Trader Joe's Best Seasonal Fruits Across Every Season, According To Customers

Believe it or not, seasonal fruits still exist. Although it may be convenient to buy your favorite apple variety year-round, the sustainability benefits of growing and consuming in-season produce are indisputable. Besides, what could beat the bright, tangy flavors of a winter orange, or the dribble-down-your-chin juiciness of a summer nectarine? While some fruits are available throughout the year (often because of their long shelf life, ability to withstand transport, and capacity to grow in both the northern and southern hemispheres), this is not universally true. For proof, just look at how much acclaim Trader Joe's rotating selection of seasonal fruits has earned. Some of these fruits, such as the kishu mandarins, are so sought after that customers stock up on them as soon as they hit shelves.

Not every piece of seasonal produce at Trader Joe's, though, comes with customers' blessings. For instance, you can skip adding the strawberries to your cart. Thankfully, there are plenty of seasonal fruits to take their place. This article will introduce you to customer favorites, with notes on seasonal availability, flavor profile, texture, and uses.

In curating this list, we turned to blogs and social media platforms like Reddit and Facebook to gather customer perspectives. Though opinions about each fruit varied widely due to personal preferences, we only featured fruits that had garnered at least a handful of positive reviews and minimal negative feedback. Finally, we only highlighted fresh fruits that are available for a limited time, avoiding those that are frozen or dried. More information on methodology is available at the end of this article.

Is this fruit a cherry, or is it a plum? It turns out that while there are cherry plums that have been harvested for hundreds of years, they aren't the same ones you can buy at Trader Joe's. While the former is a type of plum, the latter is the modern hybrid variety that combines two distinct fruits: Cherries and plums. After all, the packaging often reads "Part cherry! Part plum!"

While customers observed that the skins of these summer fruits are tart and tangy like cherries, their insides tend to be quite sweet. Several customers reported that they were so pleased with these cherry plums that they planned to return to the store to buy them again. Because of their size, these fruits are a nourishing and enjoyable snack for folks of all ages. One Redditor said that their kids adored these fruits, too. Just make sure to remove the pits before giving them to younger children.

Cotton candy, what? Yes, you read that right: Cotton candy grapes are one of the most popular seasonal fruits that you can purchase at Trader Joe's. When the weather turns warm, these grapes reside alongside the red and green table grapes that Trader Joe's offers year-round. One Redditor went so far as to say that it is the "best month of [their] life when they are available." Customers observe that they are very sweet and taste shockingly similar to cotton candy. Nevertheless, these grapes are not genetically modified; rather, meticulous hybridization blessed cotton candy grapes with their sweet flavor.

A spring and summer fruit, cotton candy grapes would serve as an excellent addition to charcuterie boards, perhaps alongside other seasonal fruits like strawberries. One Trader Joe's fan recommended coating these grapes in lemon (or lime) juice and sugar before freezing them. The end result? A healthier version of Sour Patch Kids.

Honey pearl grapes possess a flavor that many customers say is reminiscent of lychee, a sweet stone fruit that is widely enjoyed in Asia. As the name suggests, these grapes also carry notes of honey. These grapes are undoubtedly sweet, so you might like them if you're also a fan of the cotton candy grapes.

Honey pearl grapes may only be available for a few weeks at your local Trader Joe's, so keep your eyes open during the spring and summer to catch them before they're gone. These grapes could be the perfect contribution to a barbecue or potluck. When fresh, honey pearl grapes have a slight crunch, and a few customers have compared their poppy nature to the tapioca pearls in boba tea. These grapes would therefore perform beautifully in a fruit salad — or even in a pasta salad. Customer reviews also indicate that they are delightfully refreshing when frozen.

When a plum and an apricot start to make googly eyes at one another, you know a plumcot is not far behind! Okay, that's a rather simplified way to explain this sensational stone fruit available at Trader Joe's every summer. Plumcots are naturally bred to be half-plum, half-apricot. That means a plumcot is not exactly the same as a pluot, which is composed more of plum than it is of apricot.

The plumcot varieties available at your local Trader Joe's will depend on a variety of factors, including season, supply, and demand. They can vary widely in color, sporting anything from a pale green to a deep red hue. Once you snag a few plumcots from Trader Joe's, make sure they are sufficiently ripe before digging into them. One customer suggested adding this stone fruit to a salad alongside goat cheese. You could also complement their slight tanginess with sweet ingredients like honey and brown sugar, as well as rich ingredients like yogurt and ice cream.

Nectarines and peaches, though often confused, are not one and the same. It's like rectangles and squares: A peach is not a nectarine, but a nectarine is a type of peach. Some folks prefer nectarines over peaches because they don't have that itchy fuzz. Not to mention, nectarines are often firmer than peaches, so they'll hold up better when sliced into salads or placed over the grill. Regardless, when the summer heat cranks up, grab some of Trader Joe's famous nectarine varieties, including the highly acclaimed donut nectarines. 

