Now when it comes to growing winter vegetables, it’s important to remember that it isn’t always easy to do so successfully. There are, however, some vegetables that can withstand the cold and even manage to thrive under the sometimes severe conditions of winter weather. The reason some vegetables are able to endure freezing temperatures is because of the higher amount of sugar within them. This allows them to freeze at a lower temperature, which enables them to last through the cold.
Winter Vegetables
List of Winter Vegetables
- Broccoli
- Kale
- Turnips
- Rutabagas
- Carrots
- Spinach
- Swiss chard
- Garlic
- Leeks
- Beets
- Arugula
- Wild lettuce
- Parsnips
- Collards
- Mustard greens
Winter Vegetables and Their Benefits
Kale
This is a member of the Brassica family. These are referred to as “cole crops” and include kale, mustard greens, cabbage, broccoli, cauliflower, Brussels sprouts, and turnips. Kale actually likes the cold weather and can even survive the snow. Furthermore, it is loaded with minerals, vitamins, antioxidants, and fiber, making it one of the most nutritious winter vegetables you can eat.
Spinach
Spinach loves the cold weather. Furthermore, it’s extremely hardy and can survive even a winter storm.
It also happens to be a very nutrient-rich vegetable and is considered a superfood. It comes chock full of carotenoids, vitamin C, vitamin K, iron, calcium, and folic acid. Carotenoids are important because your body can convert these into vitamin A
Swiss chard
This isn’t just one of the hardiest winter vegetables, it’s one of the hardiest vegetables to grow all year long. It can survive and thrive at 100 degrees F or 20 degrees F, in poor quality soil or rich. Furthermore, it is a great source of nutrients when other greens are hard to come by.
It’s got plenty of vitamin C, manganese, and magnesium, and contains the daily recommended amount of vitamin K, plus it’s quite low in calories.
Garlic
An allium, garlic can be planted in the fall, then will survive the winter if kept warm beneath mulch. Bulbs will appear midsummer.
The health benefits of garlic are truly amazing. There’s almost no area of your health that it doesn’t touch upon in some manner. Some of these benefits you’ve probably never even heard of, but they can improve your memory, lower cholesterol, regulate your blood pressure, lower your risk of heart disease, and even give you stronger bones and better, healthier skin. The list of all the good it can do for the human body is practically endless, and most of it has been proven by science to be factual.
Leeks
These winter vegetables are so resistant to the cold weather that if you leave them in the ground during the winter, it actually means that you will have a larger harvest the following year.
Leeks are lower in calories, but they carry high doses of nutrients, especially magnesium and vitamins A, C, and K. They further have fiber, iron, and vitamin B6. Since leeks have a large number of flavonoids, which are antioxidants, it is believed that they may also have anti-inflammatory and anti-cancer qualities.
Winter Vegetables | Picture
