Seasonal Fruit and Vegetable Calendar for Pakistan and India
Buy what’s piled high and cheap, because that’s what’s in season. Winter brings kinnow, amrood, gajar and saag; summer brings mangoes, jamun, falsa and gourds; the months between bring apples, anar and the first citrus. If you searched “fruits season in India now” or “sweet lime season in Pakistan”, the month-by-month table below answers it, with the season-change swaps and hazards that go with each turn of the weather.
Before you start
- Months are approximate. Sindh and south India ripen weeks before Punjab and the north. Hill fruit comes later.
- Right now (late September and October): apples, pears, anar, sharifa, grapes, rainy-season guava, and the first musammi.
- Seasonal fruits in winter: kinnow, malta, amrood, amla, ber, strawberries, and in the north, chikoo from the south.
- Sweet lime (musammi) in Pakistan: roughly October to January, a little ahead of kinnow.
Prefer to listen? This post as a 6 min video · Video page with transcript
Why in-season produce is cheaper and tastier
When a crop is in season, there’s a lot of it, grown close by. More supply means lower prices. Shorter trips mean the fruit can be picked riper, and ripeness is where flavour lives. Out of season, the same fruit has either travelled far, been picked hard and green to survive the trip, or come out of months in cold storage.
Cold storage isn’t bad. An apple from storage in March is still an apple. But the crisp, fragrant one in October is the better buy, and it costs less.
The best price and the best flavour usually arrive in the same week.
Month-by-month fruit and vegetable calendar
| Month | Fruits at their best | Vegetables at their best |
|---|---|---|
| January | Kinnow, malta, amrood, amla, ber, first strawberries | Gajar, mooli, shaljam, gobi, matar, palak, methi, sarson, shakarkandi |
| February | Kinnow, malta, strawberries, ber | Same winter set; sarson and matar still good |
| March | Strawberries, last kinnow and malta | Last gajar and matar, spring onions, first summer gourds |
| April | Shahtoot (mulberry), lokat (loquat), last strawberries, first watermelon; mangoes begin in south India | Tinda, lauki, tori, bhindi, kheera begin |
| May | Lokat, falsa, watermelon, kharbooza, lychee; Sindhri mango arrives late in the month | Lauki, tori, tinda, karela, bhindi |
| June | Mango, lychee, falsa, apricots, cherries, plums, watermelon; jamun late in the month | Summer gourds, karela, bhindi, kheera |
| July | Mango (Chaunsa, Langra, Anwar Ratol), jamun, plums, peaches, fresh dates | Arvi, bhutta, bhindi, karela, lauki |
| August | Late Chaunsa, peaches, pears, grapes, first apples, rainy-season guava | Arvi, bhutta, lauki, tori |
| September | Apples, pears, grapes, sharifa, anar, guava | Arvi, lauki, first gobi in cooler areas |
| October | Apples, anar, sharifa, persimmon (japani phal), musammi, singhara | Gobi, mooli, shaljam, first matar and palak |
| November | Amrood (winter crop), musammi, anar, apples, persimmon, singhara, amla | Gajar, mooli, shaljam, gobi, matar, palak, methi, shakarkandi |
| December | Kinnow begins, malta, musammi, amrood, amla; strawberries in Maharashtra | Full winter set, sarson saag |
Potatoes, onions, tomatoes, brinjal and bananas are around all year, though prices still swing with the season. If a month looks thin on fruit, it’s usually because one crop is ending and the next hasn’t reached your city yet.
Fruits season in India now: the regional twist
India is big enough that “in season” depends on where you stand. Alphonso mangoes from the west coast arrive around April, while north Indian Dasheri and Langra peak in June and July. Himachal and Kashmir supply apples from late summer into autumn. Nagpur oranges come in winter. Mahabaleshwar strawberries run roughly December to March. Mosambi from different states keeps it in Indian markets for much of the year.
Pakistan works the same way on a smaller scale. Sindh’s Sindhri mango lands weeks before Punjab’s Chaunsa. Quetta and Swat supply apples, grapes, apricots and cherries later than the plains.
Sweet lime season in Pakistan, and the citrus order
Citrus comes in a rough order. Musammi (sweet lime) is usually first, from about October, and is best in November and December. Kinnow follows from around December and peaks in January and February, with malta overlapping it. By March the citrus winds down. Musammi’s low acid makes it the mildest of the three, which is why it’s the one people squeeze for someone who’s unwell.
Want to know which of these gives the most vitamin C? Our vitamin C fruit ranking compares them per fruit.
Season-change swaps that make sense
Summer to monsoon (July to September)
- Swap street-cut fruit for whole fruit you cut at home. Flies, dirty water and hours in the heat make pre-cut fruit a common source of stomach infections in the rains.
- Swap raw leafy salads for cooked greens. Rain splashes mud onto leaves. If you do eat them raw, wash leaf by leaf under running water.
- Swap cold-drink afternoons for a bowl of jamun or a slice of watermelon. Our monsoon eating rules cover the rest.
Autumn to winter (October to December)
- Swap imported fruit for amrood and musammi. Same vitamin C job, far less money.
