Hood River Fruit Season: A Month-by-Month Calendar

The Hood River fruit season runs from the first cherries of early summer, usually June into July, to the last pears and apples of November, with September the peak for pears. Orchards climb the slopes beneath Mount Hood, and ripening shifts from year to year with the weather, so every date is a usual window and a call to the farm stand settles it.

Here is the calendar, what the Saturday farmers market and the loop of farm stands add, and how a rating that names the fruit and the week turns your visit into advice.

When is the Hood River fruit season at its sweetest?

Cherries are the first tree fruit of summer and are usually in the market from June into July. Later-ripening varieties can carry on into August. The sweet, dark kinds go first, the yellow-red kinds follow. A farm that closes its u-pick after cherries has done its season, so call ahead if you want to pick your own.

When do Hood River peaches come in?

Peaches and other stone fruit follow cherries, from late July into September in a normal year. Buy them slightly firm and let them soften on the counter, because a tree-ripe peach bruises in a bag. A fruit stand will often sell seconds, which are perfect for jam, cobbler and baking.

When is the Hood River pear harvest?

Pears are the valley's pride and ripen from August through November, with September the peak. Anjou, Bosc and Bartlett are the common varieties, and each has its use: Bartlett for eating and canning, Bosc for baking and poaching, Anjou for everything. Pears are picked hard and ripen after picking, so buy a few days before you want to eat them, and keep them out of the fridge until they give at the neck.

What about Hood River apple cider?

Apples run from late summer into autumn, with early heirloom varieties such as Gravenstein ahead of the main harvest. The valley's cideries and farm stands press fresh juice in autumn, and the area has a recognized cider trail. A glass of fresh apple cider and a warm donut is the most seasonal snack you will find. The breweries and ciders guide covers the drinks side.

What does the Saturday farmers market add?

The Hood River Farmers Market meets weekly in a downtown lot through the growing season, with a winter season after. It is the one place that gathers the growers in a single morning, with fruit in its peak week.

How do you choose a week to visit?

For cherries, the middle of June to mid-July. For peaches, August. For pears and apples, the second half of September. For cider and a quieter loop, October. If you can only come once, late September offers pears, apples, pumpkins and a good chance of sunshine. The Fruit Loop guide shows the stands.

Why do ratings with the week matter?

Because fruit is a moving target. A rating that says "the Bartlett pears, a Saturday in late August, ripe and sweet" is worth more than any chart, since it tells you exactly when the fruit was good. Name the fruit, say the week and add tags such as Farm Producer, Market Stall, Vegan and Family Friendly. Over a few seasons, those notes build the calendar this page can only sketch.

How do you keep your own calendar?

Open the Mosey app and rate each stand or market stall as you go. Save them in a list called Hood River fruit year, with sections for Cherries, Pears and Apples. Share it with friends who plan a trip. The Friends' picks layer on the map is useful here: switch to it before a drive and the places the people you follow rated or saved near the valley come forward. Places new to Mosey are added, and we'll check their details.

What practical points are worth knowing?

Carry cash for roadside stands, a cooler in summer and boxes for the trunk. Be gentle with the fruit, and respect the orchard rules about ladders and rows. Weekend traffic on the loop can be slow. For where to eat afterward, see the breakfast and bakeries guide. More places are in the US food guides.

What do you cook with the fruit? Keep recipes short. Cherries want a tart or a clafoutis, or nothing at all. Peaches suit grilling, cobblers and a simple salad with fresh cheese. Pears poach beautifully in wine or syrup and slice thinly over salad. Apples bake into pies, crisps and sauce, and the soft ones are best pressed for cider. If you cannot cook, buy a jar of preserves and a loaf of bread, and let the orchard do the work.

Who picks the fruit? Families, seasonal workers and growers who have farmed the valley for generations. Harvest is hard work, and the stands that sell fruit by the road are run by people who also run the orchards. Be patient with a stand on a busy Saturday, and thank the person who hands you a bag of pears.

For the rest of the state, start at the Food in Oregon page.

When you taste the best pear of the year, download the Mosey app, rate it by name and share your list with someone planning next September.