The 41 things in the Typed food library at their best in December — cheapest, most local, and grown outdoors rather than under glass or shipped. These are open-ground growing seasons for the northern hemisphere; in the southern hemisphere read this page as June.
New this month
Not in season in November, in season now.
Last month for these
Gone by January.
- Sweet PotatoCooking it, and adding a little fat, both genuinely improve what you absorb.
- CarrotsCooking actually makes its signature nutrient easier to absorb.
- AppleMost of its fibre, and a notable antioxidant, live in the skin.
- PearOne of the higher-fibre fruits, most of it in a form that slows digestion.
- Butternut SquashButternut squash's orange color is basically a vitamin A signal, but your body only turns as much of it into usable vitamin A as it needs, and cooking plus a little fat helps that process along.
- Acorn SquashAcorn squash looks plain, but one cooked cup gives you more potassium than a banana, plenty of fiber, and a good hit of vitamin C.
- Spaghetti SquashSpaghetti squash turns into noodle-like strands when you cook it, and it's mostly water -- so you get a big, filling plate for very few calories.
- PumpkinPumpkin's bright orange color is basically edible sunshine for your eyes and immune system.
- Chayote SquashChayote is basically water with a crunch, but it quietly delivers a solid dose of folate.
- LimeA lime won't make your body "alkaline" or flush out toxins — but it is a real, small source of vitamin C.
- PersimmonPersimmons are a sweet, vitamin-rich fall fruit -- but eating a lot of unripe ones on an empty stomach can actually cause a real stomach problem.
- CranberriesCranberries are tart, low-sugar berries packed with vitamin C and fiber, and a natural compound that keeps bad bacteria from clinging to your bladder.
- QuinceQuince looks like a bumpy pear, but you almost always have to cook it before eating — raw, it's rock-hard and mouth-puckering.
- Nashi Pear (Asian Pear)A crisp, juicy fruit that’s mostly water and a little fibre and natural sugar.
- Prickly PearA cactus fruit that’s mostly water and fiber, with a solid dose of vitamin C.
- BeetrootRaw, baked, boiled or canned — the cooking method changes this vegetable more than most.
- SquashA summer squash, picked young — which is why it is watery and mild rather than sweet and starchy like a pumpkin.
Everything in season in December
- Acorn SquashAcorn squash looks plain, but one cooked cup gives you more potassium than a banana, plenty of fiber, and a good hit of vitamin C.
- AppleMost of its fibre, and a notable antioxidant, live in the skin.
- BananaA practical potassium source — tablets are capped far lower for safety.
- BeetrootRaw, baked, boiled or canned — the cooking method changes this vegetable more than most.
- Blood OrangeBlood oranges look different because of a special red pigment — not because they have way more vitamin C than regular oranges.
- Bok ChoyBok choy is a crunchy, low-calorie green that quietly packs a lot of bone-friendly vitamin K and immune-supporting vitamin C.
- Brussels SproutsOne of the most concentrated vitamin K sources in the produce aisle.
- Butternut SquashButternut squash's orange color is basically a vitamin A signal, but your body only turns as much of it into usable vitamin A as it needs, and cooking plus a little fat helps that process along.
- CabbageAn underrated vitamin C source, and the raw material for sauerkraut and kimchi.
- CarrotsCooking actually makes its signature nutrient easier to absorb.
- CauliflowerBroccoli’s milder cousin, with a gentler version of the same compounds.
- CeleriacCeleriac looks like a dirt-covered brain, but it's really celery's underground cousin — and it's loaded with vitamin K, potassium, and fiber.
- Chayote SquashChayote is basically water with a crunch, but it quietly delivers a solid dose of folate.
- ClementineClementines are a quick hit of vitamin C in a fruit you can peel with your thumbs.
- CranberriesCranberries are tart, low-sugar berries packed with vitamin C and fiber, and a natural compound that keeps bad bacteria from clinging to your bladder.
- GrapefruitGrapefruit is packed with vitamin C, but it can also make certain medicines act stronger than they should.
- KaleA calcium source your body genuinely absorbs, unlike spinach’s.
- KiwiMore vitamin C than an orange, plus a genuine digestive enzyme.
- LeeksA milder relative of onion and garlic, with its own prebiotic fibre.
- LemonA real vitamin C source — though the lemon water detox claims go well past the evidence.
- Lemon PeelMost of a lemon's fibre and aroma is in the skin, not the juice.
- LimeA lime won't make your body "alkaline" or flush out toxins — but it is a real, small source of vitamin C.
- Mandarin OrangeMandarins are a sweet, easy-peel way to get most of a day's vitamin C, without needing a pill.
- Napa CabbageNapa cabbage is a light, crunchy vegetable that gives you vitamin C for your immune system and vitamin K for strong bones — for almost no calories.
- Nashi Pear (Asian Pear)A crisp, juicy fruit that’s mostly water and a little fibre and natural sugar.
- OnionsA prebiotic fibre source that feeds gut bacteria much like an inulin supplement.
- OrangeA genuinely good vitamin C source, with fibre a pill does not give you.
- ParsnipParsnips look like pale carrots but pack more fiber and folate per bite than most root vegetables, and cooking them is completely safe.
- PearOne of the higher-fibre fruits, most of it in a form that slows digestion.
- PersimmonPersimmons are a sweet, vitamin-rich fall fruit -- but eating a lot of unripe ones on an empty stomach can actually cause a real stomach problem.
- PomegranateOne of the most compound-dense fruits — much of it from the peel and pith.
- Prickly PearA cactus fruit that’s mostly water and fiber, with a solid dose of vitamin C.
- PumpkinPumpkin's bright orange color is basically edible sunshine for your eyes and immune system.
- QuinceQuince looks like a bumpy pear, but you almost always have to cook it before eating — raw, it's rock-hard and mouth-puckering.
- Red CabbageRed cabbage is green cabbage with a superpower: the purple pigment that gives it color is also a strong antioxidant, and that same pigment changes color when it touches something acidic or basic.
- Scallions (Green Onions)A few tablespoons of chopped scallions can give you more vitamin K than you'd expect from a simple garnish.
- Spaghetti SquashSpaghetti squash turns into noodle-like strands when you cook it, and it's mostly water -- so you get a big, filling plate for very few calories.
- SquashA summer squash, picked young — which is why it is watery and mild rather than sweet and starchy like a pumpkin.
- SwedeA mild, low-calorie root vegetable that's a genuine vitamin C source, related to cabbage more than to potatoes.
- Sweet PotatoCooking it, and adding a little fat, both genuinely improve what you absorb.
- TurnipTurnips are a low-calorie root packed with vitamin C, and their leafy tops are even more nutritious than the root itself.
A season says when something is at its best, not what is on the shelf. Almost all of this is available all year through glasshouses, controlled-atmosphere storage and imports — the season is the thing the price tag hides.
Other months