Summer Fruits: Ultimate Ingredients Guide
Dive into our comprehensive seasonal produce guide for the best summer fruits, and make your recipes tastier with the sweet flavour of fresh fruits.
Summer Fruits in Season
Summer is here, and with it comes an abundance of fresh summer fruits. Check out our ultimate summer produce guide to discover the best seasonal fruits.
Whether you’re diving into summer recipes or simply enjoying fresh fruit salads, we can all agree that these summer fruits pack rich flavour. View our summer fruit favourites below.
- Apricots: These small, golden-orange fruits have a sweet and tangy flavour. They are delicious when eaten fresh or used in various desserts and jams.
- Avocado: While technically a fruit, avocados are a summer staple in savoury dishes. Their creamy texture and mild flavour make them a great addition to salads, providing a dose of healthy fats.
- Blackberries: Blackberries are luscious, sweet-tart berries with a deep, dark colour and a juicy, refreshing flavour. They are plump, round berries with a velvety texture and are typically available during the late summer months.
- Blackcurrants: Small, dark berries that boast a distinctive tart and slightly sweet flavour, often described as rich and bold. Their deep purple hue and glossy skin add a touch of elegance to the summer season, typically available from mid to late summer.
- Blueberries: Petite, antioxidant-rich berries bursting with a delicate sweetness and a subtle tang. Their small, round shape and vibrant blue-purple hue evoke a sense of freshness and are widely enjoyed during the mid to late-summer months.
- Boysenberries: Boysenberries are a cross between blackberries, raspberries, and loganberries. They have a sweet and tangy flavour and can be used in jams, pies or enjoyed fresh.
- Cherries: These vibrant summer fruits burst with juicy sweetness and a subtle tartness. Enjoy them fresh as a snack, or use them in pies, tarts, and jams to savour their luscious flavour.
- Coconut: While typically associated with desserts, coconut can also be used in salads to add a tropical flair. Shredded or toasted coconut adds a crunchy texture and a hint of sweetness to salads.
- Currants: Currants are small berries that come in red, black, or white varieties. They have a tart taste and are often used in jams, jellies, or baked goods.
- Dragon Fruit (Pitaya): A tropical fruit with vibrant pink or yellow skin and white or red flesh speckled with black seeds. It has a mild, slightly sweet flavour and is often used in smoothie bowls or fruit salads.
- Elderberries: Elderberries are small, dark berries with a tart flavour. They are commonly used to make syrups and jams or can be used in desserts.
- Figs: Available from late summer, figs are soft and luscious fruits with a unique sweet flavour. They are best enjoyed when fresh and can be used in salads, desserts, or paired with cheese for a delightful appetiser.
- Gooseberries: Gooseberries are tart berries that can range in colour from green to red. They can be used in pies, jams, or even savoury dishes like chutneys.
- Grapes: Whether you prefer green, red, or black varieties, they make a refreshing snack or can be added to fruit salads and desserts.
- Guava: A tropical fruit that’s sweet with a hint of tartness. They can be eaten raw or used in drinks and desserts.
- Jujube (Chinese Date): A small, sweet fruit with wrinkled skin available from late summer. It can be eaten fresh, dried, or used in cooking and baking.
- Kiwano (Horned Melon): It has bright orange, spiky skin and vibrant green, jelly-like flesh. The taste is mildly sweet and reminiscent of cucumber and zucchini.
- Kiwi: Kiwi is a tropical fruit with fuzzy brown skin and vibrant green flesh. It has a sweet and tangy flavour and can be enjoyed on its own, added to fruit salads, or used in smoothies.
- Lemon: Known for its vibrant yellow hue and refreshing tang, lemons are a versatile citrus fruit. Their zesty flavour and bright acidity make them essential for adding citrusy goodness to drinks, desserts, salad dressings, marinades, and savoury dishes, making them a favourite ingredient year-round.
- Lime: Limes are small citrus fruits with a tangy and acidic flavour. They are essential for making refreshing beverages like limeade or adding zest and tang to various dishes.
- Loganberry: A hybrid berry that is a cross between blackberries and raspberries.
- Loquat: Typically found in subtropical regions, loquats are small, round fruits with a tangy flavour, somewhat resembling a blend of apricot, plum, and cherry.
- Lychee: Lychee is a small tropical fruit with rough, pinkish-red skin and sweet, juicy flesh. It is commonly eaten fresh or used in cocktails, sorbets, or desserts.
- Mango: Mangoes have a rich, sweet flavour and a buttery texture. They can be sliced or diced and added to salads for a tropical touch, balancing the flavours with their sweetness.
- Mangosteen: Known as the “queen of fruits”, mangosteens have a thick purple rind and juicy white flesh inside.
- Melons: Watermelon, cantaloupe, and honeydew are refreshing melons that are synonymous with summer. They are hydrating and make a perfect addition to fruit salads and sorbets or enjoyed simply as a refreshing snack.
- Mulberries: Mulberries are dark-coloured berries with a sweet and slightly tart taste. They can be enjoyed fresh, used in desserts, or added to cereal and yogurt.
- Nectarine: Nectarines are similar to peaches but have smooth skin. They are juicy, fragrant, and have a sweet-tart flavour. Enjoy them fresh or use them in various recipes.
- Orange (Valencias): Oranges are juicy citrus fruits with a sweet and tangy flavour. They can be eaten fresh, juiced, or used in a variety of dishes and desserts.
- Papaya: Papaya is a tropical fruit with vibrant orange flesh and a sweet, musky flavour. It can be eaten fresh, added to salads, or used in smoothies and salsas.
