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Home » Spring » April: cooking with seasonal fruit

Modified: May 3, 2022 by Vee

April: cooking with seasonal fruit

The first summer fruits show up this month: cherries and strawberries. Snagging up early season fruits in April can hit or miss on flavor, so I'll go over the best uses for each case.

Citrus is winding down, but if you don't want to let go yet, I have options to use the last of the season bounty, as well as recipes for preserving for later use.

See also: cooking with vegetables in April

Jump to:
  • Strawberries: first of the season
  • Cherries: first of the season
  • Kiwi
  • Citrus fruit - season ends soon
  • Rhubarb
  • Spring cocktails & drinks
  • Preserving citrus
  • More spring resources
Strawberries in April

Strawberries: first of the season

Strawberries are available year round, but have so much more flavor when they are in season. April is peak season for strawberries from Southern California (they actually start harvesting several months earlier but the flavor is mediocre from my experience). The rest of the US harvests strawberries starting mid April, or not until late May for cooler Midwest states.

Some recipes need the best tasting strawberries, and there's no way to get around that. These recipes use fresh strawberries without cooking or soaking them in sugar or alcohol.

strawberry spinach spring rolls by Sweet Peas and Saffron
Strawberry spinach spring rolls
Strawberry tiramisu trifle by Jo Cooks
Strawberry tiramisu trifle
Chocolate covered strawberries by Cooking Classy
Chocolate covered strawberries
strawberry goat cheese bruschetta recipe by Carlsbad Cravings
Strawberry goat cheese bruschetta
Strawberry chocolate shortcake by Beyond the Chicken Coop
Strawberry chocolate shortcake
Strawberry shortcake yogurt bowls by Pinch of Yum
Strawberry shortcake yogurt bowls

But most recipes can turn a bland strawberry into something quite tasty. When strawberries are cooked down into a concentrate, soaked in something flavorful, or mixed with cream and other flavors, the results are great.

Strawberry rhubarb pie recipe by The Wooden Skillet
Strawberry rhubarb pie
strawberry grilled cheese by Roti n Rice
Strawberry grilled cheese
Strawberry spinach salad by Cotter Crunch
Strawberry spinach salad with granola croutons
Grilled balsamic pork tenderloin with savory strawberry compote
Grilled balsamic pork tenderloin with savory strawberry compote
Chocolate covered strawberry eclairs by Love and Olive Oil
Chocolated covered strawberry eclairs
strawberry oreo ice cream recipe by How Sweet Eats
No churn strawberry Oreo ice cream
Boozy roasted strawberry sundae with coconut hot fudge, recipe by Heather Christo
Boozy roasted strawberry sundae with coconut hot fudge
Strawberry banana cream cheese recipe by The Cookie Rookie
Strawberry banana cream cheese

More recipes: The strawberry recipe collection has over 90 recipes including entire sections dedicated to strawberry shortcake, combinations with chocolate, and pairing with floral flavors.

Cherries are in season from mid-spring to mid-summer. Pick the best ones and store them right with these tips (and recipes!)

Cherries: first of the season

Cherry season starts in April and gets into full swing in May and June. If cherries aren't grown near you, the good news is they maintain their quality when shipped (unlike strawberries, which are picked early, to ship while they are hard, sacrificing flavor).

Savory recipes

Spring cherry recipes bring along flavors of fresh herbs, citrus, and cheese. (In summer cherries pair well with peaches, blueberries, and corn.)

Cherry, brie, and bacon grilled quesadilla recipe by Use Your Noodles
Cherry, brie, and bacon grilled quesadilla
Cherry orange chicken salad with candied walnuts recipe by Goldilocks Kitchen
Cherry orange chicken salad with candied walnuts
Cherry caprese salad recipe by California Grown
Cherry caprese salad
Cherry ricotta bruschetta recipe by Kevin is Cooking
Cherry ricotta bruschetta
Grilled cherry, goat cheese, and arugula pizza by Recipe Runner
Grilled cherry, goat cheese, and arugula pizza
Smoked ancho chile steaks with drunken burst cherries & burrata recipe by Half Baked Harvest
Smoked ancho chile steaks with drunken burst cherries & burrata

Sweet recipes

April is the beginning of cherry season and your chances of finding them juicy and ripe are lower than in summer. If you find really flavorful strawberries, make any dessert you want! Otherwise, look for recipes with added sugar or cream (which enhances some of the sweet flavors).

