Some Foods In Season During December

What's in season in December 

December and it's the festive season! It brings a traditional bounty of fresh fruit and veg that no classic Christmas would be complete without. Serve Brussels Sprouts and parsnips alongside your turkey, add cranberries to colourful cocktails and perhaps dates to sticky Christmas puddings! Don’t forget to tuck a clementine into the bottom of stockings!

Clementines
Small and sweet, clementines are a hybrid of tangerines and oranges. Easy to peel and exceptionally sweet, there are over 20 varieties of clementine. The fruit will keep in the fridge for up to one week.

Some recipes you may like to try:

Clementine Almond Cake, it's low carb and flourless - more details here 

Christmas Salad, it's so colourful and low in carbs too - more details here

Clementine Prosecco Cocktail, it's nice but 13.5g carbs per serving - more details here

Brussels Sprouts 

Sprouts have a sweet, nutty flavour, and taste great raw or cooked. Sprouts do cook quickly and can become bitter and mushy when overdone, so do make sure you watch them carefully! Although they should be firm, a sharp knife should still easily slide into the stem. Brussels sprouts are a classic accompaniment to traditional Christmas dinner.

Some recipes you may like to try:

Brussels Sprouts and Hamburger Gratin, it's LCHF - more details here

Brussels Sprouts Christmas Tree, it's a Showstopper - more details here

Brussels Sprouts and Cheddar Cheese Soup, it's so delicious - more details here

Brussels Sprouts and Roasted Celeriac - more details here

Cranberries

Cranberries are harvested in the autumn when the fruit turns deep red in colour – perfect for the festive season. Fresh cranberries are sharp in taste and, if frozen, can be kept for up to nine months.

Some recipes you may like to try:

Fruit Cake, with cranberries, a low carb alternative, could be just right for Christmas - more details here

Cheesecake Cranberry Mousse, it's low carb - more details here

Braised beef with red wine and cranberry - more details here

Sautéed sprouts with almonds and cranberries - more details here

Parsnips

Parsnips have an earthy flavour and were used in Europe as a sweetener before cane sugar arrived in the 1800s. Choose smaller parsnips, as larger ones are likely to be less sweet. They can be stored in the fridge for up to a week. 

Some recipes you may like to try:

Slow-Braised Pork shoulder with Cider and Parsnips, a one pot dish - more details here

Mushroom and parsnip rösti pie - more details here

Parsnip & Cauliflower Soup - more details here

Dates

Sweet and sticky dates are a staple of the festive season – while dried dates are available year-round, fresh ones are best from November to January. The deep brown, wrinkled Medjool variety of dates is the sweetest, with a rich toffee-like taste.

Some recipes you may like to try:

Autumn fruit frangipane galette, the lower carb way - more details here

Almond and Orange Biscuits, low carb - more details here

Prosciutto wrapped dates with port and cranberry sauce - more details here

I wonder what would be your favourite two from the above?
Mine would be the Clementine Almond Cake, and the Parsnip and Cauliflower Soup ...

Dear reader, you will find a variety of articles, studies etc. plus recent news/views and recipe ideas within this blog, we hope something for everyone to read and enjoy ... but please note, not all may be suitable for you. If you may have any food allergies, or underlying health issues these must always be taken into account. Not all of the suggested recipes above are low carb. If you are a diabetic and not sure how certain foods may affect your blood sugars, test is best, i.e. use your meter.

All the best Jan