What to eat in season in UK in January
When I talk about sustainable living one of my top tips is to eat local in season food as the obvious advantage of buying local food that’s in season is that it reduces the impact of transporting it hundreds of miles and also reduces the impact of artificially growing food that’s out of season.
So what’s in season in the UK in January? As you can imagine there isn’t a lot of fruit in season in the UK in January but you’ll be spoilt for choice with Winter vegetables. Here’s a list of the main ones:
Fruit in season - January
- Apples
- Pears
- Rhubarb (forced)
Vegetables in Season - January
- Beetroot
- Brussels sprouts
- Cabbage
- Carrots
- Cauliflower
- Celeriac
- Chicory
- Jerusalem Artichokes
- Kale
- Leeks
- Mushrooms
- Onions
- Parsnips
- Potatoes
- Purple Sprouting
- Swedes
- Turnips
Seasonal Recipe for January
With so many earthy root vegetables available in January there’s always lots of soups and stews on the menu in our house; a couple of my favourites being leek and potato soup and Winter Chicken Stew with Pearl Barley (recipe below).
I love mashed swede with my Sunday roast but have you tried roasting your root veg as it really brings out the sweetness and you get that yummy caramelisation. A sausage tray bake with root veg is quick and easy to make and tastes great.
If you’re looking for more seasonal inspiration check out January In Season | Waitrose & Partners
Winter Chicken Stew with Pear Barley
INGREDIENTS:
- 50g unsalted butter
- Splash of olive oil
- 1 onion, finely chopped
- 2 carrots, diced
- 2 leeks, finely sliced
- 400g Sliced Chicken breast or thighs (you can also use leftover chicken)
- 1 litre chicken stock
- 200g pearl barley
- 200g shredded spring greens or cabbage
- Sprig of Thyme
- Salt and Pepper to season
HOW TO:
- If using uncooked chicken heat a splash of olive oil in a large casserole dish or saucepan over a medium heat and add the chopped pieces of chicken breast or thighs. Sauté over a medium heat until slightly coloured all over.
- Remove the chicken from the pan and set aside. Add the butter to the pan and melt over a medium heat.
- Add the onion, carrots and leeks to the pan and sauté them gently until soft but not coloured.
- Add the chicken stock, Thyme and uncooked chicken to the pan and bring the liquid to a simmer, simmer for 10 minutes. Add the pearl barley and continue cooking for another 20 to 30 minutes, or until the pearl barley is just tender and the liquid has reduced and thickened a little.
- Check the chicken is cooked through and shred with a fork.
- Add the shredded cabbage / spring greens (if using cooked leftover chicken add it now) and cook for a further 10 to 15 minutes, check the cabbage is cooked and chicken heated through.
- Season to taste with salt and pepper, serve with crusty bread.
Tips on How to buy in season local food
There are a number of ways you can achieve this, shop at your local farm shop or farmers’ market. If you don’t have access to these another great way to ensure your food is produced in the UK is to look for the Red Tractor Logo which shows that the product has been produced in the UK.
The Union Jack on our logo means your food has been produced entirely in the UK, with every step of the food journey checked and documented from farm to pack. All food and drink can be traced right back through the supply chain to the British farms it came from
Love British Food is a great resource with a local food directory plus lots of other useful information.
Hope you enjoy exploring what’s in season in January and I’d love to hear what you’re cooking.