Note that if the center of your cherries aren't dark red, pie filling and sauces will need food coloring or they will look slightly brown (which is ok, too).

Cherry galette with almond crust recipe by The Road to Honey
Cherry galette with almond crust
Black forest tart recipe by Broma Bakery
Black forest tart
Cherry cheesecake recipe by California Grown
Cherry cheesecake
Roasted cherry vanilla ice cream with bourbon & chocolate recipe by the Bojon Gourmet
Roasted cherry vanilla ice cream with bourbon & chocolate
Homemade cherry pie filling recipe by House of Nash Eats
Homemade cherry pie filling
Yogurt parfait with cherries recipe by Jessica Gavin
Yogurt parfait with cherries

More recipes: Look through 80+ cherry recipes, including fun twists on cherry pies, black forest variations, as well as salads and savory options.

Kiwi in April

Kiwi

Unlike most fruit, kiwi continue to ripen after they are harvested (similar to bananas). Kiwi will get softer, sweeter, and more aromatic as they continue to ripen off the vine.

Kiwi are firmer when picked before fully ripening, which means they are durable enough to stand up to shipping long distances. This means when the US kiwi season is over in a few months, we can still get kiwi from New Zealand at a similar quality (their season is opposite of the US).

Korean beef bulgogi (marinated with kiwi) recipe by Jo Cooks
Korean beef bulgogi (marinated with kiwi)
Strawberry kiwi tartlets recipe by Love & Olive Oil
Strawberry kiwi tartlets
Roasted (or grilled) salmon with kiwi salsa recipe by The View from Great Island
Roasted (or grilled) salmon with kiwi salsa
Green smoothie bowl recipe by Kitchen Confidante
Green smoothie bowl
Jerked sriracha roast pork tacos with kiwi salsa verde recipe by Lady & Pups
Jerked sriracha roast pork tacos with kiwi salsa verde
Kiwi lime loaf cake with yogurt by Sugar Salted
Kiwi lime loaf cake with yogurt

More recipes: 25+ kiwi recipes from breakfast to dinner, and happy hour.

Mandarins are in season throughout winter and early spring.

Citrus fruit - season ends soon

Lemons and limes are available year-round at high quality, but other citrus come and go with the seasons. April is the last chance for kumquats, blood oranges and mandarins. Grapefruit are also available this month and into summer.

Salads & appetizers

Look forward to spring with some bright, citrus-y salads and appetizers. They would be especially good if you have warm enough weather to fire up the grill.

Asian chicken salad recipe by Damn Delicious
Asian chicken salad
Roasted asparagus with sautéed shallots & kumquats recipe by Floating Kitchen
Roasted asparagus with sautéed shallots & kumquats
Citrus avocado salad with orange tahini vinaigrette recipe by Half Baked Harvest
Citrus avocado salad with orange tahini vinaigrette
Avocado citrus crunch salad with oat croutons & buttermilk drizzle recipe by How Sweet Eats
Avocado citrus crunch salad with oat croutons & buttermilk drizzle
Grapefruit poppy seed dressing recipe by Running to the Kitchen
Grapefruit poppy seed dressing
Brussels sprout + avocado winter rolls with grapefruit hoisin sauce by Half Baked Harvest
Brussels sprout + avocado winter rolls with grapefruit hoisin sauce

Citrus + meat

Spicy tangerine beef with carrot ribbons recipe by Dinner then Dessert
Spicy tangerine beef with carrot ribbons
Clementine-cinnamon carnitas tacos recipe by Brooklyn Supper
Clementine-cinnamon carnitas tacos
Spicy blood orange chicken wings recipe by Yes To Yolks
Spicy blood orange chicken wings
Grilled swordfish kebabs with citrus herb salsa recipe by Kitchen Confidante
Grilled swordfish kebabs with citrus herb salsa
Smoky blood orange BBQ ribs with avocado butter greens recipe by How Sweet Eats
Smoky blood orange BBQ ribs with avocado butter greens
Cashew chicken with couscous & grapefruit recipe by Foxes Love Lemons
Cashew chicken with couscous & grapefruit

