The best fruit-picking sites in India for your vacation
By Nikhila P
That India is a diverse nation is beyond dispute. Stunning scenery and delectable cuisine make each region of India distinct. Fruit is available in such a wide variety all over India. It includes everything, including apricots and apples. These lovely Indian fruits are from Kashmir to Kanyakumari and are sweet. Because of the diversity of the topography, crops that require warm climates and crops that require cool climates are both grown here. In India, there are numerous sites for picking fruit. Isn’t it fun to choose your favourite fruit straight from the tree and eat it? This article from Tripfinder will make it possible for you to enjoy a family vacation and savour the sweetness of your preferred fruit. Let’s look at the best places in India for picking fruit.
Apples in Himachal Pradesh and Jammu & Kashmir
A spiritual pilgrim named Samuel Stokes, also known as Satyananda, is said to have visited India and fallen in love with the country, deciding to settle there permanently. He dedicated his life to farming, and it is said that he brought a new American apple variety to Himachal Pradesh, which led to an apple revolution in that region. We now know that a variety of fresh apples are produced in this mountainous area. More than 1.75 million families now rely on the fruit for a living. So you can anticipate seeing a number of orchards if you travel to Kinnaur, Shimla, Mandi, or Kullu. Shimla is known for its apple orchards, such as the Banjara Orchard Retreat in Thanedar. Jammu and Kashmir are known for their sweet apples, and there are a ton of orchards from which to choose if you visit the region. They are abundant in areas like Srinagar, Ganderbal, Budgam, Baramulla, Anantnag, and Shopian. The Sopore town of Baramulla, also known as the Apple Town of Kashmir, is home to the second-largest fruit mandi in all of Asia. Apple harvesting season lasts from June to September.
Mangos and Chikoos in Maharashtra
The coastal towns of Gholvad and Dahanu are well known for their ripe sapodilla repositories, which the Indians call “chikoo” for sapodilla. Numerous narratives have been used to explain how these fruits came to be grown in these locations. One of them asserts that Seth Dinshaw Petit, a textile magnate who had brought chikoo saplings from Central America, was the first to plant one of them. On their ancestral lands, thousands of Parsi families continue to grow these fruits today, and they market their harvest across the country. The annual Chikoo festival is held at Dahanu’s Bordi Beach in January or February. Visitors can participate in farming activities, sample regional cuisine, and more to help the local economy. December through March is the harvest season.
Ratnagiri and Palshet both have an abundance of delicious Alphonso mangoes; the former exports a significant amount of the fruit to other parts of India. In fact, the entire Konkan belt is covered in thousands of mango plantations. Consider the Farm of Happiness, an agrotourism farm stay where guests can learn about organic farming while also going hiking, birdwatching, fishing, and stargazing. May through August is the season of mangoes.
Grapes in Maharashtra
In Maharashtra, particularly in Nashik, the “Wine Capital of India,” and in Sangli, Satara, and Ahmednagar, grapes are widely available. Persian invaders brought grapes to India for the first time. Visit the vineyards in Nashik for the freshest grapes, whether in fruit form or as fine wine. Along with Satara, Beed, and Latur, the district has been chosen as one of the best locations by eminent winemakers like Sula, York, and Zampa. Every February, the Grape Harvest Festival is held in Nashik to mark the start of the season for crushing grapes, which lasts until April. Nashik is home to the well-known Sula and Vallonne vineyards. In most places, in addition to picking the fruit, you can also have fun stomping grapes. The grape season runs from January to May.
Kinnow in Punjab
In Panjab, areas like Abohar, Fazilka, Hoshiarpur, Muktsar, and Bathinda are home to thousands of hectares of lush kinnow orchards. This high-yield variety of mandarin fruit can yield 1,000 fruits on a single tree. Among other things, this fruit can be used to make cakes, hot winter drinks, and squashes. You can also visit farms like Citrus County in Hoshiarpur to experience kinnow picking. The harvest season lasts from late October to early February.
Uttarakhand has peaches, plums, and apricots
Numerous plum, peach, apricot, pear, and apple orchards can be found in Ramgarh, Uttarakhand, also known as the “Fruit Bowl of Kumaon.” Popular with tourists, especially those from Delhi and the surrounding areas, it offers a variety of orchards and homestays where you can enjoy the summer as well as the recently harvested harvest. While this is going on, the Mukteshwar, Nainital, Almorah, and Bageshwar regions are equally stunning and have fresh food. Along with peaches and apricots, local fruits like Ghingaru, Kilmode, and Dadim are also grown here. Mukteshwar’s Sitla is a peaceful lodging option in the midst of these orchards. May through August is the harvest season for these fruits.
Strawberries in Meghalaya
Strawberries are renowned for their prolific cultivation in the small village of Sohliya in the Ri Bhoi district, where nearly every home grows the fruit on its own land. In fact, it is this village that is credited with starting the strawberry revolution in the state. Every year on February 14, the communities of Sohliya and Umsning host a strawberry festival where guests can pick and savour the delicious harvest as well as sample strawberry wine, ice cream, and other treats. There, you might even discover the perfect way to observe your subsequent Valentine’s Day. The fruit represents love in the eyes of the Meghalayan people. January through March is the strawberry harvest season in Meghalaya.
Pineapples in Manipur
Manipur is the leading producer of pineapples in India and is known for its verdant farms and pineapple festivals. A pineapple festival is held in Churachandpur, the state’s main pineapple-producing region, in late August or the first week of September. Particularly in the village of Thayong, there are a lot of lush pineapple farms. March through September is the season of pineapples in Manipur.
Strawberries in Karnataka
Strawberry farming is a relatively new practice for farmers in Karnataka. But over time, it has gained popularity due to the high demand. Regions like Chikkaballapur and Rajanukunte near Bengaluru, which are typically known for growing grapes, grains, and silkworms, have started growing strawberries as well. If you live in or close to Bengaluru, you can visit Wholesome Farms, a 20-acre farm in Marathi Palya, to pick strawberries. Strawberries are harvested from November to March.
Lychees in Bihar
The aromatic and delicious Shahi lychees are a specialty of Muzaffarpur, the “Lychee Kingdom” of India. They are known for having the most pulp and are exported throughout the country. You can select these delicious fruits from a range of farms and orchards in the districts of Vaishali, Samastipur, Champaran, and Begusarai. May through June is the harvesting season of lychees in Bihar.
Apricots in Ladakh
Apricots, also known as chulli in Ladakhi, have been grown extensively in the area for the past century or so. Raktsey Karpo, known as the “world’s sweetest apricot,” is also frequently grown here organically. Additional varieties include the Halman, Safaida, Lakste-karpo, and Khanteh. It can be used to improve the flavour of mutton dishes by being added to jams, pickles, and other foods. Pick the ripest apricots at the Apricot Village Homestay in Tsogsti. July through September is the season of the apricot harvest.