Monsoon fruits in India - guava, jamun, pomegranate, papaya, pears, custard apple, litchi, plums, cherries and a peach on a rain-wet table, with the InstaCuppa Ultra Slim Portable Blender Bottle filled with a jamun smoothie

Monsoon Fruits in India: 10 Rainy Season Fruits and the Months to Buy Them (2026)

May 25, 2026

By Saran Reddy, Founder, InstaCuppa | Last updated: September 10, 2026

Quick answer: Monsoon fruits in India follow a clear order. Jamun, litchi and cherries open the season in June. Plums, pears and pomegranate fill July. Guava peaks in August, and custard apple closes the season from September. This guide gives the month for each of the 10 fruits, using NHB and TNAU harvest data, plus USDA nutrition per 100 g.

A quick note: This article shares general food and wellness information for Indian readers. It is not medical advice. Bodies differ. If you are pregnant, unwell, or managing a health condition, please ask your doctor before making changes.

Table of Contents

Monsoon Fruit Calendar: June to September
Why Eat Seasonal Fruit in the Rains?
1. Jamun
2. Guava (Amrood)
3. Pomegranate (Anar)
4. Papaya (Papita)
5. Pear (Nashpati)
6. Litchi
7. Plum (Aloo Bukhara)
8. Peach (Aadu)
9. Custard Apple (Sitaphal)
10. Cherry
Nutrition Comparison Table
Fruits to Be Careful With
How to Wash and Store
FAQ

Monsoon Fruit Calendar: June to September

Quick answer: June is for jamun and litchi. July is for plums, pears and the first monsoon pomegranate. August belongs to guava. September brings custard apple. Papaya is there all year.

People search for "fruits in August" and "fruits in September" more than any single fruit name. So here is the calendar first, with the source for each month.

Month	Fruits arriving or at their peak	What the data says
June	Jamun, litchi, early pears, mid-season plums, cherries, papaya	Jamun ripens June to July (TNAU). Litchi reaches UP and Punjab markets in the second and third week of June and Himachal by the last week (NHB). Early pears are picked May to June (TNAU).
July	Jamun (finishing), late plums, pears, pomegranate, papaya, peach, last cherries	Late plums are picked July to August (TNAU). Kashmir cherries and plums were still being exported on 16 July 2026 (PIB). Pomegranate from the January flowering is ready about 120 to 130 days after fruit set (NHB).
August	Guava (peak), pears, plums, pomegranate, papaya	The rainy-season guava crop peaks in August in north India (NHB). Late pears run July to October (TNAU).
September	Guava, pears, pomegranate, papaya, custard apple (starting)	Guava and late pears continue. Sitaphal appears in our Tirupati market around September; we found no official calendar for it.

For the winter and summer months, see our month-by-month fruit calendar and the seasonal citrus guide.

Why Eat Seasonal Fruit in the Rains?

Quick answer: Seasonal fruit is fresher, cheaper and closer to home. The ICMR-NIN 2024 guidelines suggest about 100 g of fresh fruit a day. In monsoon, guava and papaya give you the most vitamin C for that 100 g.

The ICMR-NIN Dietary Guidelines for Indians 2024 put fruit at about 100 g a day for an adult. That is one guava or a bowl of jamun.

India grew 1176.49 lakh tonnes of fruit in 2024-25, up 4.13 percent on the year before. The government estimate names papaya and guava among the crops that grew.

India is also the world's largest papaya producer, with about 36 percent of the global crop (APEDA). Monsoon fruit is not a luxury here. It is the cheapest fruit of the year.

One honest note before the list. Immunity is not a switch that a fruit turns on. What fruit gives you is vitamin C, fibre, water and potassium. We report those numbers and stop there.

1. Jamun (Java Plum, Indian Blackberry)

Quick answer: Jamun ripens in June and July (TNAU). Per 100 g it gives 60 kcal, 14.3 mg of vitamin C and 83 percent water (USDA). It is the shortest season on this list, so eat it while it lasts.

Season: June to July. The TNAU horticulture page says the fruit ripens in June and July and turns deep purple or black when fully ripe.

You may have read that jamun is rich in iron. The USDA record says 0.19 mg per 100 g, which is low. Its real strengths are water, a low calorie count and the deep purple pigment in the skin.

How to eat: Wash under running water. Eat with a pinch of rock salt. Or deseed a cup and blend it with curd and a banana for a monsoon smoothie.

Tip: Jamun stains do not come out of cotton. Eat it over a plate.

