guide to storing waxy and starchy potatoes.

How do you store winter vegetables?

According to NDSU Extension, most fresh vegetables should be kept cold and humid, so most winter vegetables go in the fridge. The exceptions are potatoes, sweet potatoes and hard-shell winter squash, which should not be refrigerated.

Packaging matters too: NDSU's guide to selecting and storing vegetables recommends refrigerating cabbage in a plastic bag or film and parsnips in a plastic bag. Dry onions can stay at room temperature in a well-ventilated area or go in the fridge, but they always need to stay dry, while green onions belong in the fridge in plastic and only last a few days.

If you buy more than you can use in a week, freeze it. Which vegetables to blanch first and which can go into the freezer raw is in my guide to blanching and freezing vegetables.

What can you cook with winter vegetables?

My winter vegetables mostly turn into soups and skillet or wok dishes, plus pasta, millet risotto, waffles and a raw kale salad in 15 minutes. The table shows my 10 recipes from this post with one tip from each.

Winter vegetables make my favorite kind of cooking: a pot of soup on the stove, a tray of roots in the oven and a fresh kale salad on the side. And if you want to serve them over the holidays, my make-ahead vegetarian sides for Christmas include oven carrots, Brussels sprouts and cabbage you can prep in advance. Now it's your turn: which winter vegetable ends up on your table most often?

Yours, Verena

Recipes to try

Lamb’s lettuce with oven vegetables and tofu

Kohlrabi and parsnip soup

Autumn rolls with beetroot tahini dip

Carrot-Lentil Soup