If you're wondering what fruits and vegetables are in season in December, you're not limited to potatoes, canned pumpkin, and whatever happens to be left at the grocery store. December has a surprisingly useful selection of seasonal produce, especially if you know what to look for.
Winter citrus brings brightness to cold-weather meals. Pomegranates add color, tartness, and texture to holiday dishes. Hardy greens such as kale, collards, mustard greens, and Swiss chard stand up beautifully to winter cooking. Root vegetables, squash, cruciferous vegetables, apples, pears, and other cold-weather staples round out the seasonal produce aisle.
For a vegan cook, December's produce is particularly practical. These ingredients can become colorful holiday salads, roasted vegetable platters, hearty soups, elegant grain dishes, plant-based appetizers, and desserts without relying on complicated techniques.
Seasonal eating in winter also makes menu planning easier. Instead of asking what impressive dish you can make from dozens of ingredients, start with what's fresh and available, then build the meal around it.
Availability varies by growing region, and December produce in Texas won't always match what's grown locally in New England or California. Still, the following guide covers many of the December seasonal fruits and vegetables commonly available across U.S. grocery stores, farmers markets, and winter produce programs.
December Seasonal Produce at a Glance
For a quick answer, these are some of the most useful fruits and vegetables to look for in December:
Fruits in season in December
- Oranges
- Mandarins and tangerines
- Grapefruit
- Lemons
- Limes
- Pomegranates
- Cranberries
- Apples
- Pears
- Persimmons
- Kiwifruit
- Some varieties of winter-grown citrus and specialty citrus
Vegetables in season in December
- Kale
- Collard greens
- Mustard greens
- Swiss chard
- Brussels sprouts
- Broccoli
- Cauliflower
- Cabbage
- Carrots
- Beets
- Turnips
- Rutabagas
- Parsnips
- Sweet potatoes
- Winter squash
- Radishes
- Leeks
- Onions
- Garlic
- Celery
- Potatoes
The exact list depends on where you live and whether you're looking specifically for locally grown December produce or produce that is generally available during the winter season.
Winter Citrus: December's Brightest Produce
One of the defining features of December seasonal eating is citrus. As the days get colder and darker, oranges, mandarins, grapefruit, lemons, and other citrus fruits provide an easy way to bring acidity, fragrance, and fresh flavor to winter cooking.
Which citrus fruits are in season in December?
Oranges, mandarins, tangerines, grapefruit, lemons, and limes are among the most useful winter citrus choices. Availability varies by variety and region, but December is an excellent time to explore the citrus section.
For the best flavor, look for fruit that feels heavy for its size, has a fragrant peel, and shows no significant soft spots or mold.
Don't limit citrus to breakfast. Its acidity can transform rich holiday foods.
How to use winter citrus in vegan cooking
A few simple applications can make citrus the centerpiece of a December menu:
Orange and fennel salad: Slice oranges and arrange them with thinly sliced fennel, fresh herbs, toasted walnuts, and a simple citrus vinaigrette.
Lemon-garlic roasted vegetables: Toss cauliflower, Brussels sprouts, or potatoes with olive oil, garlic, lemon zest, salt, and pepper before roasting.
Mandarin grain bowls: Add segmented mandarins to quinoa, farro, or brown rice with roasted vegetables, chickpeas, and a tahini dressing.
Grapefruit avocado salad: Pair grapefruit with avocado, greens, pumpkin seeds, and a lime dressing for a refreshing side dish.
Citrus glaze: Orange juice and zest can form the foundation of a glaze for roasted carrots, sweet potatoes, squash, or tofu.
Citrus zest is especially valuable. The colored outer peel contains concentrated aromatic oils, so a small amount can make a dish taste dramatically fresher.
Citrus for holiday entertaining
Holiday menus often contain rich foods: creamy casseroles, roasted vegetables, savory stuffing, nut-based dishes, and hearty grains. Citrus provides the contrast those dishes need.
Try serving an orange and arugula salad alongside a rich vegan main course. Or finish roasted root vegetables with lemon juice and fresh herbs just before serving.