2. Guava (Amrood)

Quick answer: Guava is the best value monsoon fruit. Per 100 g it gives 228.3 mg of vitamin C, about 4.3 times a raw orange (USDA). The rainy-season crop peaks in August in north India (NHB).

Season: The National Horticulture Board says guava is harvested in some part of India in every month except May and June. In north India the rainy-season crop peaks in August, the winter crop in November to December, and the spring crop in March to April.

Raw orange gives 53.2 mg of vitamin C per 100 g. Guava gives 228.3 mg. That is the whole case for guava in one line.

How to eat: Eat it with the skin, with chaat masala and black salt. The skin is edible and holds fibre. Pink guava also blends well with mint and lime.

Caution: The rough skin traps mud. Scrub it under running water before you bite.

3. Pomegranate (Anar)

Quick answer: Anar has no single season. NHB says it flowers and fruits through the year in central and south India, and fruit is ready 120 to 130 days after it sets. Per 100 g it gives 83 kcal, 4 g of fibre and 236 mg of potassium (USDA).

Season: Growers induce flowering in three windows: June to July, September to October, and January to February (NHB pomegranate report). Fruit follows about four months later. So the anar you see in monsoon comes from the January flowering.

How to eat: Eat the arils fresh, or add them to fruit chaat. For juice, see our guide on hand press vs juicer vs blender and the evidence on pomegranate juice.

4. Papaya (Papita)

Quick answer: Papaya is the one fruit you can count on in every monsoon month. Per 100 g it gives just 43 kcal, 60.9 mg of vitamin C, 950 IU of vitamin A and 88 percent water (USDA).

Season: All year. Farmers plant papaya in spring, monsoon and autumn (NHB papaya report), so fruit keeps coming. India grows about 36 percent of the world's papaya (APEDA).

How to eat: Ripe papaya with lime juice is the classic. Or try our papaya smoothie, which gives most of a day's vitamin C in one glass.

Caution: Buy whole papaya, not cut halves wrapped in plastic. Cut papaya spoils fast in humid air.

5. Pear (Nashpati)

Quick answer: Pears run the whole monsoon. TNAU says early varieties are picked in May to June and late varieties from July to October. Per 100 g they give 57 kcal and 3.1 g of fibre (USDA).

Season: May to June for early pears, July to October for late ones (TNAU pear page). Most of India's pears come from Himachal, Kashmir and Uttarakhand.

How to eat: Eat with the skin. It is a gentle fruit for children and older people. Sliced pear also works in a salad with cucumber and lime.

6. Litchi

Quick answer: Litchi is an early-monsoon fruit, not a July fruit. NHB says arrivals start in May and end by late June. Per 100 g it gives 66 kcal and 71.5 mg of vitamin C (USDA). Serve it after a meal, especially to children.

Season: Tripura in the first week of May, Bihar from the third week of May to the first week of June, UP and Punjab in the second and third week of June, and Himachal by the last week of June (NHB litchi report). The whole season is about two months.

Per 100 g (USDA): 66 kcal | Vitamin C 71.5 mg | Potassium 171 mg | Copper 0.15 mg | Fibre 1.3 g

Caution: A 2017 study in The Lancet Global Health looked at the 2014 Muzaffarpur outbreak. Eating litchi was linked to illness, and skipping the evening meal made that link much stronger. The fruit contains natural compounds that can drop blood sugar in a hungry child.

So the rule at home is simple. Litchi after food, not before. Ripe fruit only, in normal amounts. This is not medical advice; ask your doctor if your child is unwell.

7. Plum (Aloo Bukhara)

Quick answer: Plums are a June to August fruit. TNAU lists mid-season varieties in June to July and late ones in July to August. Per 100 g they give 46 kcal and 345 IU of vitamin A (USDA).

Season: June to August (TNAU plum page). Kashmir's Scentrose plums were still being exported in mid-July 2026 (PIB).

Per 100 g (USDA): 46 kcal | Vitamin A 345 IU | Vitamin C 9.5 mg | Fibre 1.4 g | Potassium 157 mg

How to eat: Fresh, in a fruit salad, or cooked down into a quick chutney with jaggery and cumin.

8. Peach (Aadu)

Quick answer: Peaches come from the hills of Himachal, Uttarakhand and Kashmir and reach plains markets early in the monsoon. Per 100 g they give 39 kcal, 190 mg of potassium and 89 percent water (USDA).

Season: Early monsoon, in our market experience. We could not find an official harvest calendar for peach, so we do not give exact months here.

How to eat: Fresh and cold. Peaches bruise easily, so buy only what you will eat in two days.

