Why September Is the Best Month to Buy Fruit at Costco

As a working parent, my free time is limited. And with our daughter playing two sports each season, that means a lot of my free time is spent on the soccer field or basketball court. Since I find grocery shopping to be pleasurable—and dare I say, relaxing?—that chore falls on my to-do list each weekend. Even though I don’t buy all of my groceries at Costco, I buy a lot of staples there, as well as a good amount of our fruit. And it’s time I share a secret with you—September is hands-down the best month of the year to buy fruit at Costco. Here’s why. 

Not only are typical summer fruits like berries still going strong at great prices, but Costco also has an interesting variety of melons that I haven’t found at my other local supermarkets. I’ve bought Tuscan melons so fragrant that their aroma lingered in my car (in a good way) for days. Last week, I put a new-to-me melon—Hami—in my cart, and I’m glad I did. It has the same peachy hue as a cantaloupe but an almost crunchy texture. The fall crop of strawberries is in, and they taste amazing. And you can still find pristine dozens of plums, peaches and nectarines.

But since it’s September, fall flavors are back like a steaming PSL. Crunchy, fragrant apple pears—commonly known as Asian pears—have returned. While you can usually find a crate of mangoes there year-round, they seasonally stock my favorite mango variety, honey, or champagne at certain times of the year—including the fall. I started buying Bartlett pears at Costco two years ago, and I was thrilled to see that those were back as well—they’re the most consistently delicious pears I’ve ever bought. There are multiple varieties of apples, from Gala to SugarBee. And last time I shopped, there were several varieties of grapes, plus a new crop of sweet and juicy clementines. And figs are back, too!

Plus, there is the fruit that Costco always stocks. Their organic bananas are a steal at $2.49 for a 3-pound bunch. I try to keep their lemons and limes in stock at home since they (amazingly) always yield tons of juice. And they almost always have golden and green kiwi, a must for keeping regular.

Even though we’re a family of three, we are all big fruit eaters, so we typically don’t have any issues getting through the larger Costco quantities before they go bad. We prioritize eating what is most perishable first. Plus, I incorporate fruit into recipes frequently. Massaged Kale Salad with Grapes & Cheddar is a favorite (and even turned our daughter’s kale-hating friend into a fan). We love making pizza with sliced pears and crumbled gorgonzola. And fruit desserts like crisps, crumbles and cobblers, as well as smoothies, are perfect for using up anything I bought too much of.

So if you’ve bypassed the produce department at Costco, focusing mostly on pantry and frozen items, give it a little more attention next time you go. I hope you’ll fall in love with it like I have.