This summer fruit is adored by Trader Joe's customers, who say that they are fragrant and picked at just the right time. The donut nectarine variety in particular has been described as succulent and well worth a trip back to the store for more. While they might not actually taste like donuts, their adorable shapes harken back to the sweet dessert, and they come in a fun carry case.

Another favorite hybrid among Trader Joe's customers is the aprium. This stone fruit makes an appearance each summer, delighting customers with its sweet flesh and slightly sour skin. Far from being mealy, Trader Joe's apriums have been described as firm and just the right amount of juicy. Although apriums are technically composed of more apricot than plum, one customer noted that they taste more like the latter. Meanwhile, the color of an aprium can vary. Yours might be yellow like an apricot or blood red like a plum. 

Make sure to pick up a few of these fruits as soon as you see them hit Trader Joe's shelves. Another pleased customer relayed how they buy heaps of apriums whenever they become available, storing them in the refrigerator as well as on the countertop to extend their viability. If you are able to procure enough apriums, you can slice them into cobblers, simmer them into compotes, or even stuff them into dumplings.

Though one Redditor noted that the unfamiliar — some might say eerie — appearance of rambutans startled their kids, these late summer fruits are a must-buy if you gravitate toward lychees, strawberries, or grapes, all of which feature similar flavor profiles. Indeed, another Redditor said that the rambutans they bought at Trader Joe's were large and firm, yet juicy; sweet, yet tangier than lychees; and possessed hints of coconut in their aroma.

Whoever coined the term "fruits of your labor" may very well have eaten a few rambutans in their lifetime. You'll need to peel the spiny red skin off these fruits before popping the smooth white flesh into your mouth and extricating each drupe's smooth pit. For that reason, they are better suited for adults than small children. Furthermore, based on the feedback from another customer, you should inspect your rambutans carefully before purchasing them to ensure they contain no mold.

Most folks in the United States are familiar with the pink-skinned, white-fleshed version of dragon fruit, but there are actually four main types of dragon fruit, each with their own set of differences. The general consensus is that if you find a yellow dragon fruit for sale at Trader Joe's in the summer or fall, you should pick one up immediately.

According to customers, these fruits are sweet and sizable. Trader Joe's signage has described them as sharing similar tasting notes to kiwis and pears. You can slice a dragon fruit in half and eat the flesh with a spoon, or you can blend it into a smoothie. Customers say that while delicious, you should be wary of the fiber content of dragon fruit; the yellow variety can contain about 5 grams of dietary fiber per 6-ounce serving, which is nearly 20% of what the average person needs all day.

Envy apples are derived from the Braeburn and Royal Gala varieties, and they are touted to be crisp, sweet, and aromatic. First bred in New Zealand in 1985, they burst onto the worldwide scene a few decades later. A former Trader Joe's employee advised that folks only buy the Envy apples grown in the United States for their superior texture and flavor, which are typically available in the fall and winter.

One Trader Joe's customer confirmed that Envy apples are delightfully sweet, but even better, they have a complex sweetness with underlying notes of sourness. The same customer recommended pairing Envy apples with cheese or peanut butter. Other customers agreed that the flavors in these vibrant apples unveil themselves as you continue munching, and you might even discern notes of cinnamon. Finally, an infographic created by Trader Joe's recommended using these apples for snacking and baking. We suggest transforming them into white wine-baked apples for a unique dessert.

Love Honeycrisps? Don't sleep on the sweet alternative available at Trader Joe's each fall and winter. The first SugarBee apple tree was grown by accident, but what a happy accident that was! The bees who cross-pollinated a Honeycrisp tree with another unknown apple tree didn't know that they were propagating a juicy apple that would soon enthrall consumers with its honey-like flavor, but the circumstances only proved that nature knows best. These snappy apples are prized for their rich, complex sweetness. According to Trader Joe's website, they contain notes of caramel, molasses, and honey, and one customer said that they are succulent and sweet like candy.

Another customer pointed out that buying a bag of these apples is more economical than buying them per piece. Plus, they confirmed that they hold up well in baked goods — so if apple pie, apple crumble, and apple cake are on your mind, go ahead and make the upfront investment.

Give these seasonal fruits to the opal of your eye to show them you care. Though tricky to grow, Opal apples are a treat to eat. Whenever they are in season (typically in the late fall and throughout the winter), these yellow apples are in high demand at Trader Joe's. Described by the store's customers as crisp, sweet, and similar to Fuji apples, Opal apples are also known for boasting floral and tropical flavors. They are, in fact, the lovechild of Golden Delicious and Topaz apples, and they are grown in Washington state.

These apples are especially well-suited for snacking and incorporating into salads. That's because they are famously slow to brown, a characteristic that several consumers have validated through at-home experiments. As such, you can present slices on a charcuterie board without having to worry about the aesthetics diminishing by the time your guests arrive. Just keep in mind that their skins are thick, so children might like them skinned as well.

