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Fruit and veg in season this December

Fruit and veg in season this December

Spirits are high on the Market this month, with buzzy sales and a festive feel.

British brassicas include sprouts and tops, purple sprouting, January King, kales, broccoli, kohl rabi, cauliflower and more ...

New Covent Garden Market Report December 2021 Sprout Stalk

This pallet will serve a lot of Christmas dinners.

New Covent Garden Market Report December 2021 Sprouts

Here's some spiral Romanesco.

New Covent Garden Market Report December 2021 Romanesco

Lovely colours from the Rainbow chard.

New Covent Garden Market Report December 2021 Chard

Fresh cranberries are a speciality of Belarus.

New Covent Garden Market Report December 2021 Cranberry

Chestnuts are on hand - both fresh in the shells or in vacuum packs.

Leafy clementines are abundant, along with other citrus such as lemons, kumquats, pomelo, bergamot and cedro (pictured below). Italian blood oranges are imminent. Right now, they are all the way from Australia.

New Covent Garden Market Report December 2021 Cedro

It's a fantastic time for roots. Can you identify the four in the photo below? (Answer at the end of the report). Parsnips include Piccolo.

New Covent Garden Market Report December 2021 Roots

There is a wide range of winter squashes. This photo shows a shipment of yams.

New Covent Garden Market Report December 2021 Yam

At time of writing - 1st December - the Yorkshire forced rhubarb had not yet started. This photo shows a Dutch crop, which always arrives a few weeks earlier.

New Covent Garden Market Report December 2021 Forced Rhubarb

Wild mushrooms are exquisite this month. The photo below shows small girolle. Pied mouton, yellow and grey-leg chanterelle and trompette also available.

New Covent Garden Market Report December 2021 Girolle

Exotics on form include lychees ...

New Covent Garden Market Report December 2021 Lychee

... along with custard apples, pineapples and pomegranates.

New Covent Garden Market Report December 2021 Pomegranate

Kaki fruit are in season - typically grown closer to home, with Spain a key exporter.

New Covent Garden Market Report December 2021 8

Don't forget apples and pears - with British fruit still eating very well from cold store. Main varieties are Braeburn, Cox, russets and Bramlet. Conference and Comice pears also available. Quince is also a good call.

For something unusual, there are many varieties of aubergine include these mini graffiti (pictured right).

New Covent Garden Market Report December 2021 Aubergine

Lines from Italy include radicchios, puntarella and cime di rapa. Isn't this a sight? Pak choi - squeaky fresh.

New Covent Garden Market Report December 2021 Pak Choi

Not seen these before - living punnets of nasturtium leaf to decorate the plate.

New Covent Garden Market Report December 2021 Nasturtium

Do take the chance to pop down to the Market this month. Top tip: the cafes are also serving festive specials, including turkey wraps with all the trimmings.

Root Quiz Answers: Jerusalem artichokes (background), crosnes (left), nasturtium root (top), salsify (bottom).

by 
marcin
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