The goal isn't to make every dish taste like citrus. One or two acidic, bright components can keep an entire holiday meal from feeling heavy.
Pomegranate Season: A Holiday Favorite
Pomegranates are another standout winter ingredient. Their jewel-like seeds, called arils, bring a combination of tartness, sweetness, crunch, and color that works exceptionally well in holiday cooking.
When is pomegranate season?
Pomegranate season generally falls in the fall and winter, with fruit commonly available through December and into the colder months. Exact timing depends on variety and growing region.
When selecting a pomegranate, choose one that feels heavy for its size and has firm, relatively unblemished skin. The fruit doesn't need to look perfectly round; mature pomegranates can have somewhat angular sides.
How to use pomegranate in vegan holiday dishes
Pomegranate arils require almost no preparation once removed from the fruit. That makes them ideal for entertaining.
Sprinkle them over:
- Roasted Brussels sprouts
- Wild rice
- Couscous or quinoa
- Hummus
- Baba ganoush
- Green salads
- Roasted carrots
- Sweet potatoes
- Vegan cheese boards
- Grain bowls
- Holiday desserts
A particularly simple combination is roasted Brussels sprouts, toasted pecans, pomegranate arils, and a balsamic or citrus dressing.
The roasted vegetables provide savory depth. Pecans contribute richness. Pomegranate cuts through both with tart, juicy bursts.
An easy pomegranate holiday salad
For a winter salad that looks festive without requiring elaborate preparation, combine mixed greens with sliced pear, pomegranate arils, toasted pecans, and thinly sliced red onion.
Dress it with a simple mixture of olive oil, lemon juice, Dijon mustard, maple syrup, salt, and black pepper.
This is a useful formula for holiday entertaining because most of the ingredients can be prepared ahead of time. Keep the dressing separate until just before serving.
Hardy Winter Greens Deserve a Place on the Holiday Table
Leafy greens are sometimes treated as summer produce, but several varieties thrive in cooler weather and remain excellent choices for December.
Kale, collard greens, mustard greens, and Swiss chard are particularly useful because they hold up better than delicate lettuce when cooked.
Kale
Kale works raw, roasted, sautéed, braised, or blended.
For a holiday salad, massage chopped kale with a little olive oil and lemon juice before adding sliced apples, dried cranberries, pumpkin seeds, and toasted walnuts.
For a warm side dish, sauté kale with garlic and finish it with lemon zest.
Collard greens
Collards are naturally hearty and are excellent for slow cooking.
A vegan version can be made with onions, garlic, vegetable broth, smoked paprika, black pepper, and a splash of apple cider vinegar. The vinegar added toward the end gives the greens a sharper, more balanced flavor.
Mustard greens
Mustard greens have a naturally peppery flavor. They're especially good when paired with milder ingredients such as white beans, potatoes, sweet potatoes, or grains.
If raw mustard greens taste too assertive, briefly blanching or sautéing them will mellow their flavor.
Swiss chard
Swiss chard cooks quickly and offers both tender leaves and edible stems.
Sauté the chopped stems first with onion and garlic, then add the leaves. Finish with lemon juice, toasted almonds, or a spoonful of white beans for a simple winter side.
Root Vegetables: The Foundation of Winter Cooking
Root vegetables are some of the most reliable ingredients for seasonal eating in winter. They're hearty, versatile, inexpensive, and naturally suited to roasting.
Look for:
- Carrots
- Beets
- Parsnips
- Turnips
- Rutabagas
- Sweet potatoes
- Potatoes
The easiest winter vegetable technique: roasting
Roasting concentrates natural sugars and creates caramelized edges, making it one of the most effective ways to cook winter produce.
Cut vegetables into similarly sized pieces. Toss with oil, salt, and pepper, then roast until tender and browned.
From there, customize the flavor.
For a holiday-inspired version, try:
- Carrots + orange zest + thyme
- Sweet potatoes + smoked paprika + lime
- Beets + balsamic vinegar + walnuts
- Parsnips + rosemary + garlic
- Potatoes + lemon + parsley
- Mixed roots + maple + mustard
Roasted root vegetables can be served as a side dish, added to grain bowls, folded into salads, or arranged on a large platter for family-style entertaining.
