The 23 things in the Typed food library at their best in February — 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 August.
Last month for these
Gone by March.
Everything in season in February
- BananaA practical potassium source — tablets are capped far lower for safety.
- 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.
- CabbageAn underrated vitamin C source, and the raw material for sauerkraut and kimchi.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- RhubarbA very low-calorie, high-fiber stalk vegetable with a distinctly tart bite.
- Scallions (Green Onions)A few tablespoons of chopped scallions can give you more vitamin K than you'd expect from a simple garnish.
- SwedeA mild, low-calorie root vegetable that's a genuine vitamin C source, related to cabbage more than to potatoes.
- 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