Top 10 Winter Fruits to Eat in Season

Winter season fruits are abundant and delicious at this time of year, and as the days draw in and the temperatures plunge, cooking with the fruits available in winter will help you keep a healthy diet, but also allow you to try a whole range of winter fruit recipes.

Here you can find the top 10 winter fruits, along with a list of recipes, including winter apples and all the best winter fruits to use in your kitchen this season. Try some for yourself.

Apples

Winter apples are cheap and plentiful and because there are so many different varieties they are extremely versatile. Use them in American apple pie, Dutch apple pie or English apple pie, apple crumble, apple strudel or charoset. Have a look at these top ways to use up apples before they go bad. Learn from the best in the business with this round-up of apple recipes from Michelin-star chefs.

Pear

Sweet, mellow and yellow, late fall and winter pears are some of the most spectacular fruits of the year, and there is so much you can do with them - including sweet desserts, poaching or pairing with cheese, and even as a pizza topping. Try these recipes for risotto with pears, roasted pumpkin and pear soup or pear salad with rocket, gorgonzola and walnuts. Or indulge your sweet tooth with these recipes for puff pastry mango and pear parcels with gorgonzola, poached red wine pears or cranberry and pear crumble with cream. Don't worry if you over-buy pears in-season, we’ve got you covered with this round-up of recipes to use pears before they go bad.

Clementine

The winter clementine is a hybrid between a willowleaf mandarin orange and a sweet orange, named after Clément Rodier, a French missionary who first discovered and propagated the fruit in Algeria. Try this unusual pairing - buffalo mozzarella with clementine, almond brittle, pomegranate and oregano, or treat yourself to orange pleasure or these traditional fairy Christmas cakes.

Orange

The best oranges are to be found during the winter months, when they are large, sweet and the skins full of oil. Just because it's winter, it doesn't mean you can't enjoy a good salad. Try this recipe for fennel and orange salad. Try this twist on an Italian classic - risotto alla Milanese with orange and bone marrow, or get festive and try a mulled wine with orange slices.

Kiwi

The delicious, tangy, green kiwi comes into season in winter and it makes a great way to add zing to your day, especially as part of a breakfast or dessert. Try this vegan coconut flan with kiwi or this Ggrape and kiwi smoothie with yogurt. Check out these five kiwi recipes that’ll make your day sweeter.

Grapefruit

The unmistakable flavour of grapefruit should be enjoyed as much as possible while in season in winter. Try this fillets of sole in a light liquid sauce of grapefruit, puntarelle and clams for something different or get busy with your cocktail shaker with a salty dog, or a pink punch with grapefruit.

Persimmon

One of winter’s greatest gifts and an oft-overlooked ingredient. Try this luxurious breakfast treat, persimmon smoothie with grapefruit or chia pancakes with kumquats and persimmon. Here's how to eat a persimmon with tips and recipes.

Pomegranate

This luxurious fruit adds a depth of tart flavour to your cuisine during winter. Try this duck breast with pomegranate recipe or this butternut squash and quinoa salad with pomegranate seeds. If you've ever wondered how to eat a pomegranate? Here's all you need to know.

Pomelo

The pomelo is the largest citrus fruit and an ancestor of the grapefruit, it is a natural fruit and not a manmade hybrid. It's a very popular fruit in Southeast Asia, the juice is delicious, the rind can be candied, and the fruit preserved.

We often think of summertime and salad days when we think about fruit, but winter fruits are far more luxurious, with deeper, tarter more invigorating flavours. They make great ingredients to lift a savoury dish, but also as part of a breakfast or as a dessert.