Winter Squash Is Still a December Staple
Winter squash is another important category of holiday seasonal produce.
Depending on the region and store, you may find butternut, acorn, delicata, kabocha, spaghetti squash, and other varieties.
Squash is naturally suited to vegan cooking because its creamy texture can provide richness without dairy.
Vegan ways to cook winter squash
Roasted squash: Cut into cubes or wedges and roast with olive oil, salt, pepper, and herbs.
Squash soup: Simmer roasted squash with onion, garlic, vegetable broth, and spices, then blend until smooth.
Stuffed squash: Roast halved squash and fill it with wild rice, lentils, cranberries, pecans, and herbs.
Squash pasta sauce: Blend cooked butternut squash with garlic, nutritional yeast, plant-based milk, and black pepper for a creamy pasta sauce.
Holiday grain bowls: Combine roasted squash with kale, chickpeas, pomegranate, and a tahini-lemon dressing.
For entertaining, stuffed squash is especially effective. It looks substantial on a serving platter and can function as a plant-based main course rather than an afterthought.
Cruciferous Vegetables for December Meals
Brussels sprouts, broccoli, cauliflower, and cabbage are excellent winter vegetables for vegan cooks.
Their sturdiness makes them ideal for roasting, grilling, braising, and high-heat cooking.
Brussels sprouts
Halve Brussels sprouts and roast them cut-side down until deeply browned. Finish with lemon juice, toasted nuts, pomegranate seeds, or a mustard dressing.
For a holiday dinner, roasted Brussels sprouts with pomegranate and walnuts offer a strong combination of color, texture, and flavor.
Cauliflower
Cauliflower can become nearly anything.
Roast it as florets, slice it into steaks, puree it into a creamy side, or blend cooked cauliflower into a soup.
A whole roasted cauliflower can even serve as a dramatic vegan centerpiece. Brush it with a spiced tahini sauce and garnish with herbs and pomegranate.
Cabbage
Cabbage is particularly underrated during winter.
Cut a head into thick wedges, brush with oil, season generously, and roast until the edges caramelize. Serve with lemon-tahini sauce or a sharp mustard dressing.
You can also shred cabbage into slaws, add it to soups, or braise it with onions and apples.
Apples and Pears Bring Natural Sweetness to Winter Meals
Apples and pears are among the most versatile December fruits. They work in both savory and sweet dishes, which makes them valuable when planning a holiday menu around seasonal ingredients.
Savory apple applications
Add thinly sliced apples to kale salads, grain bowls, stuffing, or roasted root vegetable platters.
Apples pair particularly well with walnuts, pecans, mustard, sage, thyme, and cabbage.
Pears for holiday salads
Pears are excellent with bitter greens, toasted nuts, pomegranate, and citrus.
Try a salad of arugula, sliced pear, pomegranate arils, toasted walnuts, and lemon vinaigrette.
The sweet fruit balances the peppery greens, while the pomegranate adds acidity and crunch.
Easy vegan winter desserts
Seasonal fruit doesn't have to become an elaborate dessert.
Bake pears with cinnamon and chopped walnuts. Roast apples with maple syrup and oats. Poach pears in spiced tea. Or serve baked fruit with a spoonful of your favorite dairy-free yogurt.
These desserts let the produce provide most of the sweetness.
A December Vegan Holiday Menu Built Around Seasonal Produce
If you're hosting a holiday meal, seasonal produce can provide the structure for the entire menu.
Here's one example.
Starter: Citrus and Pomegranate Salad
Combine oranges, grapefruit, pomegranate arils, fennel, mint, and toasted pistachios. Dress lightly with lemon juice and olive oil.
It's bright enough to wake up the palate without filling guests up before the main course.
Main: Stuffed Butternut Squash
Roast halved butternut squash and fill it with wild rice, lentils, chopped pecans, dried cranberries, parsley, and herbs.
The combination provides protein, texture, sweetness, and savory depth.
Side: Roasted Brussels Sprouts
Roast Brussels sprouts until browned, then add pomegranate arils and a lemon-mustard dressing.