- Swap bottled juices for whole citrus. One kinnow at a time, not a jug of juice.
- Go easy on gajar halwa and dry fruit portions. Winter food is rich. A small katori of halwa is plenty; see our winter portions guide.
Winter to spring and summer (March to June)
- Swap heavy winter meals for gourds, kheera and yoghurt. Lauki, tori and tinda are light and full of water.
- Swap sugary sharbats for watermelon, falsa or a glass of plain water with a pinch of salt and lemon.
In Ayurveda’s ritucharya, and in Unani seasonal thinking, foods are matched to the season: cooling ones in summer, warming ones in winter. That’s tradition rather than proof, but it often lines up with what grows locally at the time.
Seasonal hazards to watch for
- Early mangoes and artificial ripening. Mangoes forced with calcium carbide can show patchy yellow and green skin, a sour or chemical smell, and flesh that’s hard near the stone. Only a lab can confirm it. Buy from sellers you trust, wash the fruit, and don’t sniff or taste anything that smells off.
- Soft summer fruit going off fast. Falsa, jamun, lychee and strawberries spoil in a day or two in heat. Buy small amounts.
- Winter gajar and mooli with soil. Scrub them well; root vegetables carry soil into the kitchen.
- Heat and cut watermelon. Once cut, keep it covered in the fridge and eat within a day or two. More in our watermelon guide.
Surprising facts and one myth
Myth: out-of-season fruit is always “chemical” fruit
Not true. Cold storage, controlled ripening rooms and imports explain most out-of-season fruit, and those are normal food practices. People believe it because some traders do misuse chemicals, and because off-season fruit often tastes flat. Flat taste usually means early picking, not poison.
Did you know?
- Kinnow is a cross of two mandarin types, bred in California; the cross was made in 1915.
- Singhara isn’t a nut at all. It’s the seed of a plant that grows floating in ponds.
- Mango trees flower in late winter, around February and March, so a bad fog or hailstorm then can mean fewer mangoes in summer.
You have diabetes: sweet seasonal fruit like mango, chikoo, grapes and lychee still need portion control, one serving at a time with a meal. You have kidney disease: several seasonal favourites (coconut water, banana, guava, dried fruit) are high in potassium, so follow your renal team’s list. For babies under 1, give fruit mashed with no added sugar or salt, and for children under 5 cut grapes lengthwise into quarters and avoid whole nuts, whole cherry tomatoes and hard raw chunks. See a doctor for stomach upset with blood, high fever or signs of dehydration, especially in the monsoon.
This guide is part of our Fruits and Vegetables section, with more weather-change guides under Season Shift.
Seasonal fruit questions
Which fruits are in season in India now?
In late September and October, look for apples, pears, pomegranate, custard apple (sharifa), grapes and guava, with mosambi around too. Winter citrus and strawberries follow from December. It varies by state, so the heaped, cheapest fruit at your market is the best guide.
What are the seasonal fruits in winter?
Kinnow, oranges (malta), musammi, guava, amla, ber and strawberries are the main winter fruits in Pakistan and north India. Apples and pomegranate carry over from autumn. Chikoo is also a winter fruit in parts of India.
When is sweet lime season in Pakistan?
Roughly October to January, best in November and December. Musammi usually arrives before kinnow. Out of season you may still find stored or imported fruit.
When does mango season start in Pakistan?
Sindhri from Sindh arrives around late May, and Punjab’s varieties follow through June, July and August. Chaunsa is among the last. Early mangoes are often pricey and less sweet.
When is kinnow season?
From about December to March, peaking in January and February. Early kinnows can be sour. By March the fruit is softer and the season is ending.
Which vegetables are best in winter?
Gajar, mooli, shaljam, gobi, band gobi, matar, palak, methi, bathua, sarson and shakarkandi. They’re cheaper and tastier in winter. Many also freeze well for later.
Which fruits are best in summer?
Mango, watermelon, kharbooza, falsa, jamun, lychee, plums, peaches and apricots. They’re watery and refreshing. Buy small amounts, as soft summer fruit spoils fast.
Is it bad to eat fruit that’s out of season?
No, it’s usually safe. It’s often pricier and less tasty, since it’s been stored or shipped. In-season local fruit gives better value.
When is guava season?
Guava has two crops: a rainy-season one around August and September, and a winter one from about November to February. The winter guava is usually sweeter and firmer.
When is strawberry season in Pakistan?
Roughly January to April, best in February and March. Our strawberry guide covers picking and storing them.
How can I tell if a mango was ripened with carbide?
Patchy colour, a chemical or alcohol smell and flesh that’s hard near the stone are warning signs. Only a lab can confirm it. Wash mangoes and buy from sellers you trust.
Should people with diabetes avoid summer fruits?
No, but portions matter. A cup of mango or a few lychees with a meal is fairer than eating several mangoes at once. Watch your readings when trying a new fruit.
Why is fruit cheaper in season?
There’s more of it, grown nearby, so supply is high and transport is short. Sellers need to move it before it spoils. Prices drop at the peak of each crop.