In Season this Winter
As winter settles over Santa Barbara County, embrace the season with our guide to its freshest offerings. From hearty root vegetables and vibrant citrus to sustainably sourced seafood, discover the flavors that warm up winter meals. Whether you’re cooking at home or enjoying local cuisine, let these seasonal ingredients enhance your winter dining experience and celebrate the unique tastes of our region.
Winter Produce
Artichokes
Avocados
Basil
Blood oranges Broccoli rabe (rapini) Brussels sprouts Cabbage
Celery
Celery root Chanterelle mushrooms Cherimoya
Cilantro
Citron
Collards
Dill
Escarole
Fava beans
Fennel
Grapefruit
Green garlic
Kiwi
Kohlrabi
Kumquats
Limes
Mandarins
Mustard greens Onions, green bunching
Papayas
Parsnips
Pea greens
Peas, snap Persimmon
Pineapple guava Pomelos
Radicchio Romanesco Rutabagas
Sapote
Strawberries Sunchokes
Sweet potatoes
Tangerines
Tomatoes, hothouse
Year-Round
Almonds, almond butter (harvested Aug/Sept)
Apples
Arugula
Beans, dried
Beets
Bok choy
Broccoli
Carrots
Cauliflower
Chard
Dandelion
Dates (harvested Sept/Oct)
Edible flowers
Garlic (harvested May/June)
Herbs (Bay leaf, mint, oregano, parsley, rosemary, sage, thyme)
Kale
Leeks
Lemons
Lettuce
Mushrooms
Onions, bulb (harvested May/June)
Oranges
Pistachios, pistachio oil (harvested Sept/Oct)
Potatoes
Radishes
Raisins (harvested Sept/Oct)
Shallots
Spinach
Sprouts
Squash, winter (harvested July/Oct)
Turnips
Walnuts, walnut oil (harvested Sept/Oct)
Yams (harvested Aug/Sept)
Winter Seafood
Halibut
Mussels
Ridgeback shrimp
Rock fish
Sardines
Spiny lobster
Spot prawns
White seabass
Year-Round Seafood
Abalone
(farmed)
Black cod
Clams
Oysters
Rock crab
Pacific sand dabs
Urchin
Other Year-Round
Eggs
Coffee
(limited availability)
Dairy
(Regional raw milk, artisanal goat- and cow-milk cheeses, butters, curds, yogurts and spreads)
Fresh flowers
Honey
Olives, olive oil
Meat
(Beef, chicken, duck, goat, rabbit, pork)
Potted plants/herbs
Preserved
Wheat
(Wheat berries, wheat flour, bread, pasta and baked goods produced from wheat grown locally)