Despite different types of dried fruit being available all year round thanks to their high shelf-life, dried fruit actually has its seasonality. Since the fruit is grown and ripened according to the life cycle of the plant, it is harvested at specific times of the year, which differ in terms of product variety and production area.
Knowing the seasonality of the dried fruit allows you to understand when the new harvest is available on the market and, depending on the time of year, it is important to understand which is the best type of dried fruit to buy to get the freshest product.
The following information is for general knowledge: in fact, besides depending on the production area, the ripening of fruit also depends on the seasonal temperature that may vary from year to year, thus shifting the harvesting period:
Apricots: Turkey ranks among the main producers of dried apricots on a global level as it covers 50% of production. The area most involved in the production is that of Malatya, which lies at the heart of Turkey. Here the harvesting of apricots is carried out in summer, usually in July;
Aronia berries: these berries ripen in autumn and harvesting usually takes place in September;
Dates: the harvesting of Israelian dates is carried out in the period from August to October;
Figs: despite the harvesting of figs being subject to variability, they are harvested in summer, usually in August;
Goji berries: the harvesting of Goji berries in China takes place from July to October;
Mango: the major part of our raw material is harvested in the period ranging from May to August. In some areas it is possible to obtain a further harvest in the winter period, January-February, but these are small productions;
Papaya: the harvesting of papaya can take place both in spring and in autumn, i.e. from February to April and from October to December;
Pitted prunes: in the northern hemisphere, in particular in the USA and France (which cover about 60% of world production), plums are harvested between August and September, while in the southern hemisphere, i.e. in Chile and Argentina (which account for approx. 40% of production) they are harvested between February and March;
Sultana: the harvesting period of the most suitable grape varieties for drying, takes place in the two hemispheres of the world in the same periods of the year when the plums are also harvested;
A different reasoning can be made for coconuts, bananas and pineapple, whose harvesting in the tropical countries takes place all year round from January to December.
In Italy the Mediterranean climate, characterized by mild winters and hot and sunny summers, favours the growth and ripening of tasty and characteristic fruit for every season:
Orange: they are harvested from November to May;
Lemons: the harvesting of lemons extends on a period from February to October;
Kiwi: their harvesting is carried out in autumn usually between October and November;
Strawberry: the ideal period for their harvesting is the beginning of summer, between April, May and June;
Mulberries: they are harvested between May and August;
Pears: the period of the harvesting ranges depends on the type of pear, but it usually ranges between August, September and October;
We always strive to guarantee our clients the best product we can. By purchasing from different suppliers from several regions we are able to ensure our Nuturally clients the freshest products also respecting the natural life cycle of plants.
