The 25 things in the Typed food library at their best in January — 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 July.
New this month
Not in season in December, in season now.
Last month for these
Gone by February.
Everything in season in January
- 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.
- ClementineClementines are a quick hit of vitamin C in a fruit you can peel with your thumbs.
- 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.
- PomegranateOne of the most compound-dense fruits — much of it from the peel and pith.
- 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