Different Types of Fruits with Pictures

The modern produce section can be overwhelming. Beyond the standard apples and oranges, you'll find: • Dozens of apple varieties with different colors, textures, and flavors • Exotic tropical fruits you've never seen before • Specialty stone fruits and berries • Unusual citrus varieties • Heirloom and heritage fruit varieties Without knowing what to look for, it's easy to: • Miss out on trying delicious new fruits • Buy the wrong variety for your intended use • Choose unripe or overripe fruits • Confuse similar-looking fruits with very different flavors This guide pairs high-quality descriptions with identification tips, helping you recognize fruits and choose the best ones. Plus, we've linked each fruit category to our AI tool—snap a pic, and get instant ID results with complete information.

Apples are one of the most diverse fruits, with over 7,500 varieties worldwide. Here are 12 popular ones you'll find in stores: 1. Honeycrisp: Large, red-speckled with yellow undertones. Exceptionally crisp and juicy with balanced sweet-tart flavor. Best for fresh eating. 2. Granny Smith: Bright green with occasional pink blush. Very tart and crisp. Perfect for baking (holds shape well) and balancing sweet dishes. 3. Gala: Small to medium, red-orange with yellow stripes. Mild, sweet flavor with low acidity. Great for snacking and kids. 4. Fuji: Large, red with yellow-green background. Very sweet and crisp. Excellent for fresh eating and salads. 5. Pink Lady (Cripps Pink): Pink-red with yellow background. Tart-sweet balance with fizzy, effervescent texture. Great all-purpose apple. 6. Golden Delicious: Yellow-gold skin. Mild, sweet, and soft. Best for applesauce and baking. 7. Red Delicious: Deep red, elongated shape. Mild, slightly sweet. Best fresh (loses texture when cooked). 8. Braeburn: Red-orange with green background. Crisp, spicy-sweet flavor. Excellent for baking and fresh eating. 9. Jonagold: Red-yellow striped. Sweet-tart, honey-like flavor. Great for pies and crisps. 10. McIntosh: Bright red with green patches. Soft, juicy, slightly tart. Best for applesauce (breaks down easily). 11. Cosmic Crisp: Dark red with white lenticels (spots). Extremely crisp, sweet with slow browning. New variety perfect for fresh eating. 12. Ambrosia: Red-pink blush over yellow. Honey-sweet, low acid. Great for fresh eating and fruit salads. How to tell if apples are ripe: Apples are picked ripe, so focus on firmness (should be hard with no soft spots) and color (should match variety characteristics). Sniff the stem end—ripe apples have a pleasant, slightly sweet aroma.

Stone fruits contain a hard pit (stone) in the center and are prized for their juicy, sweet flesh: Peaches: • Appearance: Fuzzy skin, yellow-red or white-pink flesh varieties • Ripeness: Should yield slightly to pressure, smell sweet and fragrant • Signature Flavor: Sweet, juicy, floral notes • Best Use: Fresh eating, grilling, cobblers, preserves Nectarines: • Appearance: Smooth skin (like a peach without fuzz), similar coloring • Ripeness: Slight give when pressed, sweet aroma at stem end • Signature Flavor: Sweeter and firmer than peaches with slight tanginess • Best Use: Fresh eating, salads, salsas Plums: • Appearance: Many varieties—purple, red, yellow, green. Size ranges from small to large • Ripeness: Should give slightly to pressure, dusty bloom on skin (natural coating) • Signature Flavor: Ranges from very sweet to tart depending on variety • Best Use: Fresh eating, baking, jams, drying (prunes) Cherries: • Appearance: Sweet cherries are larger, deep red to almost black. Sour cherries are smaller, bright red • Ripeness: Plump, glossy, firm but not hard, with green stems attached • Signature Flavor: Sweet cherries are candy-like; sour cherries are tart • Best Use: Sweet for fresh eating, sour for pies and preserves Apricots: • Appearance: Small, golden-orange with velvety skin • Ripeness: Should give slightly to pressure, deep orange color, sweet aroma • Signature Flavor: Sweet-tart, slightly floral • Best Use: Fresh eating, drying, jams, baking

Citrus fruits offer incredible variety in size, flavor, and use: Oranges: • Navel: Seedless, easy to peel, sweet. Best for fresh eating. • Valencia: Juicy, some seeds. Best for juicing. • Blood Orange: Red flesh, berry-like flavor. Great for salads and desserts. Lemons: • Eureka: Classic bright yellow, available year-round • Meyer: Sweeter, thinner skin, golden color. Great for desserts and cocktails. Grapefruits: • Ruby Red: Pink-red flesh, sweet-tart • White/Yellow: Pale flesh, more bitter Limes: • Persian (Common): Larger, seedless, available year-round • Key Lime: Smaller, more aromatic, seeds. Traditional for Key lime pie. Specialty Citrus: • Kumquat: Tiny, eaten whole (sweet skin, tart flesh) • Pomelo: Largest citrus, mild and sweet, thick rind • Mandarin/Tangerine: Small, easy-peel, very sweet • Clementine: Seedless mandarin variety, extremely easy to peel • Blood Orange: Red flesh, berry notes • Yuzu: Aromatic, tart, used for zest and juice in Asian cuisine Ripeness for citrus: Should feel heavy for their size (indicates juice), firm with slight give, and have fragrant skin when scratched.

