Walk into a grocery store in January in, say, Maine, and you’re greeted by the depressing sight of mealy apples and "fresh" strawberries that taste like wet cardboard. But California is different. If you’re lucky enough to be here right now, you know that the "winter blues" don’t apply to our produce aisles. Honestly, while the rest of the country is hunkering down with canned peaches, California is having its loudest, brightest fruit party of the year.
Most people think summer is the peak for fruit. They’re wrong.
Sure, stone fruits and berries are great in July, but the depth of flavor we’re seeing in what fruit is in season now in California is unmatched. We are currently in the golden age of citrus, the tail end of the high-altitude pome fruits, and the beginning of some weird, wonderful specialty crops that you won't find anywhere else.
The Citrus Explosion: It’s Not Just Navel Oranges
If you think an orange is just an orange, you've been lied to. Right now, California's Central Valley is pumping out varieties that make the standard grocery store Navel look like a backup singer.
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Take the Cara Cara. It looks like a normal orange on the outside, but slice it open and it’s this gorgeous, salmon-pink color. It’s sweet, low-acid, and has this weirdly delicious hint of cranberry or raspberry. It’s basically nature’s candy. Then you’ve got Blood Oranges—Moro and Sanguinelli—which are hitting their peak pigment right about now because of the chilly California nights.
- Sumo Citrus (Dekopon): You’ve seen these. They’re huge, they have a weird top knot, and they cost a fortune. Are they worth it? Kinda, yeah. They’re seedless, peel easier than a banana, and the flavor is incredibly concentrated.
- Kishu Mandarins: These are tiny. Like, "fit five in your pocket" tiny. They’re seedless and so sweet they almost taste fake.
- Meyer Lemons: These aren't your typical puckery lemons. They’re a cross between a lemon and a mandarin, meaning the skin is thin and the juice is floral. If you aren't making a Meyer Lemon curd right now, you’re missing out.
What Fruit is in Season Now in California: The Survivors
We often forget that apples and pears don't just disappear when the calendar flips to January. In the cooler regions like Apple Hill or the Oak Glen area, late-harvest varieties are still holding strong in cold storage or even still hanging on the trees in Southern California.
Pink Lady apples (officially Cripps Pink) are at their absolute best right now. They need a long growing season and plenty of autumn sun, which California has in spades. They’re crunchy, tart, and actually hold their texture way better than a Fuji or a Gala this late in the game.
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And don't sleep on Asian Pears. The Hosui and 20th Century varieties are still crisp and incredibly juicy. They’re basically a cross between an apple’s texture and a pear’s flavor, and they are a staple at California farmers markets through the end of the month.
The Weird Stuff (And the Avocado Situation)
You’ve probably heard that avocados are year-round. While that’s technically true because of imports, the California Hass is just starting to wake up. Most growers will tell you to wait until February or March for the oil content to really peak, but in warmer pockets of Ventura and Riverside counties, you can find early-season fruit that is "good enough" for a solid toast.
But if you want something truly seasonal, look for Persimmons. We’re at the very end of the Fuyu season. These are the ones that look like orange tomatoes and stay crunchy. If you see the Hachiyas—the heart-shaped ones—make sure they are mushy-soft before you eat them. If you eat a firm Hachiya, the tannins will make your mouth feel like it’s been stuffed with cotton balls. It’s a mistake you only make once.
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Then there are Kumquats. These are the "anti-fruit." You eat the skin (which is sweet) and spit out or deal with the tart flesh. They’re hitting the markets in San Diego and the Bay Area right now.
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Look, I’m not just being a snob. Fruit picked for shipping across the country is harvested "mature but not ripe." That means it has the sugars, but not the soul. California fruit bought in California in January is often tree-ripened.
When you search for what fruit is in season now in California, you’re usually looking for two things: flavor and price. Seasonal fruit is cheaper because there’s a glut of it. Right now, pomelos are the size of basketballs and cost next to nothing at the roadside stands in the Central Valley.
Quick Seasonal Checklist for January 2026:
- Citrus: Navels, Caras, Blood Oranges, Mandarins (Satsuma/Kishu), Meyer Lemons, Pomelos.
- Pome Fruit: Pink Lady Apples, Fuji Apples, Asian Pears.
- Tropical/Specialty: Cherimoyas (mostly in SoCal), Kumquats, Kiwifruit.
- The "Wait For It": Strawberries are popping up in Oxnard, but they won't be "peak" for a few more weeks.
The best way to experience this is to skip the big-box retailers for a day. Head to a Saturday morning market—whether it’s the Ferry Plaza in San Francisco or the Santa Monica Farmers Market. Talk to the guy with the dusty truck. Ask him which mandarin is "hitting" this week. Usually, they’ll give you a sample, and that’s when you’ll realize that winter in California tastes a lot better than summer anywhere else.
Go to your local farmers market this weekend and specifically ask for a "sampling" of whatever mandarin variety is on the table. Compare a Satsuma to a Kishu side-by-side to really understand how the sugar profiles differ. If you’re at a grocery store, look for the "CA Grown" sticker on citrus bags to ensure you’re getting fruit that hasn't spent three weeks on a boat from the southern hemisphere.