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As we enter holiday season, discover the best seasonal fruits and vegetables. What’s in season in November is a vibrant mix of citrus, squash, and so much more. Learn which fruits and veggies are at their freshest and most affordable, then I’ll share how to add these seasonal produce items to your fall meal plan.
With tailgate season in full swing and Thanksgiving on the horizon, November is when most home cooks really kick into gear. Right on cue, a bounty of late-fall fruits and vegetables are also harvest-ready for all of our comfort food creations.
Beyond being the most wonderful time of the year (if you take the Andy Williams lyrics literally), late fall and early winter is when we’re treated to a colorful array of produce. So what’s in season in November? Winter squash, root veggies, hearty greens, citrus, tropical fruits, and so much more.
If you stock up on seasonal fruits and vegetables like those listed below in my guide to what’s in season in November, you’ll save money and add flavor to your meals and snacks. While something shipped can be delivered to your supermarket from thousands of miles away, these in-season ingredients are so much fresher and budget-friendly.
Consider adding these November fruits and vegetables to your grocery shopping list (or garden-harvest line-up, if you’re lucky enough to have some cold weather crops). Then come hungry: I’m sharing a bounty of weekday and holiday-worthy recipe options for how to put November seasonal produce to use in meals and snacks for yourself, your family, and any guests. ‘Tis the season!
Still have leftover produce from last month? See what’s in season in October.
Looking ahead to next month? Discover what’s in a season in December.
Table of Contents
What’s in Season in November?
- Tropical and citrus fruits: If you, too, happen to be already craving a spring break or winter getaway, good news: what’s in season in November can give you a taste of island flavors a little closer to home. right at home. Kiwi, persimmons, pomegranate, oranges, mandarins, tangerines, grapefruit, lemons, and limes are ripe and ready to use in cocktails, smoothies, fruit salads, desserts, and so much more.
- Late-season berries and rose family fruits: While earlier crops like strawberries and blueberries are best frozen by now, cranberry season is just beginning. Talk about perfect timing to align with when we’re all in the mood for cranberry sauce, tarts, and muffins. Speaking of tarts and muffins, apples and pears are ideal to feature in those fall baking recipes, as well as pies, crumbles, and crisps. You can also pack them in brown bag lunches for the family, or take them on a walk to the savory side by featuring apples and pears in sheet pan dinners with pork or chicken.
- Winter squash and root vegetables: The flavor of tubers like parsnips, rutabagas, beets, turnips and sweet potatoes is tough to beat come November. Try them in mashes, soups, salads, or casseroles. Winter squash vanities like popular pumpkins, trendy delicata, low-carb MVP spaghetti squash, and stuffable-acorn and butternut have a long shelf life and tremendous flavor in fall. Perfect for roasting and mashing or blending into dips, soups, or pie filling, naturally-sweet squash is one of my favorite fall ingredients.
- Brassicas: Just like my Complete Make Ahead Thanksgiving Menu, broccoli, cauliflower, Brussels sprouts, and cabbage are ready to party. If you’ve strolled through the freezer aisles or scrolled through TikTok lately, you’ve likely noticed that cauliflower and broccoli are now so much more than florets. Both are being transformed into steaks, gnocchi, pizza crusts, mashed “potatoes,” rice, and more. Sprouts, kale, and cabbage are set to star in salads, soups, stews, sheet pan dinners, or stir-fries.
The Best Fruits and Vegetables to Eat in November
| Fruits | Vegetables |
| Apples | Beets |
| Cranberries | Broccoli |
| Grapefruit | Brussels sprouts |
| Kiwi | Cabbage |
| Lemons | Cauliflower |
| Limes | Kale |
| Mandarins | Parsnips |
| Oranges | Pumpkins |
| Pears | Rutabagas |
| Persimmons | Sweet potatoes |
| Pomegranates | Turnips |
| Tangerines | Winter squash |
Tropical and Citrus Fruit Recipes
Sweet-tart citrus, including oranges, mandarins, tangerines, lemons, limes, and grapefruit are prime for juicing, of course. But you can also use their bright flavor to elevate homemade salad dressings, cocktails, smoothies, and salads. Try persimmons, pomegranates, and kiwi on fruit pizza, in salads, in drink recipes, or eaten as-is; tropical fruits are delightful as a snack.