Strawberries: • Appearance: Red, heart-shaped, seeds on outside • Ripeness: Uniform red color, green leaves fresh, sweet aroma • Signature Flavor: Sweet-tart, juicy • Use: Fresh, preserves, desserts Blueberries: • Appearance: Small, blue-purple with silvery bloom • Ripeness: Deep blue color, firm but not hard, dusty coating intact • Signature Flavor: Mildly sweet, slightly tart • Use: Fresh, baking, smoothies, drying Raspberries: • Appearance: Red (most common), also black, golden, or purple varieties • Ripeness: Deeply colored, hollow center, no white or green areas • Signature Flavor: Sweet-tart, delicate • Use: Fresh, preserves, desserts Blackberries: • Appearance: Black-purple, larger than raspberries, glossy • Ripeness: Deep black color (not red), plump, slightly soft • Signature Flavor: Sweet with earthy notes • Use: Fresh, pies, cobblers, jams Cranberries: • Appearance: Hard, round, deep red • Ripeness: Bounce test—fresh cranberries bounce • Signature Flavor: Very tart, rarely eaten raw • Use: Sauces, juices, baking, drying

Mango: • Appearance: Oval, skin ranges from green to yellow to red (variety dependent) • Ripeness: Yields to gentle pressure, sweet aroma at stem end • Signature Flavor: Sweet, tropical, creamy texture • How to Eat: Cut around pit, score flesh, scoop or peel Pineapple: • Appearance: Golden-brown scales, spiky green crown • Ripeness: Yellow eyes at base, sweet smell at bottom, leaf pulls easily • Signature Flavor: Sweet-tart, tropical, juicy • How to Eat: Cut off crown and base, slice off rind, remove core Papaya: • Appearance: Oblong, skin turns from green to yellow-orange when ripe • Ripeness: Yellow skin, yields to pressure, sweet aroma • Signature Flavor: Sweet, musky, melon-like • How to Eat: Cut in half, scoop out seeds, eat flesh or dice Dragon Fruit (Pitaya): • Appearance: Bright pink or yellow skin with green scales, white or red flesh • Ripeness: Bright color, slight give when pressed, no brown spots • Signature Flavor: Mildly sweet, kiwi-like texture • How to Eat: Cut in half, scoop out flesh or peel and dice Rambutan: • Appearance: Golf ball-sized, red with soft green-yellow spines • Ripeness: Bright red spines (not brown), no black spots • Signature Flavor: Sweet, similar to lychee, juicy • How to Eat: Twist to open, remove white flesh from seed Lychee: • Appearance: Small, rough red-pink shell • Ripeness: Shell should be bumpy but not dried out • Signature Flavor: Sweet, floral, grape-like • How to Eat: Peel shell, remove translucent flesh, discard seed Star Fruit (Carambola): • Appearance: Yellow-green, 5-pointed star shape when sliced • Ripeness: Yellow with brown edges on ridges • Signature Flavor: Sweet-tart, crisp, citrus-like • How to Eat: Slice crosswise for star shapes, eat skin and all Passion Fruit: • Appearance: Purple or yellow, wrinkled when ripe • Ripeness: Heavy, wrinkled skin (smooth means unripe) • Signature Flavor: Intensely tart-sweet, aromatic • How to Eat: Cut in half, scoop out seedy pulp

While this visual guide provides an overview, our AI fruit identification tool takes it to the next level: • Instant Identification: Can't remember if that's a nectarine or a peach? Snap a photo and know immediately. • Variety-Specific Info: Not just 'apple'—it tells you if it's a Honeycrisp, Fuji, or Granny Smith. • Ripeness Indicators: Customized for each fruit type and variety. • Nutritional Details: Complete breakdown of vitamins, minerals, and health benefits. • Usage Suggestions: Recipe ideas, preparation methods, and culinary tips. • Storage Recommendations: How to keep it fresh longer. • Fun Facts: Origin, history, and interesting botanical information. Perfect for: • Home cooks exploring new recipes • Parents teaching kids about healthy snacks • Anyone looking to expand their fruit palette • Shoppers who want to make informed, healthy choices Pro tip: Use our tool to identify 'mystery fruits' from your local farmer's market—you might discover a new favorite! Start your visual fruit exploration today, and use our AI scanner whenever you encounter something unfamiliar. The world of fruit is incredibly diverse, and we're here to help you discover it all!