Desserts

Orange olive oil cake recipe by Supergolden Bakes
Orange olive oil cake
Orange sherbert recipe by Vanilla and Bean
Orange sherbert
Kumquat upside-down cake recipe by Alexandra Cooks
Kumquat upside-down cake
Blood orange chocolate-bottom crème brûlée for two recipe by The Bojon Gourmet
Blood orange chocolate-bottom crème brûlée for two
Blood orange, almond, and rosemary shortbread cookies recipe by Floating Kitchen
Blood orange, almond, and rosemary shortbread cookies
Angel food layer cake with whipped coconut cream and grapefruit syrup recipe by How Sweet Eats
Angel food layer cake with whipped coconut cream and grapefruit syrup
Citrus ricotta tart with almond corn flour crust (gluten-free) recipe by Bojon Gourmet
Citrus ricotta tart with almond corn flour crust (gluten-free)
Grapefruit marshmallows recipe by Sugar Hero
Grapefruit marshmallows

More citrus recipes:

  • Blood oranges
  • Grapefruit
  • Kumquats
  • Mandarins
Rhubarb is in season from April through July.

Rhubarb

Yep, rhubarb is a vegetable. However it's treated more like a fruit for culinary purposes, so I've included it here. It's tart flavor balances out sweet desserts as well as adding pizazz to dinner recipes.

Crunchy sweet & sour rhubarb pork with egg fried rice recipe by Rachel Phipps
Crunchy sweet & sour rhubarb pork with egg fried rice
Roasted rhubarb brie sandwich recipe by Fork in the Road
Roasted rhubarb brie sandwich
Rhubarb bread with cinnamon streusel recipe by Food Worth Feed
Rhubarb bread with cinnamon streusel
Rhubarb donuts with rhubarb-orange glaze recipe by Broma Bakery
Rhubarb donuts with rhubarb-orange glaze
Rhubarb bars recipe by Broma Bakery
Rhubarb bars
Savory rhubarb sauce (for meats or pasta) by Recipes from a Pantry
Savory rhubarb sauce (for meats or pasta)

More recipes: Over 50 recipes in this year's rhubarb collection.

Spring cocktails & drinks

Spring brings outdoor weekend gatherings. Try some of these recipes for a seasonal drink.

Rainier cherry mojito recipe by Cookie + Kate
Rainier cherry mojito
Grapefruit-rhubarb gin & tonics recipe by Heather Christo
Grapefruit-rhubarb gin & tonics
Clementine Moscow mules recipe by Yes to Yolks
Clementine Moscow mules
Clementine creamsicle margaritas with chili salt recipe by Yes to Yolks
Clementine creamsicle margaritas with chili salt
Blood orange margarita recipe by Nutmeg Nanny
Blood orange ginger margarita
strawberry pink drink by Half Baked Harvest
Strawberry pink drink (with passionfruit tea)

Preserving citrus

With the citrus season ending, now is your last chance for preserving them. That could mean canning for long-term storage or keeping it simpler with refrigerator or freezer jam.

Clementine jam recipe by The View from Great Island
Clementine jam
Candied kumquats by Simply Recipes
Candied kumquats
Blood orange marmalade, three ways. Recipe by Love & Olive Oil
Blood orange marmalade, three ways
Pink grapefruit & vanilla bean jam recipe by The View from Great Island
Pink grapefruit & vanilla bean jam

More spring resources

  • April produce guide
  • May produce guide
  • Spring vegetable guides: asparagus, artichokes, peas, sweet onions, nasturtium (edible flowers)
  • Harvest calendar by US state

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I do a lot of research about produce to figure out why some fruits & veggies taste good and others bland. I also dig into the science of why some recipes work and others don't. No question goes unanswered, and I'm here to share the results with you.

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