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.

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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.

Fruit by fruit: when each one is in season in Pakistan

The months below come from Pakistani growers’ reports, provincial and university research, and national news coverage of each harvest. Weather moves every crop by a week or two each year, so read them as usual windows rather than fixed dates.

Mango season in Pakistan

Mango opens in Sindh, around Mirpurkhas, Tando Allahyar and Hyderabad, where early Sindhri is ready from about mid May. The harvest then moves into Punjab (Multan, Rahim Yar Khan, Muzaffargarh, Bahawalpur, Khanewal), and Chaunsa carries the season through late August and into early September.

Strawberry season in Pakistan

Local strawberries usually reach markets at the end of January and keep coming until about the end of May, with demand and supply strongest in February and March. Punjab grows most of them, with Sialkot, Gujranwala, Lahore, Sargodha, Faisalabad and Multan among the districts named by growers.

Shahtoot (mulberry) season in Pakistan

Shahtoot is a short spring fruit. In Lahore its sale begins in April and runs through May, and it fades once the summer heat sets in. It bruises within hours, so it rarely travels far from where it was picked.

Cherry season in Pakistan

Fresh cherries are sold roughly from May to July. Gilgit Baltistan is the main grower, harvesting thousands of tonnes a year, with smaller crops from Swat and upper Balochistan.

Peach (aaru) season in Pakistan

Swat is the peach valley. Its season usually starts in May with the earliest types and continues until about the first week of September, as later varieties ripen one after another.

Plum (aloo bukhara) season in Pakistan

Swat plums are picked from June to August. Local names in the markets include seewa, shahi and kala aloo bukhara.

Lychee season in Pakistan

Lychee runs on a north bound timetable: Sindh first in May, Punjab in June and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa in July. Haripur, the best known lychee district, harvests between June and July.

Grape season in Pakistan

Balochistan grows most of the country’s grapes, in Quetta, Mastung, Kalat, Pishin and Killa Abdullah. Fresh grapes usually run from July to the end of August, while the raisin vineyards around Pishin and Killa Abdullah keep picking from September into mid November.

Apple season in Pakistan

Balochistan apples, including fruit from Mastung, travel to Karachi, Lahore, Islamabad and Peshawar from August through November. Swat adds a smaller autumn crop. Apples sold after December are mostly from cold storage or imported.

Guava (amrood) season in Pakistan

Guava gives two crops. The main winter crop is picked from about October to January and is usually the better eating fruit, while a smaller summer crop comes in around June and July. Larkana in Sindh and Kohat in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa are known guava areas, alongside central Punjab.

Pomegranate (anar) season in Pakistan

Pomegranates are harvested from September to November, mainly in Balochistan: Pishin, Killa Saifullah, Loralai, Mastung, the Quetta valley and Harnai. Fruit from Kandahar also fills Pakistani markets in the same months.

Persimmon (japani phal) season in Pakistan

Persimmon is an October to December fruit. Swat accounts for around four fifths of the country’s crop, and Gilgit Baltistan also grows it.

Kinnow, malta and musammi season in Pakistan

The Sargodha citrus season usually runs from about mid November to mid April, and the kinnow export season opens on 1 December. Punjab produces almost all of Pakistan’s kinnow, mainly around Sargodha. Musammi and malta are sweet oranges grown in the same belt; see the citrus order above for how they overlap.

Loquat (lokat) season in Pakistan

Loquat is the first fresh fruit of the year, ripening from early April, with the season usually spread across March to May. Kohat valley, Haripur and the Peshawar valley are the main growing areas.

Dates (khajoor) and doka season in Pakistan

The date harvest begins around late June or July and runs to about mid August in Khairpur, the district that produces more than half of Pakistan’s dates. Fresh, part ripe dates sold as doka appear in this same window; the rest are boiled and sun dried or left to ripen fully.

Banana season in Pakistan

Bananas reach the market all year, but supply peaks from September to December and eases from January. Sindh grows most of them, in Tando Allahyar, Matiari, Badin, Nawabshah, Khairpur and Hyderabad.

Watermelon season in Pakistan

Watermelon season usually begins in April and ends in late June or July. Karachi’s market is fed from interior Sindh first and Punjab later, so the earliest fruit in the south is usually Sindhi.

Falsa season in Pakistan

Falsa is a short summer berry, sold from about May to July and most wanted in the June and July heat. It grows mainly in Sindh and Punjab, with some from Jaffarabad in Balochistan.

Ber season in Pakistan

In Sindh the new ber crop usually starts in mid January and stays in markets until March or April. Newer grafted varieties can arrive in December. Hyderabad, Matiari, Sanghar, Tando Allahyar, Mirpurkhas and Khairpur are the main districts.

Fruits in season by month in Pakistan

January: kinnow, malta, musammi, winter guava, ber, first strawberries, bananas
February: strawberries, kinnow, ber
March: strawberries at their peak, ber, last kinnow, first loquat
April: loquat, shahtoot, strawberries, first watermelon, last citrus
May: shahtoot, loquat, watermelon, falsa, first cherries, first peaches, early Sindhri mango, Sindh lychee
June: mango, lychee, cherries, plums, peaches, falsa, watermelon, summer guava, first dates
July: mango, Haripur lychee, plums, peaches, grapes, fresh dates and doka, falsa
August: Chaunsa mango, grapes, peaches, plums, first apples, dates
September: apples, pomegranate, raisin grapes, last Chaunsa and peaches, bananas at their peak
October: apples, pomegranate, persimmon, winter guava begins
November: apples, pomegranate, persimmon, guava, citrus
December: kinnow (export season opens), guava, persimmon, bananas, early ber

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.

Take care if

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.