Side: Garlic Greens
Sauté kale or collard greens with garlic and onion. Finish with apple cider vinegar or lemon juice.
Side: Roasted Root Vegetables
Roast carrots, parsnips, and sweet potatoes with rosemary and garlic.
Dessert: Baked Pears
Bake halved pears with cinnamon, chopped walnuts, and a small amount of maple syrup.
This kind of menu demonstrates why seasonal eating in winter doesn't have to feel restrictive. Each dish uses a small number of familiar ingredients, but the flavors and textures remain varied.
How to Shop for December Produce
Knowing what's in season is useful, but knowing how to shop for it makes the information practical.
Shop by category, not by recipe
Instead of walking into the grocery store with ten specific recipes, choose:
- Two citrus fruits
- One pomegranate
- Two leafy greens
- Two root vegetables
- One winter squash
- One cruciferous vegetable
- Two apples or pears
Then decide how to combine them.
This approach reduces food waste because the same ingredients can appear in several meals.
Look for freshness rather than perfection
Seasonal produce doesn't need to look flawless.
A few cosmetic marks aren't necessarily a problem. Focus on firmness, aroma, vibrant leaves, and the absence of significant mold, leaking, or deterioration.
Buy ingredients with multiple uses
A bunch of kale can become salad, a sautéed side, or soup. Oranges can become snacks, salad ingredients, zest, juice, or a glaze.
This is especially helpful during the holidays when grocery lists can become unnecessarily long.
How to Store December Produce
Proper storage can make seasonal produce last longer and reduce food waste.
Keep leafy greens refrigerated and remove damaged leaves promptly. Root vegetables generally prefer cool, dark storage, although specific requirements vary by vegetable.
Store apples separately when appropriate because they release ethylene gas, which can speed ripening in nearby produce.
Pomegranates have a relatively long storage life compared with many fresh fruits, making them useful to buy before a holiday gathering.
Citrus generally keeps well in the refrigerator if you need to extend its usable life, although whole fruit can be stored at room temperature for shorter periods.
Before storing anything, check the particular produce item because moisture and temperature preferences differ considerably.
How to Make Winter Produce Taste Better
If your winter vegetables taste bland, the problem may not be the vegetable. It may be the cooking method or seasoning.
Three elements are especially useful: browning, acidity, and texture.
Brown your vegetables
High-heat roasting creates caramelization and deeper savory flavor. Avoid overcrowding the pan, which can cause vegetables to steam rather than brown.
Add acid at the end
Lemon juice, lime juice, vinegar, and other acidic ingredients can make roasted vegetables taste dramatically brighter.
A squeeze of lemon over roasted cauliflower can be more effective than adding another layer of seasoning.
Add contrasting textures
Soft vegetables benefit from crunch.
Try:
- Toasted walnuts
- Pecans
- Almonds
- Pumpkin seeds
- Sunflower seeds
- Pomegranate arils
- Crispy chickpeas
- Toasted breadcrumbs
Texture is one reason simple seasonal dishes can feel special enough for holiday entertaining.
Seasonal Eating in Winter on a Budget
Eating seasonally doesn't automatically mean spending more.
Root vegetables, cabbage, potatoes, carrots, onions, and winter squash can form the inexpensive foundation of numerous meals.
Use pricier ingredients such as pomegranate and specialty citrus as accents rather than the bulk of the meal.
For example, a large tray of roasted carrots becomes more interesting with a modest handful of pomegranate arils and a citrus dressing. You don't need a whole pomegranate for every serving.
Beans, lentils, chickpeas, grains, and potatoes can also stretch seasonal vegetables into complete vegan meals.
A useful formula is:
Seasonal vegetable + plant protein + whole grain or starchy vegetable + flavorful sauce + crunchy topping.
For example:
Roasted squash + chickpeas + quinoa + lemon-tahini dressing + pumpkin seeds.
That's a satisfying winter meal without requiring a long ingredient list.
What to Serve When You're Hosting Vegan Guests
If you're preparing a holiday meal for vegan guests, don't simply remove meat and dairy from traditional dishes. Build dishes that are naturally plant-based and satisfying on their own.