- Passionfruit: Passionfruit has wrinkled purple or yellow skin and a tart tropical flavour. The pulp is often used in beverages, desserts, or as a topping for yogurt and ice cream.
- Peach: With their fuzzy skin and sweet, juicy flesh, peaches are a quintessential summer fruit. They can be eaten fresh, grilled, used in pies and cobblers, or even added to salads for a burst of flavour.
- Pear: While predominantly an autumn fruit, some varieties can be found ripening in late summer, which is why they’ve earned a spot on this list. Their sweet and juicy flesh makes them perfect for savouring fresh or incorporating into summer salads and desserts.
- Pineapple: This tropical fruit is synonymous with summer vacations. Pineapples are sweet, tangy and can be enjoyed fresh, grilled, or used in tropical-inspired dishes and drinks.
- Plum: Plums come in a variety of colours and have a sweet-tart flavour. They are delicious eaten fresh or used in desserts, jams, or chutneys.
- Pluot: Pluots are a cross between plums and apricots. They have sweet and juicy flesh and can be enjoyed fresh or used in jams, pies, or cobblers.
- Pomegranate: Pomegranate is a unique fruit with jewel-like seeds called arils. It has a sweet and tangy flavour and can be eaten as a snack, used in salads, or juiced.
- Raspberry: These delicate berries are sweet and slightly tart. They are perfect for snacking, adding to yoghurt, or using in baked goods.
- Rambutan: A tropical fruit similar to lychee but with hairy skin. Inside, it has sweet and juicy flesh.
- Salak (Snake Fruit): This fruit has reddish-brown scaly skin resembling snake scales, with sweet and tangy flesh inside.
- Sapodilla (Chikoo): A sweet and grainy-textured fruit with brown skin. It’s rich and malty in taste.
- Soursop: A tropical fruit with spiky green skin and creamy white flesh, soursop has a unique taste, often described as a combination of strawberry and pineapple.
- Star Fruit (Carambola): A fruit that’s star-shaped when sliced and has a unique sweet and tart taste.
- Strawberry: Strawberries are sweet, fragrant, and juicy berries that signal the start of summer. They can be enjoyed fresh, dipped in chocolate, added to salads, or used in desserts.
- Tamarind: Tamarind is a tropical fruit that comes in pods. The pulp inside has a sour taste and is often used in drinks and cooking.
- Tomato: While technically a fruit, tomatoes are commonly used in savoury dishes. They are juicy, tangy, and sweet, adding freshness to salads, sandwiches, and other dishes.
- Ugli Fruit: This tropical fruit is a hybrid between grapefruit, orange, and tangerine. It has wrinkled skin and a sweet and tangy flavour.
- Watermelon: This refreshing fruit is synonymous with summer picnics. Watermelons are hydrating, sweet, and perfect for enjoying on hot days. They can also be used in salads and drinks.
- Yuzu: Yuzu is a citrus fruit that looks similar to a small grapefruit. It has a unique tart flavour and is often used in Japanese cuisine for seasoning or making beverages.
- Zucchini (courgette): Zucchini is a summer squash that’s technically a fruit, but we usually eat it like a vegetable. It can be used in a variety of dishes, including stir-fries, soups, salads, and even baked goods like zucchini bread.
And there you have it – our top picks for summer fruits. Whether you savour them fresh or mix them into a delightful fruit salad or fresh fruit platter, may these flavours bring a touch of sunshine to your meals.
Like this list? Check out our ultimate guide to Summer Vegetables.
Kitchen Tips for Summer Fruits
Summer brings with it a range of juicy, vibrant fruits that promise a burst of flavour. But to truly relish them, you need to treat them right. Whether it’s ensuring your raspberries remain plump or your peaches achieve that perfect juicy ripeness, here are some essential kitchen tips to make the most of your summer produce.
Storing Fruit Like a Pro
Room Temperature Ripe: Fruits like peaches, plums, and tomatoes should be stored at room temperature until they’re ripe. Once ripened, pop them in the fridge to extend freshness.
Berry Care: Always store berries in the fridge. Before refrigerating, remove any spoiled or moulding berries to prevent the rest from spoiling.
Paper Bag Trick: Speed up the ripening process of fruits like avocados and kiwis by placing them in a paper bag. The trapped ethylene gas will work its magic.
Airtight Containers: Once you’ve cut or sliced summer fruits, store the leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge to preserve their freshness and prevent them from absorbing other odours.
Preparing Fruit with Precision
Rinse Right Before Eating: Only rinse berries and other fruits right before you’re about to eat or cook with them. Excess moisture can make them go bad more quickly.
Pit Perfect: When removing pits from cherries, plums, or nectarines, try using a cherry pitter or a straw to push the pit out, ensuring minimal wastage.
Zest with the Best: For fruits like lemons and limes, zest them before juicing. The zest is packed with
Serving Fruit for Success
Chill Factor: Serve fruits like watermelon or slightly chilled grapes for a refreshing taste on a hot summer day.
Flavour Boost: Enhance the natural sweetness of summer fruits with a light sprinkle of salt or a squeeze of lime. It can elevate the flavours, especially for fruits like melons.
Perfect Pairings: Get adventurous and pair summer fruits with savoury ingredients, like in refreshing summer salads. Think watermelon with feta or apricots grilled alongside some protein. The mix of sweet and savoury is delicious!
Incorporate these tips into your kitchen routine, and the flavours of summer fruits will linger long after Labour Day. Remember, the key is to respect the produce, understanding its needs and quirks. Summer is short-lived, but with these tips, the flavour of its fruits can linger on your palate a little longer.
Fruit Salad Recipes
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