1
Citrus Salad
Pie and Tart Recipes
Brownie Pizza
Drink Recipes
8 Infused Water Recipes
Drink Recipes
Moscato Sangria
Salad Recipes
Fruit Salad
2
Lemon Poppy Seed Muffins
Eats
Lemon Bars
Fruit Dessert Recipes
Key Lime Pie
Stock, Sauce, and Spread Recipes
Orange Marmalade
Chicken and Turkey Recipes
Cilantro Lime Chicken
Late-Season Berries and Rose Fruit Recipes
Besides turkey and all the MVP carbohydrate sides (stuffing, mashed potatoes, rolls), when I think of my Friendsgiving and Thanksgiving table, I think of a cornucopia of fruit. Namely, a few starring members from these fruit families: cranberries, apples, and pears. Make the most of these November fruits in condiments like cranberry sauce or applesauce, or slow-cook them into fruit butter. Of course you can never go wrong with a pie, quick bread, or muffin, either.
3
Cranberry Sauce
Drink Recipes
Slow Cooker Cranberry Apple Cider
Fruit Dessert Recipes
Cranberry Cheesecake Galette
Side Dish Recipes
Cranberry Apple Sauce
4
The Best Apple Pie Recipe
Fruit Dessert Recipes
Apple Strudel
Fruit Dessert Recipes
Apple Crisp
Salad Recipes
Apple Walnut Salad
Breakfast Recipes
Apple Cider Donuts
5
Apple Butter
Winter Squash and Root Vegetable Recipes
From acorn and butternut to pumpkins and spaghetti, sturdy winter squash make for a hearty vitamin-rich side dish, soup or stew component, salad addition, or main dish (stuff it!). Similar in texture and versatility, tubers like beets, rutabagas, sweet potatoes, and turnips make stellar stand-ins for regular potatoes, if you’re in the mood to mix things up. Or try roasting any or all of the above to bring out their natural sweetness.
6
Make Ahead Pumpkin Pie
Cookie Recipes
Pumpkin Bars with Cream Cheese Frosting
Eats
Pumpkin Muffins
Nut and Seed Recipes
Roasted Pumpkin Seeds
Pie and Tart Recipes
Pumpkin Cheesecake Recipe
7
Roasted Butternut Squash
Main Dishes
Spaghetti Squash with Meat Sauce
Salad Recipes
Kale Salad
Working with Fruits and Vegetables
How to Cook Spaghetti Squash
Working with Fruits and Vegetables
Fresh Pumpkin Purée
Brassica Vegetable Recipes
Ideal for salads, stir-fries, and beyond, broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower, kale, and Brussels sprouts are at their crisp, fresh best in late fall. Load up your refrigerator with these healthy vegetables to add to pasta tosses, grain bowls, or holiday side dish recipes.
8
Cauliflower Mashed Potatoes
Working with Fruits and Vegetables
How To Make Cauliflower Rice
Appetizer Recipes
Cauliflower Buffalo Dip
Vegetable Recipes
Cauliflower Gratin
Vegetable Recipes
Roasted Cauliflower
9
Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Bacon
Salad Recipes
Broccoli Salad with Bacon and Cheese
Vegetable Recipes
Harvest Roasted Vegetables
Chicken and Turkey Recipes
Cajun Chicken Alfredo with Broccoli
Chicken and Turkey Recipes
Alice Springs Chicken (Outback Copycat)
Meggan Hill is a classically-trained chef and professional writer. Her meticulously-tested recipes and detailed tutorials bring confidence and success to home cooks everywhere. Meggan has been featured on NPR, HuffPost, FoxNews, LA Times, and more.
