What we're cooking in December

Festive cooking and celebrations are in full force in December, and while the availability of homegrown produce isn't as extensive as in summer, there's still plenty of wonderful fruit and veg to feast on.

Eating seasonally means your ingredients are fresher, tastier and often more nutritious, as they've travelled less far to get to your plate. Cooking with what's in season here in the UK means cooking (and then enjoying) produce when at its best, but also trying ingredients we perhaps would steer away from or be hesitant to try. Familiarising yourself with locally grown and in-season produce each month is a great step towards a more sustainable lifestyle, too.

So, from apples to white cabbage, here's what's in season in December, plus some helpful tips and go-to recipes that really make the most of winter's crop.

What's in season in December?

Apples - In the UK there are 23 different apple varieties to choose from, with Royal Gala, Jazz, Cox, Bramley and Braeburn being the most common in supermarkets. Jazz and Braeburn apples are at their best in December, so keep an eye out for those when shopping. Lean how to prep apples properly, so they don't turn brown or go soggy when baking with them.

Beetroot - Winter beetroot season is here! This versatile veg adds colour to any dish, and we love it with tangy goat's cheese and walnuts in a salad or grated into a risotto. Not sure how to cook fresh beetroot? Here's how to roast them to bring out their sweet, earthy taste.

Brussels sprouts - Brussels sprouts can be easy to get wrong, so learning how to prepare them properly is key. Once you've nailed that, you'll love the little cruciferous vegetable, which is mighty in flavour and texture, just as much as we do. If you'd prefer not to cook your sprouts at all, try shredding them raw into salads for a crunchy and fresh bite.

Celeriac - This knobbly root veg may not look the prettiest but once you trim and chop off its woody exterior, you're left with an incredibly versatile and tasty vegetable. If you've never tried celeriac before, it tastes similar to celery but with a nutty-like quality too. It's perfect grated and eaten raw in salads, can be roasted in a traybake, added into a stew to increase servings, blitzed into a soup or turned into a mash to bring out its natural sweetness.

Chestnuts - Is it really December without the smell of roasted chestnuts wafting through the air? These nuts (that grow on chestnut trees) have a high water content, which is why they have a soft and meaty texture. You can blitz them into soups, chop them up to add to salads and stuffings, mince them to use as a filling for dumplings, or you can simply eat them roasted for maximum festive vibes. But take note – they should never be eaten raw.

Cranberries - This wincingly sweet berry is at its best in December. The high acidity in these berries helps elevate poultry like chicken and turkey, which is why cranberry sauce is traditionally paired with Christmas lunch. Make the best cranberry sauce for your festive dinner, or alternatively try dried cranberries in a cheesecake for a hit of tang amid the sweetness.

Kale - A leafy brassica with an earthy taste, kale benefits from being cooked or baked, as it can be quite tough and wiry when raw. Massage the leaves with an acidic dressing to soften them slightly and remove the tough stalk (by pulling the leaves down and away from you while holding the stalk end) before cooking or marinating.

Leeks - This long allium (part of the same family as garlic, chives, shallots and onions) has a wonderfully sweet onion flavour. We love to fry, roast, confit and char our leeks, but don't forget to prepare them properly to ensure soil, which can be trapped within its layers, is washed away before cooking.

Mushrooms - From the small enoki variety to the large portobello kind, mushrooms are one of our go-to ingredients. They add a hit of umami to any dish, so are perfect as a plant-based meat substitute. They're also highly absorbent and soak up plenty of flavour when paired with marinades and sauces. They do require some preparation to remove dirt, so check out these top mushroom preparation tips.

Pumpkin - December is the last month of pumpkin season, so make the most of this comforting squash while you can. Learn how to properly prepare and cook a pumpkin, so you can master dishes like roasted pumpkin, pumpkin soup, pumpkin pie and even pumpkin brownies! Make sure you don't throw away the seeds either, as these can be roasted with salt, pepper and spices for a crunchy mid-morning snack.

Red Cabbage - The humble red cabbage is a staple vegetable during the festive season, and comes with a myriad of health benefits too. When buying red cabbage, look for a densely packed one with a heavy weight to it and without any bruises to the body. You can braise, roast, grill, shred and pickle this vibrant brassica, with its bright purple hue adding a pop of colour to your dinner table.

Also in season in the UK in December is celery, chicory, Jerusalem artichoke, onion, pear, quince, salsify, savoy cabbage, swede, Swiss chard, turnip, watercress and white cabbage.