fruits that are green inside includes some of the most amazing fruits in the world. These fruits will show you the unique colors inside them. The colors are the result of that fruit’s special skin pigment called chlorophyll. Chlorophyll is a photosynthetic pigment, which means it enables plants to convert light into chemical energy through a process called photosynthesis. These fruits all have a color difference between their skin and flesh.
Green Fruits With Their Name and Picture (Identification)
Green fruits come in all shapes and sizes. The most common types of green fruits are apples, pears, and green grapes. Some examples of green fruits with sour sharp taste include limes, gooseberries, sour plums, and the unusual cucamelon. Varieties of green tropical fruits with delicious taste include breadfruit and jackfruit. There are also green fruits like avocado and cucumbers that we tend to think of as vegetables.
Green fruits are not only delicious, but they are incredibly healthy. Like most fruits, green fruits are packed with vitamins, minerals, and fiber, essential for good health. But green fruits and vegetables also contain significant amounts of chlorophyll, vitamin K, folate, and lutein. These minerals support your cardiovascular and immune systems.
What are some of the best green fruits to consume? This article has a list of small green fruits, spiky green fruits, large green exotic fruits, and uncommon fruits.
Types of Green Fruits: Introduction
Types of green fruits are divided into five categories. There are drupes, pomes, berries, citrus fruits, and pepo. Among these categories are tropical fruits with an exotic taste, and fruits that we usually classify as vegetables.
For example, green olives are a type of drupe because they have a fleshy structure that surrounds a large stone. Cucumber is a type of green fruit that grows on a vine and is classed as a berry or pepo. Apples and pears are common types of pomes.
Types of Common Green Fruits
Let’s look at common green fruits that you can grow in your garden and are readily available in stores.
Green Apples (Malus domestica)
Green apples
Green apples are the classic green fruit that most people think of. Some kinds of apples develop shades of blushing red when they are ripe. However, many apple varieties are various shades of green when ready to eat. Green apples typically have waxy skin that surrounds crunchy white flesh.
Apples are a type of pome that grows on trees. Round green apples usually have a tarter taste than red apples. Because they are less sweet, many green apple varieties are ideal for eating off the tree or using in cooking. Their fresh, crunchy flavor goes well with salty, savory food like mature cheese or adds freshness to a sandwich.
Here is a list of some popular green apples:
- Granny Smith—These green apples have a tart, almost sour taste, crunchy flesh, and a waxy shine. Granny Smith apples are ideal for use in baked goods, like the traditional apple pie.
- Newtown Pippin—This heirloom green apple has firm flesh with a tart to sweet flavor. Like the Granny Smith, Pippin apples are excellent cooking apples.
- Crispin (Mutsu)—The sizable Japanese apple has a yellowish-green skin surrounding the firm, crunchy flesh with a sweet flavor.
- Golden Delicious—The classic green apple has a pale green color that may have hints of yellow. Golden Delicious apples are famous for their crunchy, sweet white flesh.
Related reading: Types of crabapple trees.
Pears (Pyrus)
Green pears
There are thousands of pear varieties, many of which have smooth green skin, sometimes with hints of redness and a distinct shape. Pears generally have a wide, bulging base, and the fruit tapers to the stem end. When ripe, the white pear flesh is generally soft and juicy with a sweet taste.
The variety of pears determines the texture of the flesh. Some pears have crisp, firm flesh that is ideal for poaching. Other pear varieties are soft, with melt-in-the-mouth flesh that is exceptionally juicy. Comice pears are generally the sweetest green pears.
Another type of pear is the Nashi pear or Asian pear. These pears are small round golden green fruits or pomes that are ideal for snacking. Nashi pears have the shape of an apple and have light green to yellowish skins surrounding white flesh.
Nashi pear (Asian pear)
Related reading: Types of ornamental pear trees.