9. Custard Apple (Sitaphal)

Quick answer: Sitaphal is the fruit that closes the monsoon. In our Tirupati market it appears around September and stays till November. Per 100 g it gives 94 kcal, 36.3 mg of vitamin C, 4.4 g of fibre and 247 mg of potassium (USDA).

Season: We searched NHB, TNAU and ICAR pages and found no official harvest calendar for custard apple. What we can say is what we see: it arrives as the rains ease, around September, and runs to about November.

Per 100 g (USDA): 94 kcal | Vitamin C 36.3 mg | Fibre 4.4 g | Potassium 247 mg | Magnesium 21 mg

How to eat: Break it open and scoop the creamy segments. Spit out the black seeds; they are not eaten. Or blend the pulp into a thick sitaphal shake.

It is the richest fruit on this list in calories, so one fruit a day is plenty.

10. Cherry

Quick answer: Indian cherries come from Kashmir and Himachal. The season runs from early summer into July, then ends. Per 100 g they give 63 kcal, 222 mg of potassium and 2.1 g of fibre (USDA).

Season: Early summer into July. On 16 July 2026, APEDA flagged off Kashmir Areko cherries from Shopian and Pulwama for export to Singapore (PIB release). By August, fresh Indian cherries are hard to find.

Per 100 g (USDA): 63 kcal | Vitamin C 7.0 mg | Fibre 2.1 g | Potassium 222 mg | Iron 0.36 mg

How to eat: Fresh, pitted. Cherries are costly, so treat them as a treat, not a daily fruit.

Nutrition Comparison: All 10 Monsoon Fruits

Quick answer: Guava leads on vitamin C by a wide margin. Litchi and papaya come next. Custard apple has the most calories. Pear and pomegranate have the most fibre after guava.

Fruit	kcal	Vitamin C (mg)	Fibre (g)	Potassium (mg)	Best month(s)
Guava	68	228.3	5.4	417	Aug to Sep
Litchi	66	71.5	1.3	171	Late May to June
Papaya	43	60.9	1.7	182	All year
Custard apple	94	36.3	4.4	247	Sep to Nov (our market)
Jamun	60	14.3	n/a	79	Jun to Jul
Pomegranate	83	10.2	4.0	236	Most of the year
Plum	46	9.5	1.4	157	Jun to Aug
Cherry	63	7.0	2.1	222	May to Jul
Peach	39	6.6	1.5	190	Early monsoon (hills)
Pear	57	4.3	3.1	116	Jul to Oct

All numbers are USDA FoodData Central SR Legacy values per 100 g of raw fruit. Jamun has no fibre value in the USDA record. For comparison, a raw orange gives 53.2 mg of vitamin C and 47 kcal per 100 g.

Fruits to Be Careful With in Monsoon

Quick answer: The risk in monsoon is not the fruit. It is cut fruit, dirty water and chemical ripening. FSSAI bans calcium carbide for ripening and allows only ethylene up to 100 ppm.

Watch out for	Why	What to do
Pre-cut fruit from carts	You cannot see the water or the knife. Cut fruit sits open in humid air.	Buy whole fruit. Cut it at home.
Chemically ripened fruit	FSSAI bans calcium carbide ("masala") for ripening under regulation 2.3.5. Only ethylene up to 100 ppm is allowed.	Buy from sellers you trust. Report carbide use to your state food safety officer.
Over-ripe or split fruit	Damp weather speeds up spoilage in fruit with broken skin.	Buy firm fruit for two or three days only.
Litchi for small children on an empty stomach	The Muzaffarpur study linked litchi plus a skipped evening meal to illness.	Serve litchi after a meal, in small amounts.

The FSSAI press release names sub-regulation 2.3.5 of the Prohibition and Restrictions on Sales Regulations 2011 as the carbide ban. FSSAI repeated the warning in May 2025 and asked states to inspect mandis.

For the full list of foods to skip in the rains, read what not to eat in monsoon and our monsoon diet plan.

How to Wash and Store Monsoon Fruits Safely

Quick answer: Wash or scrub every fruit under running water before you use it. That is the FSSAI line. Buy for two or three days only, keep fruit in the fridge, and never buy pre-cut.

FSSAI's consumer note says to wash or scrub all fruits and vegetables under running water before any use. Do this even for fruit you peel, like litchi. Your hands touch the skin and then the flesh.

Many Indian homes also soak fruit in salt water for a few minutes and then rinse. FSSAI does not list this step, so treat it as a habit, not a rule. Running water is the part that matters.

Buy small amounts. In humid weather, fruit spoils in days, not weeks. Move it to the fridge and take it out of plastic bags.

