What’s in season in January?

Blueberries are in season in January making it the perfect time to indulge in these delicious gluten-free cupcakes, blueberry impossible pie or cheesecake. But they’re not just for desserts! Blueberries make a great breakfast food in pancakes or these healthy chia puddings or as an entree and even works in summer salads.

January is cucumber’s time to shine. It freshens up this teriyaki salmon, or in a Thai beef salad or these tuna sushi sandwiches. The amazingly versatile cucumber is not only the basis of these amazing bread and butter pickles they can also add a fresh element to this classic Pimm’s punch cocktail and so much more.

January is a fantastic time for cherries. This fabulous summer fruit are synonymous with Christmas in Australia and probably best known for their affinity with chocolate in desserts such as the black forest cake or this choc-cherry slice. If you’re looking to try something a little different however, you could go for this fruits of the forest cookie pizza or cherry pies with orange cream cheese pastry.

January is a fantastic time to indulge your love of eggplant. This humble veg is a go-to for vegetarian recipes, making a satisfying substitute for meats. However, eggplant can complement a variety of dishes, especially those with a Middle-Eastern twist like our roasted eggplant with spice lamb. The versatile vegetable works with anything from stuffed and baked eggplants, which are full meals in themselves, to hearty curries and stews. For something lighter, check out our eggplants stacks and healthy stir-fries. Enjoy!

January is a great time for buying and cooking with figs. Figs with prosciutto are a classic entree combining sweet and savoury flavours, while marsala-poached figs is a more traditional dessert. Use them to top this zucchini layer cake for frangipane tart a truly impressive dessert.

Magnificent mushrooms are currently in season. Mushrooms are packed with nutritional value. They’re low in calories, are great sources of fibre and protein (good for plant-based diets). They go well with Asian dishes like this soy pork with mushrooms or stir-fry as well as Italian pasta, risotto or gnocchi. They also add extra flavour to meat pies, casseroles and omelettes or even be used to replace a bread bun for a low-carb burger option.

Mango is in season in January and are a great way to add flavour and colour to many desserts and salads. It can brighten up your breakfast in this Carmen Miranda mango smoothie bowl as a topping to this ricotta cheesecake or in these frozen mango popsicles.

Capsicums are at their peak in January and we couldn’t be happier. Use them to brighten up this silverbeet omelette with capsicum salad with your Spanish flamenco eggs or in a slow cooked pork and capsicum ragu. They can also add a depth of flavour to this Asian-style ratatouille or a roast vegetable and goat’s cheese tart.

This month is a the perfect time to grab yourself some passionfruits. There are so many ways to use this delicious fruit including this fresh mango and passionfruit pavlova, lemon passionfruit cheesecake or a classic vanilla slice. For something a little different try this yoghurt and passionfruit cake or a passionfruit tea cake.

Tomatoes add flavour to so much of our regular cooking. Whether you’re enjoying them fresh in a traditional brushchetta or as the basis for the sauce in your bolognaise or butter chicken. You’ll find tomatoes in Mexican dishes like this guacamole, Indian Tikka masala these smoky barbecued marjoram and malt vinegar tomatoes or a quiche or fresh heirloom tomato salad.