Green Grapes (Vitis)
Green grapes
Green grapes are small green berry fruits that grow in bunches on vines. Green grapes are typically referred to as “white” grapes. A grape usually has an ellipsoid shape. However, some varieties of green grapes are round, or they can be ovoid-shaped. Thompson seedless grapes are the most commonly consumed green grapes in the US.
Common green grape varieties include the following:
- Mustang grape—A type of sour grape that is commonly used for making jellies, pies, and grape juice.
- Muscat grape—Small round green grapes with a whitish substance on the light green skin.
- Champagne grapes—Tiny, pea-like green fruits with a sweet taste and firm skin.
Types of Sweet Green Fruits
Although many green fruits are sweet, a few types of green fruits are famous for their sweet, juicy flesh.
Honeydew Melon (Cucumis melo)
Honeydew melons
The honeydew melon is a large round, green fruit with a pale yellowish-green skin and light green sweet flesh. Green honeydew melons are round to oval-shaped and usually measure 6” to 9” (15 – 22 cm) across. The inner pale green flesh of this delicious fruit surrounds clusters of many yellowish-brown seeds.
Tasty honeydew melons have a high-water content, consisting of 90 percent water. Honeydew melons are some of the sweetest melons you can find. The taste is like yellow cantaloupe melons, without the musky aftertaste. Honeydews are consumed in fruit salads, smoothies, or on their own.
Mexican Sour Cucumber (Melothria scabra)
Mexican sour cucumber (mouse melon, pepquino, cucamelon)
Although called a “sour cucumber,” the Mexican miniature watermelon has a sweet taste when completely ready to eat. The green oval fruits look like miniature watermelons and are the size of grapes. Like other plants in the cucurbit family, the small green fruits grow on vines.
Other names for the Mexican sour cucumber include mouse melon, pepquinos, cucamelon, or Mexican sour gherkin.
Sweet Green Oranges (Citrus reticulata × sinensis)
Sweet green orange
The sweet green orange is an unusual green citrus fruit because it has a rind like a lime fruit but orange flesh like an orange. The bright green, thick skin covers sweet orange segments. The delicious exotic green fruit is a citrus hybrid that tastes like a tangerine.
In warm regions, sweet green oranges stay green until they are ripe. In temperate climates, the citrusy rind turns partly green and partly orange, or it can be completely orange.
Types of Sour Green Fruits
Many varieties of green fruits have a distinct tart taste. Here are a few types of sour green fruits.
Limes
Limes
Limes are round green citrus fruits with a sour taste that makes your lips pucker. Green limes are typically slightly larger than a golf ball, measuring 1.2” to 2.4” (3 – 6 cm) in diameter. The thin green rind covers light green citrus segments. Compared to lemons, limes have a more bitter flavor.
Most varieties of limes, such as Key limes (Citrus aurantiifolia), have a smooth green skin that becomes yellowish when ripe. Limes are common ingredients in pies, like the Key lime pie, or chutneys like lime pickles in Indian cuisine.
Here are some other varieties of limes:
Bearss lime (Citrus × latifolia)
Bearss lime (Persian lime)
Also called the Persian lime, this round or oval green citrus fruit is larger than a Key lime and has thicker green skin. Bearss limes have a sweeter taste than the popular Mexican limes (Key limes). Persian limes measure 2.4” (6 cm) in diameter.
Kaffir Lime (Citrus hystrix)
Kaffir limes
The Kaffir lime is a small round green fruit with bumpy skin. Kaffir limes tend to be relatively acidic and bitter and don’t produce much juice. Kaffir limes are usually used in cooking, where the citrus peel is used to flavor Thai curries. The bumpy green fruits measure 2” (5 cm) in diameter.
Finger Limes (Citrus australasica)
Finger lime
The finger lime is an unusual green edible fruit because it has a thick, slightly bumpy skin, cylindrical shape, and contains juicy pearl-like balls. Because of the round juice vesicles in the green citrus fruit, finger limes are also called “lime caviar.” The green citrus fruits are 1.6” to 3.1” (4 – 8 cm) long with a tapering point.
