There is a distinct moment every November when the fruit section transforms. After months of relying on winter apples and citrus, the first local stonefruit arrives on the bench: Orange’s cherry harvest has officially begun.
If you’ve lived here long enough, you know our higher altitude and cooler nights do something extraordinary to fruit sugars. But you also know that seasonal local fruit doesn't arrive all at once in a plastic clamshell. It rolls out in a precise, sun-ripened succession from late spring right through late summer.
When you buy fruit through the standard supermarket supply chain, varieties are chosen for one metric: how well they survive cold storage, shipping palettes, and long road transit. They are picked hard and unripe, missing out on the final days of nutrient transfer on the tree. When you eat local stonefruit harvested at peak ripeness, the fruit hasn't lost its natural sugars or antioxidants during a fortnight in transit. You get maximum nutrient density, intense natural aroma, and real crunch.
Here is your practical guide to the Orange stonefruit season so you can plan your kitchen and seasonal fruit boxes over the coming months:
1. Late November – December: Cherries Lead the Way
Cherries are the opening act, and they are officially here right now. From early sweet varieties to the deep, firm, late-December favorites like Ron’s and Lapins, our local cherry season is short, fast, and unmissable. Keep them chilled in the fridge to preserve their firmness, and eat them within 5 to 7 days of delivery for peak vitamin C and polyphenols.
2. Late December – January: Apricots & Early Peaches
As cherry harvest wraps up around Christmas, delicate apricots come into season. True tree-ripened apricots are fragrant, slightly tart, and completely different from the dry, mealy fruit found on supermarket shelves. Right behind them come the first white and yellow peaches—juicy, soft, and bursting with hydration.
3. January – Early February: Nectarines & Mid-Season Peaches
January is the absolute peak of the stonefruit bowl. White and yellow nectarines arrive with tight, glossy skins and high acidity balanced by natural sugars. This is the prime window for pack-and-go school snacks and summer salads with prosciutto and fresh greens.
4. February – March: Plums & The First Apples
Late summer brings the deep jewel tones: blood plums, rich sugar plums, and dense yellow-fleshed varieties, as well as the beginning of apples. The stonefruits firmer flesh and high pectin levels make them incredible for baking, poaching, or quick-batch jams to capture summer's sweetness before autumn arrives.
From Tree to Door in 48 Hours
The secret to cutting household food waste isn’t complicated: it’s eating fruit that hasn't already spent two weeks dying in transit. Every stonefruit box delivered by YourMarket is picked directly from trusted orchardists across the Central West, packed, and delivered to your doorstep on Wednesday or Friday.
Add fresh stonefruit to your order to experience the taste of Orange Summer!