Before we bid farewell to apples and move on to winter fruits, we would be remiss not to pile praise upon Trader Joe's Lucy Glo apples. These fruits have received substantial (and overwhelmingly positive) attention from customers in online forums. Picked in October, Lucy Glo apples are still a decidedly seasonal fruit, unlike apple varieties such as Fuji, Honeycrisp, and Gala.

The red hue marking the inside of these apples is their most distinct characteristic, but customers also praise the flavor of Lucy Glo apples. One Redditor said that they were the best apples they had ever eaten and were reminiscent of a Jolly Rancher in flavor. Described as sweet, yet refreshingly tart, these apples are excellent for snacking. Another Redditor recommended matching them with the TINE® Ski Queen creamy caramel cheese sold by Trader Joe's, while a second customer on the same thread suggested serving them with the fleur de sel caramel sauce.

Dekopon mandarins aren't the prettiest fruits on this list — at least, not in the conventional sense — but they are one of the most popular citrus fruits that you can find at Trader Joe's when the weather turns cold. According to the Trader Joe's website, they are large, easy to peel, and sweet like candy. One Redditor observed that they may also possess a slight tanginess, similar to tangerines. Aside from Trader Joe's' signage (which is likely an artistic masterpiece), you can easily identify Dekopon mandarins by their large size and the bulbs on top that look a bit like French berets.

Customers verify that these citrus fruits — which may be sold under brand names like Sumo Citrus, Peelz, and Big Honey's — are worth the pretty penny that they may cost. Before turning up your nose at the price tag, take the time to learn why Sumo citrus oranges are so expensive. Essentially, they need a fine balance of sunlight, which requires meticulous care from farmers.

When most of us think of berries, we typically visualize strawberries, blueberries, raspberries, and blackberries. But don't leave out the Cape gooseberries that are often available at Trader Joe's in the winter months. Some call gooseberries a superfood, thanks to their stellar nutritional profile brimming with antioxidants, vitamins, and minerals. In addition to their health benefits, Cape gooseberries are bursting with flavor. A few Redditors have likened them to tart cherries in flavor, though their texture is more similar to that of cherry tomatoes. You might also be able to detect floral, citrusy notes, and one customer compared their flavor to that of clementines and cranberries.

You may have to do some homework to figure out how to use these versatile fruits, but the options are endless — though unconventional, you can incorporate Cape gooseberries into salsa, and they likewise shine in smoothies, charcuterie boards, cakes, and jams. Some Redditors recommended adding them to salads, too.

Man, oh man, Trader Joe's mandarins are worth a trip to the store, even in the coldest of weather. Specifically, the store's kishu mandarins stand out for their seedless, easy-to-peel nature. Succulent from natural sugars and a nourishing source of vitamin C, these mandarins make an excellent alternative to chocolate if you're looking for a sweet treat from Trader Joe's to bestow upon your Valentine.

Trader Joe's customers describe these fruits as tender, plump, and sweet. Though some have observed that kishu mandarins are slightly tart, one Instagrammer said that they are "as close to candy as a mandarin could get" and that they are more sweet than they are sour. Don't hesitate to pick up a few mandarins when you see them because the season is short. A few Redditors even revealed that they had bought trees to circumvent the problem of these fruits only being available in stores for a few weeks each year. After all, one reason why these mandarins can be hard to find is that the number of orchards is limited.

Compared to other citrus fruits, pomelos are giants. They are the largest fruit in the citrus family, and they feature either a green or yellow peel, depending on the time of year. Pomelos are nothing new; while many of the seasonal fruits available at Trader Joe's are modern hybrids, pomelos grew in ancient civilizations, too. This tried-and-true fruit is prized for its fine balance of sweetness and tanginess, with only a bit of bitterness to boot. One pleased customer emphasized that you need to thoroughly peel a pomelo, including its bitter pith, to enjoy it raw; this extra work, though, is well worth the sweet reward.

There are a few differences between pomelos and grapefruits, though their uses often overlap. You should eat pomelos cold for the best results, and their juice can be incorporated into a wide range of refreshing cocktails and mocktails. Finally, at Trader Joe's, you might see these fruits referred to as "pummelos," but they are one and the same.

To get a better sense of Trader Joe's seasonal fruit selection, we turned to customer reviews on blogs and social media platforms like Reddit and Facebook, taking note of what customers thought about each fruit's flavor and texture. In selecting the fruits for this list, price (which varies across stores, as well as from year to year) was not a factor. Only fruits that had received mostly positive feedback earned spots on this list. While Trader Joe's has a fantastic selection of frozen and dried fruits, we only focused on fresh produce.

We highlighted fruits that can be purchased for a limited time in each season, though the exact months that a fruit is available may vary slightly according to growing conditions and current suppliers. Finally, whenever we have named a season (for instance, when we called citrus fruits "winter fruits"), we said so in the context of the northern hemisphere, not in relation to where the fruit was actually grown.