Seasonal produce calendar
December produce by U.S. region
What’s in season in December across five U.S. regions: storage crops, winter greens and citrus, with region-scoped dates and recipes to match.
Coming from November? November produce by U.S. region
How to use this
December is storage-crop country in much of the U.S.: roots, squash and hardy greens. Citrus is the bright exception in Florida and California pockets. Your farmers’ market and local frost dates are still the best guide.
Pick the band closest to you. In the Southern Hemisphere the seasons run opposite — choose Australia / NZ under Set my region and the home page will show the matching season instead of this U.S. calendar.
Northeast & Midwest
Deep storage season: apples and pears from cold storage, winter squash, potatoes, onions, cabbage, kale, Brussels sprouts, carrots, beets and other roots. Outdoor tender crops are done. Citrus here is shipped in, not grown locally.
Recipe ideas: Root tray · squash skillet · kale–bean pots · apple desserts from storage fruit.
South
Sweet potatoes from storage (North Carolina growers dig them late August to early November, then cure most of them); collards, kale and mustard greens in hard; cabbage family. Florida citrus is in: grapefruit (UF/IFAS lists ‘Marsh’ and ‘Ruby Red’ at November to May) and Meyer lemons (UF/IFAS puts Meyer ripening November to March).
Recipe ideas: Sweet-potato sides; greens pots; citrus as it arrives; root trays.
Mountain / High Plains
Outdoors it’s storage season: squash, roots and apples from storage, and hardy greens under cover. Tender herbs come from indoors.
Recipe ideas: Root tray; squash; apple while quality holds; bean-and-greens.
West Coast
PNW: storage apples and pears, squash, roots, hardy greens. California: citrus season is the story. Clementines run late October to mid-December in the San Joaquin Valley (UC Cooperative Extension) and October to December in Riverside (UC ANR), and UC Riverside says the Improved Meyer crop comes mainly in winter. Coastal markets stay greener longer.
Recipe ideas: Citrus as it arrives; root tray; squash; greens.
Southwest
Storage squash, greens that like the cool nights, chiles from storage or roasted. Skip tired warm-season leftovers.
Recipe ideas: Chile-forward pans; squash; roots; greens.
Recipes and related guides
Roasted fall root-vegetable tray · Roasted squash skillet · Kale & white bean pot · How to store winter squash · When are clementines in season? · When is grapefruit in season? · November produce guide · When are Meyer lemons in season? · When are sweet potatoes in season?
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Weekly list
What’s in season in your region, once a week.