If you have just been limiting the winter season to sipping hot cups of chai or wrapping yourself in a blanket, you’re missing out on a lot. Unlike the scorching heat of the summer, the winter season enables you to step out in the pleasant sunshine and start your very own home garden. With the organic and fresh produce of fruits and vegetables, you can take a step towards a sustainable lifestyle.
So, before it starts to frost, why not prepare the soil in your backyard or set up some pots on your terrace to ensure an uninterrupted supply of fresh ingredients? To help you with the best options that thrive in the colder weather conditions, here is a consolidated list of fruits and vegetables that require a lower temperature to grow.
Also Read: Tips To Prepare Your Kitchen Garden Before The Winter Frost Hits
Palak
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Palak, or spinach, is a staple winter vegetable. The green, iron-rich ingredient is a must-have, especially for growing kids and anaemic adults. The best thing is, spinach thrives in cool temperatures. You can sow the seeds at the onset of winter, and enjoy the fresh produce throughout the season. Since spinach leaves grow fast, you can cut the mature leaves and wait for the centre to produce new ones in another month.
Methi
Methi is also a winter essential in most Indian homes. Also known as fenugreek leaves, methi makes an impeccable addition to theplas, parathas, sabzis, snacks, and even rice-based dishes. You can grow methi in your kitchen garden by fertilising well-drained soil. Space the seeds loosely, water frequently, and you can harvest the fenugreek leaves in about 3 to 4 weeks of sowing.
Strawberries
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The naturally sweet fruit, strawberries, can put a smile on everyone’s face. Whether you love to add strawberries to your plate of pancakes, want to make a smoothie, or just enjoy them with molten chocolate, you can now do so with the healthiest produce in your backyard. Since strawberries need a low temperature to grow, states like Punjab, Himachal Pradesh, and parts of Maharashtra are perfect for planting the berries once the winters arrive.
Peas
Let’s face it, while the frozen peas are available in most grocery stores all year round, nothing beats the subtly sweet matar that you get in the winter months. To reap the benefits of peas, you can add the climber to your kitchen garden. The round pods will be perfect to pick after about 60 to 70 days. You can then make matar paneer, methi matar, matar pulao, poha, upma, and many more dishes starring peas.
Beetroot
If you live in a state where the winter season brings low temperatures but not frost, you can also plant ground vegetables. One of the best picks is beetroot, also known as chukandar. They require steady moisture and occasional fertilisation. And in just 50-60 days of planting, you can get fresh produce of beetroots and give your food a vibrant pink hue.