I Spent A Decade Growing and Harvesting Winter Vegetables for Restaurants – These 7 Unsung Heroes Are Ideal for Hearty December Dishes

When you mention December harvests, most people will think straight away of those classic festive vegetables like Brussels sprouts, carrots, parsnips, and cabbage. It may be surprising what a selection of vegetables can be picked in mid-winter, so here I look at some of those lesser-known vegetables to harvest in December.

Having year-round harvests from a vegetable garden requires some planning, but there is a long list of cold-hardy crops that can be freshly picked for winter dinner plates. Get it right, and you can enjoy nutritious winter greens, hearty roots, unique brassicas, and peppery leaves.

I grew a wide selection of winter vegetables during my time growing and harvesting edibles for chefs at different restaurants. We picked fresh vegetables multiple times a week in December, ranging from winter staples to some less common crops. Here, I want to shine a light on some of those less-recognised winter crops in this list of vegetables to harvest in December.

7 Vegetables to Harvest in December

Growing and harvesting vegetables into December requires careful selection of types and varieties to ensure a diverse range of overwintering vegetables that can withstand the cold.

You can assist them by using row covers, cloches, or cold frames to protect plants from frost and extend the harvest season well into winter. I’ll mention which of the highlighted vegetables need extra winter protection, along with some harvesting tips.

1. Collard greens

Collard greens thrive in cold weather and are one of the hardiest brassicas you can plant in your vegetable garden. The earthy leaves are rich in vitamins and minerals, and perfect for southern dishes, warming soups, and hearty stews.

I grew collard greens in the productive vegetable garden at Soho Farmhouse in the Cotswolds, and the crop was freshly picked for chefs at the on-site restaurants throughout December and January. There is a good reason they were desired in these months, as frosts convert starches in the plant to sugars, so the collard greens taste sweeter.

Collard greens can withstand temperatures as low as 15°F. In US hardiness zones 7 and below, covering plants with frost cloth (such as this row cover at Amazon) or building a hoop tunnel helps protect winter leafy greens from frost and allows harvests through extreme temperatures.

Harvest collard greens as a cut-and-come-again crop. Snip individual leaves once they are large enough to use, starting with the lowest, older leaves, and never take more than a third at any one time.

2. Broccoli Rabe

Broccoli rabe is a crop known by many names, and you will hear it called (or spelt) broccoli raab, rapini, or spring broccoli. It is a leafy green that resembles broccoli, but is related to turnips. However, don’t underestimate it, as it is a fast-growing vegetable that can give you harvests of bitter and nutty heads and stems throughout the winter in milder climates.

It is another winter crop I grew and harvested for the chefs at Soho Farmhouse, which is located in US hardiness zone 8. That is worth pointing out, as broccoli rabe is a winter crop more suited to milder regions. When planted in late summer or early fall, the crop can provide harvests through winter and into spring. Plants will benefit from mulching to insulate the roots, and covering with frost cloth or blankets ahead of frosty nights.

To harvest broccoli rabe, cut the main head once the plants reach 12-15 inches tall. This will encourage lots of smaller side shoots to develop, which can be harvested two or three times by cutting them with sharp pruning shears or a harvesting knife, like this pocket-sized folding harvesting knife at Walmart.

3. Lacinato kale

Another crop that goes by many names, including Tuscan kale, dinosaur kale, or, as I have always known it, cavolo nero. I have grown kale of various kinds in different vegetable gardens, and my personal favorite remains this one. This is because the dark strap-shaped leaves give lacinato kale a stunning ornamental look, and the plants are prolific.

This is a brassica that I have regularly picked through winter for chefs, and it is super-easy to harvest kale in a way that keeps it growing for a long period of time. Once the leaves are large enough to use, you can harvest them as a cut-and-come-again vegetable.

Start with the largest leaves at the bottom of the stalk, and carefully remove them one by one. It is better to snip them close to the stem, as pulling them is a harvesting mistake that risks damaging the plant.

