5 Fruits to Avoid Harvesting and Eating in June

Fruits are refreshing and filled with necessary vitamins and nutrients. However, not all fruits are ready for harvest at the same time. June marks the beginning of summer when berries are plentiful and watermelon is ripe. But what fruits aren’t ready in June? Follow along to discover five fruits to avoid harvesting and eating in June.

1. Cranberries

Cranberries are bright, small, and tart fruit. While “berry” is in its name, it’s not a true berry, but a “false berry,” like blueberries. While you can grow cranberries in the right conditions during summer, the taste is different. The true season for cranberries is from October through December. Cranberries are a favorite for Thanksgiving and are typically ready by then.

Cranberry plants are large shrubs with small pink and white flowers that produce tiny berry-like fruits. There are multiple species, but the most common one in the United States is the American cranberry. While the American cranberry is native to North America, you can find it throughout Europe. For years before these delicious and sour fruits were harvested as food, they were used for medicinal purposes.

If you want to grow cranberry plants, it’s best to do so after the threat of frost has passed. They are commonly planted in late spring and early summer. Typically, cranberry plants produce fruits in their second or third years.

2. Grapes

The second fruit on our list of fruits to avoid harvesting and eating in June are grapes. While you can sometimes see grapes in grocery stores all year round, they aren’t summer-friendly. Instead, the grape harvest season is from August through October. The season though varies depending on the grape variety.

In June, you can see grapes growing from vines but don’t take one for a taste test. They are bitter and typically hard. Instead of harvesting grapes in summer, this is the season to prune the leaves to maximize fruit production.

The best time to plant grapes is in late winter or early spring. The easiest way to grow these plants is to buy a vine. While you can plant seeds, they take 2 to 7 years to produce fruit, and it’s a longer process.

3. Kiwis

Kiwis are also not summer fruit. These hairy but delicious and juicy fruits are native to China, but they grow worldwide. Kiwi harvest season is from September to December. In the United States, the largest grower of kiwis is California. While kiwis are available in summer, they aren’t always the highest quality. Typically, kiwis are available in stores in the U.S. from October to May. The sweetest and juiciest kiwis though are from late fall through winter. 

Do you want to grow kiwis? Kiwi plants aren’t fast-growing. You can germinate the seeds all year round, but you should sow them into the ground in the fall. Kiwi plants bear fruit three to five years after they are planted.

4. Lemons

Lemons are more complicated than other fruits on this list. While you might find them in June, it’s not guaranteed. Every lemon fruit tree has a different flowering and producing season. It also highly depends on where you are buying the lemons. For example, lemons are usually available from January to September in Florida and Arizona. In other states like Maine, you can grow lemon trees in containers and they are typically ready in fall.

So, how do you know when to harvest a lemon? It’s important to wait for a lemon to change color. They are first green, then change to yellow. However, you can pick green-yellow lemons if they are the right size. Typically, lemons are about 2 to 3 inches long. They ripen on the tree. While they can change color after you pick them, unripened lemons are tart or bitter.

5. Pears

There are more than 3,000 pear varieties in the world. Some of the most popular pears in the United States include the Williams pear, Seckel pear, and D’Anjou pear. These delicious fruits are in season from August through October. However, you can find pears in grocery stores from September to January. While they might be available in stores all year round, the flavor isn’t as sweet.

Growing your pears takes away the need to run to the grocery stores for these delicious fruits. The best time to plant pear trees is in late winter or early spring. They need full sun and well-draining soil. The best part about picking pears is that they don’t ripen on the tree, meaning you only need to pick them when mature.

Summary of 5 Fruits to Avoid Harvesting and Eating in June

Here’s a recap of the fruits that we looked at that are unsuited to harvesting and consuming in June.

The photo featured at the top of this post is © iStock.com/Fresh mixed fruits background.Organic fruits multicolore background.