Winter Vegetables; a Planting and Eating Guide
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If you regularly grow your own vegetables, by planting seeds you can readily buy from the likes of spaldingbulb.co.uk, winter is the perfect time to cook up a soup, stew or casserole, packed with healthy veggies. You could even make your own Christmas dinner with your home grown vegetables! Below is a lowdown on some of the most popular vegetables to enjoy this winter, and how to grow them yourself:
Kale
Although grown in warmer climates, Kale is at its best during the colder seasons. This vegetable is packed with vitamins and minerals and is perfect to add to a vegetable soup or use for a winter salad. After being washed, they can be stored in the fridge for 2-3 weeks.
Carrots
From cake and pie to the classic roast dinner, the humble carrot can spice up any winter meal. Carrots can be grown all year round and can even be grown in containers or in a greenhouse if you don’t have enough space, so there’s no excuse not to eat your veggies!
Leeks
Steam them, boil them, use in a soup or add to a cheese sauce, leeks are a flavoursome winter vegetable and a favourite for many of us. Leeks are grown in the spring and are fairly easy to do so, although they will need to be sown in containers or in a separate part of the garden before being moved to their final position. They’ll be ready to pick just in time for winter.
Parsnips
Although parsnips need a long growing season, they are well worth the wait if you want them in time for Christmas dinner or to add to those hearty soups. Sow seeds early in the spring and you can look forward to fully grown parsnips in the autumn/winter.
Brussels sprouts
Because winter wouldn’t be the same without them! Brussels are best sown from March to April, planted out in April to June for harvest from November through to March. Add them to your Christmas turkey dinner or serve with bacon as a delicious buffet treat. According to the RHS, they taste much better when harvested from the garden after being frosted than when bought from the shop.
Potatoes
There are many different varieties of potatoes, and different ways to grow them. If you have a frost free-greenhouse, conservatory or bright porch, potatoes can be planted in August ready for harvest at Christmas, just in time to make those crispy golden roast potatoes.
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