Lacinato kale is very cold-hardy and can tolerate frosts and low temperatures down to -10°F. In colder climates, it can be beneficial to build a mini hoop tunnel (you can use hoops like these at Amazon to make a tunnel) and cover it with frost cloth to protect plants from extreme cold.

But kale will overwinter in most US hardiness zones without too many issues. Plus, the flavor of the nutritious leaves will also improve after a few frosts.

4. Celeriac

Celeriac have long been one of my top vegetables to grow, and I have cultivated and harvested this unique root crop in several different vegetable gardens, including for Michelin-starred kitchens.

The globe-shaped roots have a nutty, sweet taste and are highly versatile, as you can mash, roast, or puree them as well as add celeriac to winter soups and stews.

You can harvest celeriac from late fall to early spring, and it is another crop that benefits from a few frosts, turning the starches in the roots into sugars. A bit of patience means sweeter celeriac for your dishes.

If you grow celeriac in colder climates, covering the plants in a layer of straw helps to overwinter root vegetables. The mulching layer stops the roots from freezing and thawing, while also making it easier to lift them in winter as the ground doesn’t freeze solid.

Use a garden fork to gently lever the celeriac roots out of the soil, rather than attempting to pull them from the earth with your hands.

5. Kalettes

Kalettes may be a new crop to many. It is a recent introduction to vegetable gardens, but their popularity is increasing, and kalettes are becoming a bit of a trendy crop. I grew them for the chefs at high-calibre restaurants as an alternative to Brussels sprouts, and kalettes do have a sweeter taste than the more traditional festive sprouts.

Kalette plants develop tall stalks covered with florets of tightly packed small green and purple kale leaves.

The florets are individually picked from the stem throughout winter and into spring. As all the florets don’t mature at the same time, the stalks need to be regularly checked and ready ones twisted from the stem or cut with a sharp knife.

As the plants grow tall stems, they will require staking in windier sites to stop them toppling over due to strong winter winds, or suffering wind rock and root damage. But the plants are very cold-hardy and need little protection against frost and snow.

6. Corn salad

Corn salad, also known as lamb’s lettuce or mache, is a very hardy leafy green. Its nutty, succulent, deep green leaves can be a distinct addition to winter salads.

The crop can tolerate freezing temperatures and a covering of snow. Even growers in colder regions can enjoy growing corn salad by covering plants with frost cloth, cloches, or cold frames (like this wooden portable cold frame at Wayfair) for extra protection in the depths of winter.

To harvest corn salad, you have a choice. Either pick individual leaves with scissors by cutting a few inches above the crown for successive harvests. Alternatively, you can cut the whole head near the base of the rosette, and the plant will resprout for a second crop.

Corn salad isn’t the only hardy green you can pick to spice up winter salads. The likes of arugula, spinach, mizuna, mustards, and winter lettuces can all provide harvests in December, especially when given some protection, or when you have them as vegetables growing in a greenhouse in fall and winter.

7. Rutabaga

Rutabagas are perfect for hearty winter stews, casseroles, soups, or roasts. After the roots have sweetened courtesy of a few frosts, start digging them up for all manner of seasonal dishes.

The root crop can be left in the ground to harvest over winter, but needs to be protected with a thick layer of straw or leaves to prevent the ground from freezing and the roots from going mushy due to repeated freezing and thawing. Give rutabaga a thick layer of straw and cover this with hoops and a row cover to keep it in place for winter.

Harvest the rutabaga once they reach 3-5 inches in diameter. Carefully loosen the soil around the roots and gently lift them from the soil. Once they reach this size, rutabagas can be stored for longer, up to four months in a dark, cool place with high humidity.

How does growing your own Christmas dinner sound to you for a truly homegrown festive celebration? If you like the prospect of Christmas plates full of homegrown vegetables, this guide reveals all the sowing and planting dates you need to know to grow your own Christmas dinner and enjoy plates piled with potatoes, carrots, sprouts, carrots, rutabaga, and green beans.

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