Summarized in the lists below are seasonal fruits and vegetables you can find in farmers markets throughout Hawaiʻi. Some varieties of produce are available year-round, while others have a shorter peak season. Consider this a very a rough guide. Weather conditions can affect harvest on any given day. During periods of excessive (or too little) rain, availability can decrease or disappear altogether.
In Hawaiʻi we grow many varieties of produce not available elsewhere. For example, there are many kinds of bananas, lemons and limes, oranges, papayas, eggplants, sweet potatoes, squashes, cabbages, and many types of leafy greens. Commercially grown crops found at supermarkets typically include varieties that respond to large scale production that stand up to shipping long distances. Hawaii’s lesser-known varieties often have more interesting flavor than ubiquitous commercial produce found in supermarkets worldwide.
We didn’t include produce that is common in many supermarkets, such as kale, potatoes, radish, and asparagus, to name a few. So, expect to also find a lot of familiar produce among the unique offerings in Hawaiʻi. There are still other fruits and vegetables not listed below that you may find at Hawai’i farmers markets. For example: star apple, banana flower, cherimoya, egg fruit, loquat, mangosteen, white sapote, black/chocolate sapote, soursop (aka guanabana), wing beans, and many more.
Be sure to ask about anything that isn’t familiar—find out from the grower how to prepare it and then buy some to take home. You’ll never know until you try it! You may find a new favorite. Get more info about Hawai’i fruits and vegetables in the following seasonal guides:
- Seasonality Guide for Hawai’i Fruits & Vegetables (PDF)
- Hawai’i Fruits & Vegetables Seasonality Chart (PDF)
- Seasonal Guide to Exotic Hawaiian Fruit
Winter seasonal Hawai’i produce
Available year-round:
- Fruits: coconuts, longan, papaya, pineapple, ‘ulu (aka breadfruit)
- Vegetables: cabbage, herbs, lettuces and greens, mushrooms, sprouts
January is peak season for:
- Fruits: citrus (lime, orange, pummelo/pomelo, tangerine) guava, rambutan, strawberry, starfruit
- Vegetables: avocado
February is peak season for:
- Fruits: citrus (lime, orange, pummelo/pomelo), guava, rambutan, starfruit, strawberry
- Vegetables: avocado, bitter melon, corn, sweet potato
March is peak season for:
- Fruits: citrus (lime, orange, pummelo/pomelo), guava, rambutan, starfruit, strawberry
- Vegetables: bitter melon, corn, eggplant, sweet potato, taro
You may find some common produce at a Hawai’i farmers market that looks different from supermarket varieties, like these pink radishes the size of a football – 2021 photo by Carole Cancler
Spring seasonal Hawai’i produce
Available year-round:
- Fruits: coconuts, longan, papaya, pineapple, ‘ulu (aka breadfruit)
- Vegetables: cabbage, herbs, lettuces and greens, mushrooms, sprouts
April is peak season for:
- Fruits: guava, mango, orange, starfruit, strawberry
- Vegetables: beans, bitter melon, celery, corn, cucumber, eggplant, ginger root, lettuces, onion, green pepper, sweet potato, taro
May is peak season for:
- Fruits: lychee, mango, melons (cantaloupe, honeydew, watermelon)
- Vegetables: beans, bitter melon, celery, corn, cucumber, eggplant, ginger root, onion, green pepper, sweet potato, taro, tomato, watercress
June is peak season for:
- Fruits: apple banana, dragon fruit, jackfruit, lime, lychee, mango, melons (cantaloupe, honeydew, watermelon), lilikoʻi (passionfruit)
- Vegetables: beans, bitter melon, celery, corn, cucumber, eggplant, ginger root, luau (taro) leaf, onion, green pepper, sweet potato, taro, tomato, watercress
In addition to local produce, you’ll find onolicious products at Hawaiʻi Farmers Markets, such as Hawaiian Grown fruit jams and coconut butter – 2021 photo by Carole Cancler
Summer seasonal Hawai’i produce
Available year-round:
- Fruits: coconuts, longan, papaya, pineapple, ‘ulu (aka breadfruit)
- Vegetables: cabbage, herbs, lettuces and greens, mushrooms, sprouts
July is peak season for:
- Fruits: apple banana, dragon fruit, jackfruit, lime, lychee, mango, melons (cantaloupe, honeydew, watermelon), lilikoʻi (passionfruit)
- Vegetables: beans, celery, cucumber, daikon, ginger root, luau (taro) leaf, onion, green pepper, Chinese squash (aka bottle gourd, opo or long squash), taro, tomato, watercress
August is peak season for:
- Fruits: mountain apple (ohi’a ’ai [oh-hee AH eye]), apple banana, dragon fruit, guava, jackfruit, lime, lychee, mango, melons (cantaloupe, honeydew, watermelon), lilikoʻi (passionfruit)
- Vegetables: beans, celery, cucumber, daikon, ginger root, lettuces, luau (taro) leaf, onion, green pepper, pumpkin (kabocha, winter squash), Chinese squash (aka opo or long squash, or bottle gourd), tomato, watercress, zucchini
September is peak season for:
- Fruits: mountain apple (ohi’a ’ai [oh-hee AH eye]), apple banana, dragon fruit, guava, jackfruit, lime, lychee, mango, melons (honeydew, watermelon), orange, persimmon, starfruit
- Vegetables: daikon, ginger root, lettuces, onion, pumpkin (kabocha, winter squash), Chinese squash (aka opo or long squash, or bottle gourd), tomato, watercress, zucchini
If you see something unfamiliar at the farmers market, ask the producer how to prepare it, then buy some to try. You may discover a new favorite food. 2021 photo by Carole Cancler
Fall seasonal Hawai’i produce
Available year-round:
- Fruits: coconuts, longan, papaya, pineapple, ‘ulu (aka breadfruit)
- Vegetables: cabbage, herbs, lettuces and greens, mushrooms, sprouts
October is peak season for:
- Fruits: atemoya (custard-apple), apple banana, dragon fruit, guava, jackfruit, citrus (lime, orange), mango, persimmon, starfruit
- Vegetables: daikon, onion, pumpkin (kabocha, winter squash), zucchini
November is peak season for:
- Fruits: atemoya (custard-apple), dragon fruit, guava, jackfruit, citrus (lime, orange, pummelo/pomelo, tangerine), rambutan, starfruit
- Vegetables: avocado, corn, pumpkin (kabocha, winter squash), taro, zucchini
December is peak season for:
- Fruits: atemoya (custard-apple), citrus (lime, orange, pummelo/pomelo, tangerine), rambutan, starfruit
- Vegetables: avocado, corn, pumpkin (kabocha, winter squash), taro, zucchini
More Hawai’i fruits and vegetables
Get more info about Hawai’i fruits and vegetables in the following seasonal guides:
Event calendar of free and affordable things to do
Listed below are all types of free and affordable things to do in the next 30 days across the Hawaiʻi Pae ʻĀina.
Featured Events are listed first each day, highlighted by a photo. These are unique, popular, or annual events that we or our advertisers don’t want you to overlook.
You might also like: Hawaiʻi on the Cheap – affordable living and things to do (hawaiionthecheap.com)
Leave a Reply