Fruits You Should Try This Winter

Written by Gentry Shannon

Fall turns the trees into a brilliant mosaic of red, orange and yellow. The sunset colors covering hillsides, lining walkways and settling into leaf piles on roadsides are accompanied by warm sweaters and pumpkin spice lattes. Yet for all of fall’s charm, even the sweater-wearing and latte-carrying know that winter will follow — frosty window panes, the muffling silence of snow and barren trees.

Winter’s empty boughs hardly lend themselves to the idea of cooking with fruit. However, you may be surprised to learn that fruit is no less of an option during the winter than in the summer — the available variety is simply different.

Why Consume Fruit in Winter?

The ability to purchase and consume fruit in winter is good news, as it is no less vital for overall health than in any other season. With all the colds and other illnesses circulating as temperatures drop, maintaining a holistic diet that supports the immune system is more important than ever. Winter fruit supplies two primary advantages: boosting immunity and preventing illnesses from worsening.

Winter Fruit Boosts Immunity

Maintaining a well-balanced diet containing various fruits is central to the health of your immune system. Failing to consume the proper amount of vitamin C (present in fruits such as oranges, lemons and kiwis) may make the immune system more susceptible to infection. Although vitamin C supplements are certainly a step in the right direction, research indicates that eating vitamin C-rich foods is even better. Since vitamin C is water soluble, the body will flush out excess if too much is consumed at once. It’s most beneficial to partake in such fruits intermittently throughout the day rather than all at once.

Winter Fruit Prevents Illnesses From Worsening

Even while employing the best preventative practices, winter colds can still strike. Vitamin C supports the formation of white blood cells — the immune system’s foot soldier — that help fight off invading viruses and bacteria. Even if they don’t entirely conquer the illness, they may reduce its severity and longevity, preventing a cold from degrading into pneumonia.

Winter Fruit Options and Their Health Benefits

Like vegetables, different fruits are full of different vitamins and nutrients, providing distinct health benefits.

Peak Between November and May

• Pears: On average, each pear contains 5.58 grams of fiber, which helps promote the growth of good bacteria and a healthy weight.
• Oranges: They are the quintessential vitamin C source (nearly 82 milligrams per orange). They also contain 3.6 grams of fiber. If possible, consume real oranges over orange juice, which often has unhealthy sugars.

Peak From January to Early Summer

• Grapefruit: Another source of vitamin C (43.7 milligrams), grapefruit is known for its cancer-combatting properties, particularly prostate cancer.

Peak Between December and February

• Pomelos: Similar to grapefruits but green in color and sweeter in flavor, this citrus can be substituted for oranges or grapefruits in a myriad of recipes.

Peak Between October and January

• Pomegranates: Aside from 7 grams of fiber and 17.8 milligrams of vitamin C, pomegranates also contain the little-known vitamin K, which promotes healthy levels of blood clotting and strong bones. Pomegranate juice and seeds are both excellent winter options for a healthy snack.
• Persimmons: Persimmons, which look like orange tomatoes but taste more akin to a mix of apricots and oranges, are an excellent source of vitamin A. They also help the immune system fight infectious diseases.

Peak in Winter and Spring

• Cranberries: These are not only a good source of vitamin C but also help lower cholesterol!
• Kiwi: While not falling in the citrus category, kiwis are surprisingly high in vitamin C, with 56 milligrams — coming second on this list only to oranges.

Winter Fruit Recipes

Winter Fruit Salad

Cheap, easy to make and incorporating many of our favorite winter fruits, this recipe has two parts: the salad and the dressing. The salad calls for clementine oranges, pears, apples, pomegranates and kiwis. The dressing combines honey, lime juice and lemon juice.

Pear and Honey Caramel Cobbler

Tempting though the winter fruit salad may be, there comes a time in winter when you need a nice warm dessert to pair with your cocoa and reading a book by the fire. This pear and honey caramel cobbler is exactly what you need: soft, gooey and the perfect snow-day treat.

Though the cobbler revolves around pears and honey, it also uses lemon zest (i.e., another winter fruit) and incorporates other wintery flavors, like ginger, almond and vanilla.

Persimmon Cake With Pistachios

Persimmon is one of our non-citrus winter fruit options, and this cake highlights its flavors beautifully, using dried persimmons and persimmon pulp. It also incorporates dried cranberries, maple syrup, vanilla extract and pumpkin to achieve an ideal mix of fall and winter flavors. This recipe is perfect for whipping up some breakfast treats or on-the-go snacks for little ones — it only takes an hour to prepare a dozen small persimmon cakes!

Chocolate-Orange Dessert Donuts

This is perhaps the richest of the three desserts on this list. For those of us not exploratory enough to own a donut mold, this recipe can alternatively be made in a standard 2½-inch muffin pan, filling the cups two-thirds full with batter.

Although it has a more than reasonable total prep and baking time (40 minutes), the recipe may be better suited for more experienced bakers, as it calls for slightly unusual ingredients such as arrowroot powder, tahini and flaxseed meal.

Citrus Pomegranate Salad

Unlike the fruit salad, this is more of a traditional salad with a spinach base. It calls for three types of citrus fruit: grapefruit, orange and tangerine.

Alongside the citrus flavors, this salad also includes more savory elements such as feta cheese, shallot and a garlic-based vinaigrette.

Preventing a Colorless Winter With Fruit

Though the brilliant colors of fall will have faded by the time winter rolls around, remember that your dinner table needs not resemble the complete lack of hue characteristic of the outdoors. Not only is there a wide variety of fruit available in winter, but many have notable health benefits. Even if you prefer not to eat raw fruit, ensure you receive your daily dose of vitamin C by trying out some delicious recipes!