A good vegan holiday plate should have several contrasting elements:
- Something hearty
- Something green
- Something bright or acidic
- Something crunchy
- Something naturally sweet
Seasonal December produce makes this easier.
A plate with stuffed squash, garlicky greens, roasted Brussels sprouts, citrus salad, and cranberry relish already has substantial variety without needing animal products.
For a casual gathering, a large seasonal grain bowl or roasted vegetable platter can work equally well.
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A Simple December Seasonal Produce Checklist
When you're at the grocery store or farmers market, use this quick guide:
Choose one or two from each category:
Citrus: oranges, mandarins, grapefruit, lemons
Winter fruit: pomegranate, pears, apples, persimmons
Leafy greens: kale, collards, mustard greens, Swiss chard
Roots: carrots, beets, parsnips, turnips, rutabagas
Cruciferous vegetables: Brussels sprouts, broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage
Starchy vegetables: sweet potatoes, potatoes, winter squash
Flavor builders: onions, garlic, leeks, fresh herbs
From that list, you can create soups, salads, roasted vegetable dishes, grain bowls, stuffed vegetables, side dishes, and desserts.
Frequently Asked Questions About December Seasonal Produce
What fruits and vegetables are in season in December?
Common December seasonal fruits include oranges, mandarins, grapefruit, lemons, pomegranates, apples, pears, persimmons, cranberries, and kiwifruit. Seasonal vegetables often include kale, collard greens, Brussels sprouts, broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage, carrots, beets, parsnips, turnips, sweet potatoes, winter squash, potatoes, onions, and leeks. Exact availability varies by region.
Is pomegranate in season in December?
Yes. Pomegranate season generally extends through the fall and winter, making December an excellent time to use fresh pomegranate arils in salads, roasted vegetables, grain dishes, appetizers, and holiday desserts.
What citrus is in season during winter?
Winter citrus commonly includes oranges, mandarins, tangerines, grapefruit, lemons, and limes. Depending on your location and the time of year, you may also find specialty varieties such as blood oranges and other seasonal citrus.
What vegetables are best for a vegan Christmas or holiday dinner?
Hardy winter vegetables such as Brussels sprouts, kale, collards, carrots, parsnips, sweet potatoes, cauliflower, cabbage, and winter squash are excellent choices. They roast well, can be prepared ahead, and pair naturally with grains, legumes, nuts, citrus, and pomegranate.
What is the best way to eat seasonally in winter?
Start with produce that is genuinely available in your region, then build meals around a few versatile ingredients. Combine roasted or braised vegetables with beans or lentils, whole grains, leafy greens, nuts or seeds, and a bright sauce or dressing.
Does seasonal produce cost less?
It can, particularly when you buy abundant, locally available produce. Root vegetables, cabbage, potatoes, onions, carrots, and winter squash are often economical choices. Prices depend on location, growing conditions, supply, and whether the produce is locally grown or shipped from another region.
Make December Produce the Starting Point for Better Vegan Meals
The best answer to what fruits and vegetables are in season in December isn't simply a list. It's a way of thinking about winter cooking.
Start with the ingredients that are abundant and flavorful: winter citrus, pomegranate, hearty greens, root vegetables, squash, cabbage, Brussels sprouts, apples, and pears. Then use simple cooking techniques to bring out their strengths.
Roast vegetables until caramelized. Add citrus when a dish needs brightness. Use pomegranate for tartness and crunch. Pair hearty greens with garlic and acid. Combine sweet root vegetables with savory herbs and warming spices.
For holiday entertaining, think in contrasts rather than complicated recipes. A rich main dish needs something fresh. A soft vegetable needs crunch. Sweet squash benefits from acidity. A hearty winter meal becomes more inviting when a colorful citrus or pomegranate salad is on the table.
Seasonal eating in winter can be practical, affordable, colorful, and deeply satisfying. And once you begin looking at December produce as a collection of building blocks rather than a restriction, the possibilities for vegan cooking become much broader.
The information in this article is for educational purposes only and should not be considered medical advice. Always consult a qualified healthcare professional regarding dietary or health concerns.