Once washed, the easiest way to eat more fruit is to blend it. A cup of jamun or papaya with curd takes under a minute in a portable blender. See our monsoon drinks and kitchen immunity boosters for more ideas.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Which fruits come in the rainy season in India?

The ten common rainy season fruits are jamun, guava, pomegranate (anar), papaya, pear (nashpati), litchi, plum (aloo bukhara), peach (aadu), custard apple (sitaphal) and cherry. Litchi and cherry are early-monsoon fruits and are mostly gone by July. Guava and custard apple arrive as the rains ease.

Which fruits are in season in August in India?

Guava is the star of August. The National Horticulture Board says the rainy-season guava crop peaks in August in north India. Late pears, late plums, papaya and pomegranate are also in the market, and jamun is finishing.

Which fruits are available in September in India?

Guava, late-variety pears, pomegranate and papaya are the reliable September fruits. In our Tirupati market, custard apple (sitaphal) also starts to appear in September and runs into November.

Can we eat guava in the rainy season?

Yes. Guava is a rainy-season crop, and it gives about 228 mg of vitamin C per 100 g (USDA). Wash it under running water, as FSSAI advises, and eat it with the skin. Avoid pre-cut guava from carts.

Is guava a seasonal fruit?

Guava is harvested in some part of India in almost every month except May and June (NHB). North India has three peaks: August, November to December, and March to April. So it is seasonal, with more than one season.

When is sitaphal (custard apple) season in India?

We could not find an official harvest calendar for sitaphal. In our own market in Tirupati, it appears around September and stays till about November. Treat it as a late-monsoon fruit, not a June fruit.

When is anar (pomegranate) season in India?

Almost all year. NHB says pomegranate flowers and fruits through the year in central and south India, with three flowering windows. Fruit is ready 120 to 130 days after it sets, so a January to February flowering gives fruit around June to July.

When is cherry season in India?

Cherries come from Kashmir and Himachal in early summer, and the season runs into July. On 16 July 2026, APEDA flagged off Kashmir cherries and plums for export to Singapore. By August, fresh Indian cherries are hard to find.

Is it safe to eat litchi on an empty stomach?

Be careful with children. A 2017 Lancet Global Health study of the Muzaffarpur outbreak found that skipping the evening meal made the link between litchi and illness much stronger. Give litchi after a meal, in normal amounts, and only ripe fruit.

How much fruit should I eat a day in monsoon?

The ICMR-NIN Dietary Guidelines for Indians 2024 suggest about 100 g of fresh fruit a day for an adult, along with 400 g of vegetables. That is one guava, or a bowl of jamun, or a slice of papaya.

Is fruit juice from shops safe in monsoon?

It is a risk. You cannot see the water, the ice or how the fruit was washed. Make it at home instead. A portable blender turns a cup of jamun or papaya and some curd into a smoothie in under a minute.

Sources & References

USDA FoodData Central, SR Legacy - Guavas, common, raw (173044); Oranges, raw (169097); Java-plum (168150); Pomegranates (169134); Papayas (169926); Pears (169118); Litchis (169086); Plums (169949); Peaches, yellow (169928); Sugar-apples (168175); Cherries, sweet (171719). Values per 100 g.
ICMR-NIN, Dietary Guidelines for Indians 2024 - 100 g fresh fruit and 400 g vegetables a day.
National Horticulture Board, Guava - harvest peaks: August, November to December, March to April.
National Horticulture Board, Litchi - state-wise arrival windows, May to late June.
National Horticulture Board, Pomegranate - three flowering windows; fruit ready 120 to 130 days after set.
National Horticulture Board, Papaya - planting in spring, monsoon and autumn.
TNAU Agritech Portal, Jamun - ripens June to July.
TNAU Agritech Portal, Pear - early May to June, late July to October.
TNAU Agritech Portal, Plum - mid-season June to July, late July to August.
PIB, 18 July 2026 - APEDA export of Kashmir cherries and plums to Singapore, flagged off 16 July 2026.
PIB, Horticulture Final Estimates 2024-25 - fruit production 1176.49 lakh tonnes, up 4.13 percent.
APEDA, Fresh Fruits and Vegetables - India first in papaya (35.82 percent of world output).
FSSAI press release, March 2023 - calcium carbide ban (reg. 2.3.5); ethylene up to 100 ppm permitted. FSSAI, 20 May 2025 - ban reinforced.
FSSAI consumer note - wash or scrub all fruits and vegetables under running water.
Shrivastava A et al., Lancet Global Health 2017 (PMID 28153514) - Muzaffarpur litchi outbreak case-control study.