December Seasonal Produce Guide with Recipes

Check out all the great fruits and vegetables in season this month. Our December Seasonal Produce Guide includes some links to great recipes, along with helpful tips for trying new ingredients.

Why Buy Seasonal Produce?

Buying produce when it’s in season can have a lot of benefits –

• it’s often more ripe and better tasting
• less expensive at the store during peak season
• great way to support farmers in your local area
• fun way to expand your palate and try something new

Every month we share a list of seasonal produce, along with some recipes using the seasonal ingredients. We also always include this disclaimer – seasonal produce will vary slightly depending on the area where you live. These are common fruits and vegetables currently in season but many factors can affect this list, including location, climate and shipping issues.

December Seasonal Produce

Without further ado, here is a list of some of the most common fruits and vegetables in season this month.

Seasonal Recipes

Below are a few of our favorite recipes using some of the fruits and vegetables mentioned above. Feel free to leave a comment below with your favorite winter produce!

Brussels Sprouts

So many delicious ways to prepare these little mini cabbage cuties. Our favorite is buying shaved Brussels sprouts and then using them in the air fryer to get all those little crispy edges.

• Crispy Parmesan Brussels Sprouts in the Air Fryer
• Winter Apple Brussels Sprouts Salad (this one uses a ton of winter produce!)

Cabbage

It may not seem like a hugely popular ingredient but we are huge fans of cabbage around here! One of absolute favorite ways to use cabbage is in a flavorful slaw.

• The Easiest Shrimp Tacos with Sesame Slaw

Citrus

Bring on all the winter citrus! The peak months vary by variety, but be sure to check your grocery store for clementines, mandarins, tangerines and blood oranges starting this month.

• Winter Citrus Vinaigrette

Cranberries

Not just a side for Thanksgiving. Cranberries offer so much flavor and can be used in baked goods, savory dishes, sweet recipes and even drinks. They also pack a great nutritional punch!

• Cranberry Moscow Mule Mocktail
• Cranberry Sweet Potato Muffins

Leeks

These long, narrow veggies can seem intimidating but give such a buttery, mellow onion flavor to many dishes. Our favorite way is to simply slice them thinly and then sautée over medium heat with some olive oil, salt and pepper.

• Gut Healthy Turmeric Vegetable Broth

Persimmons

A gorgeous orange colored fruit, persimmons are one of those things you never knew about until someone makes you something with them. They are great in baked goods or even added to salads.

Check out the Nutritional Benefits of Persimmons to learn more about these winter beauties.

• Oven Roasted Persimmons with Greek Yogurt
• Persimmon Salad

Pomegranate

Another jewel toned beauty! Pomegranates are so versatile and can be enjoyed in the aril (seed) form or juice. They add great flavor and texture to many dishes.

• Chia Pomegranate Smoothie
• The BEST Pomegranate Dressing
• 40 Pomegranate Recipes

Squash

So many amazing squash varieties to choose from this month.

• 45 Flavorful Winter Squash Recipes
• Roasted Delicata Squash – Oven vs. Air Fryer Showdown
• Spaghetti Squash Aglio e Olio
• Herb Roasted Acorn Squash