Your Guide to Buying the Freshest Winter Vegetables

Discover the best winter vegetables to buy and how to select them for maximum flavour and nutrition. This guide covers popular choices like Cavolo Nero, Celeriac, Parsnips, Squash, Swede, and Turnips, offering tips on what to look for to ensure freshness and quality for your hearty winter dishes.

As the cold, dark winter months set in, it's the perfect time to embrace the goodness of seasonal vegetables. Winter greens and root vegetables are at their peak, packed with flavour, vitamins, and minerals essential for staying well. Choosing the freshest produce not only enhances taste but also boosts nutritional value.

Where to Find the Best Winter Veggies:

• Farmers' Markets & Street Markets: These are fantastic places to find prime, fresh-from-the-field vegetables at great prices.
• Root Vegetables: Look for ones that feel firm to the touch and appear unblemished. Avoid any that look sad, wrinkled, or feel soft.
• Leafy Greens (like Kale): Opt for vibrant, lovely green leaves. Steer clear of greens that show yellowing around the edges.

These winter favourites are ideal for creating hearty dishes like slow-simmered soups, flavourful casseroles, stews, and tagines. Knorr offers a range of products and recipes that perfectly complement these seasonal ingredients, helping you create delicious, home-cooked meals with ease.

Cavolo Nero: What to Look For

Cavolo Nero, also known as Tuscan kale, is a fantastic Italian cabbage variety. When selecting it, look for leaves that are thick, curly, and a deep, dark green colour. These characteristics indicate freshness and flavour, making it perfect for adding to hearty winter stews or sautéing with garlic.

Choosing the Best Celeriac

Celeriac, also known as celery root, is a versatile winter vegetable. To ensure the best flavour and texture, opt for the smallest celeriac you can find. Larger, overgrown specimens can sometimes be woody and less palatable inside. Smaller celeriac typically offers a tender, flavourful root perfect for mashing, roasting, or adding to soups and casseroles.

Selecting Flavourful Parsnips

Parsnips are a winter staple, offering a sweet, earthy flavour. When choosing parsnips, opt for chunky ones as they tend to be more flavourful. Don't be shy about using plenty in your cooking; parsnips shrink significantly when cooked, so a larger quantity is often needed to achieve the desired taste and texture in dishes like roasts or hearty Knorr soup recipes.

Choosing the Perfect Winter Squash

Winter squash varieties, such as butternut or acorn squash, are wonderfully versatile. To select a good one, pick a squash that feels heavy for its size, indicating a good water content and density. Ensure the skin is thick, hard, and free from blemishes or soft spots, as this signifies a healthy, well-matured squash that will store well and have a great flavour for your winter meals.

How to Select Good Swede

Swede, also known as rutabaga, is a hearty root vegetable perfect for winter. When choosing swede, look for specimens with smooth, thick skin that has a tanned or purplish-brown colour. A firm feel and absence of soft spots indicate a fresh, good-quality swede that will be delicious when roasted, mashed, or added to stews.

Picking the Best Turnips

Turnips are a crisp and flavourful root vegetable ideal for winter. For the best taste and texture, choose small to medium-sized turnips. Look for smooth skin, typically a combination of white and purple, and ensure they feel quite heavy for their size, which suggests they are dense and juicy. Avoid any with soft spots or a spongy feel.