Sour Green Plums
Sour green plums
Sour green plums are round drupes with a firm, tart green flesh, covered by shiny green skin surrounding a white stone. Sour plums are usually too tart to eat fresh. Instead, the red and green variety of these sour drupes is used in cooking to create sauces, relishes, and compotes or added to stews to create a sour flavor.
Ugli Fruit (Jamaican Tangelo)
Ugli fruit (Jamaican tangelo)
The appropriately named Ugli fruit is a strange-looking citrus fruit with a bumpy light green skin that turns yellow as it ripens. The Ugli fruit is about the size of a grapefruit and has a pear shape. The juicy flesh tastes sourer than an orange but sweeter than a grapefruit.
The Ugli fruit is also called Uniq fruit and is a natural hybrid of a tangerine and pomelo. Therefore the unusual fruit is also called tangelo. The ugly green fruit’s botanical name is Citrus reticulata × paradisi.
Gooseberries
Gooseberries
Gooseberries are small round or oval green fruits with an exceptionally tart taste. Gooseberries can be red or yellow fruits, but they are typically light green with almost transparent skin. The flesh of gooseberries is soft, containing several tiny seeds. Gooseberries grow on small thorny bushes. The small oval green berries measure 0.5” (1.2 cm) long.
Types of Bumpy Green Fruit
Osage orange (Maclura pomifera)
Osage oranges
The Osage orange is a round green fruit with distinctive bumpy skin. Osage oranges are about the size of a baseball, measuring 4” – 5” (10 to 13 cm) in diameter. The fruit’s rough surface is a yellowish-green color and covers a juicy yellow flesh. Although the Osage orange is said to taste like cucumber, it’s rarely used for eating.
Green Osage oranges are not related to citrus fruit. Instead, the round bumpy fruits grow on a shrub-like tree in the mulberry family. Other names for the Osage orange include hedge apple or horse apple.
Avocado
Avocados
Avocado is a green, pear-shaped fruit that typically has a dark-green bumpy skin and grows on trees. However, some avocado varieties have smooth, bright green shiny skin. Although in culinary terms it’s used as a vegetable, avocados are botanically a large berry. Typically, the dark green fruits measure between 3” and 8” (7 – 20 cm) long.
Depending on the variety, the avocado’s outer skin can be purple, black, brown, or green when ripe. The leathery, bumpy skin covers buttery green flesh and a large stone in the middle. An avocado is ripe when the fruit yields slightly when squeezing it.
Custard Apple (Annona cherimola)
Custard apple
The custard apple or custard fruit is a weird green fruit with thick, leathery, bumpy skin that looks like a sizable cone-shaped apple. The bumpy skin looks like knobby warts or overlapping scales. The edible fruit has a creamy flesh and is eaten by scooping the flesh of the sweet fruit out from the skin.
If eating a custard apple raw, it’s important to remember that every single black seed in the flesh contains toxins that can be poisonous.
Green Fruits For Your Garden
Growing green fruits is an excellent way to get more nutrients into your diet.
As well as being highly nutritious, these fruits also look great growing in the garden.
Here are 10 beautiful green fruit plants to plant in your garden.
Most of these plants can be grown vertically or in containers, so they’re ideal for small gardens, courtyards and even balconies.
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10 GREEN FRUIT PLANTS
1. Grapes
There are many different varieties of green grapes that can be grown on a trellis or pergola.
Thompson seedless are ideal snacking grapes that are also great for making raisins.
Another good option is cotton candy grapes, which have a sweet candy-like taste.
Grape vines grow best in full sun and they need regular pruning to control the size of the vines.
2. Avocados
Avocados are one of the most beautiful green fruits and they look great on the tree.
As well as looking good, they’re also packed with nutrients including folate, vitamin C, potassium and monounsaturated fat.
Avocado trees grow best in warm tropical or subtropical climates but there are some varieties that can tolerate cooler temperatures.
If you don’t have room for a full size avocado tree you can plant a dwarf avocado variety in a large container.
3. Apple
Granny smith apples are one of the most popular green apple varieties and they’re ideal for cooking.
Most apple trees need another tree nearby for pollination so if you have limited garden space it’s best to get a self-pollinating variety so you’ll get fruit with only one tree.
Dwarf apple trees can be grown in containers in a sunny spot in the garden.
4. Pear
Pears are popular green fruits that are considered easier to grow than apples because they’re less susceptible to pests and diseases.
Most pear trees aren’t self-pollinating so you’ll need two trees to get a crop of fruit.
Pear trees are frost hardy during winter while the trees are dormant but they need protection from frosts when there are flowers on the trees.
5. Nashi pear
Nashi pears, also called Asian pears, are small round fruits that are ideal for snacking.
They grow on compact trees that reach 12 to 20 feet (3 to 6 metres) tall, so they’re ideal for small gardens.
Nashi trees are easy to care for and will grow well in most climates and soil types.
6. Kiwi fruit
Kiwis are small fruits that are fuzzy and brown on the outside and green on the inside.
They grow on long vines that can reach up to 20 feet (6 metres).
Kiwis are ideal for vertical gardens and they can be grown on a trellis, pergola, fence or arbor.
7. Gooseberries
Gooseberries are another type of green fruit that can be grown as a bush or trained to grow on a trellis.
The small green berries can be sweet or sour and the plants are self-fertile so you only need one plant to produce fruit.
It’s a good idea to cover gooseberries with bird proof netting to stop the birds eating the berries before you get a chance to pick them.
8. Honeydew melons
Honeydew melons have a cream colored exterior and light green flesh on the inside.
They have a long growing season and it takes between 65 to 100 days for the melons to mature.
You can start honeydew melon seeds indoors about 3 weeks before the last frost of the season and plant them out in the garden once the weather has warmed up.
31 Tasty Green Fruits (Pictures & ID)
For many, the color green conjures up images of lush landscapes and fresh produce. But, did you know that green can also be found in fruit? In fact, a majority of the citrus fruits we eat today are green on the inside!
If you are looking to learn more about different types of green fruits, read on. We’ll explore over 10 fruits that are harvested in different seasons.
List of green fruit names
1. Green Apples
Green apples were first produced in the 1700s. They are considered to be a cross between a Golden Delicious apple and a Granny Smith.
The apple’s skin is green and the inside of the apple is golden yellow.
These apples are a favorite among children because they taste sweet and sour.
It has been said that “An apple a day keeps the doctor away” due to its nutrients such as Vitamin C and fiber, which help keep us healthy.
2. Avocado
The avocado is a fruit which is green in color and grows on a tree. It is oval or pear-shaped and has smooth, thin skin which can be peeled off.
The inside of the fruit has a creamy texture with a big seed at its center.
Avocados have been cultivated in Mexico since 7000 BC and spread from there to other countries.
For example, they are grown in California and Florida today. This fruit is often used in salads, baked goods, and dips
3. Persian limes
Every summer, in the Persian Gulf region, the lime season comes in full force. It is also much smaller then the common limes that are well known today.
The persian lime can be used extensively in cooking for its sourness to balance out sweet flavors.
It can be used in drinks like lemonade or iced tea, or it can be added to food like meat or eggs. The Persian lime is often referred to as the “true lime”.
4. Green Grapes
Grapes are fruit that come in all colors and green grapes are usually sour and unripe. The grape plant has been around since the time of the ancient Greeks, and it is one of the most popular fruits today.
The green grapes can be eaten at any time of year, but they won’t taste as good as their ripe counterparts.
They have a sweet taste with a tart aftertaste, ranging from semi-sweet to very sour. Grapes are harvested during the summer or early fall season and are well known for their health benefits.
5. Green Mangoes
A staple in Asian countries, the green mango are used to make ice cream, candies, and juices. This large, juicy fruit comes from the tree of the same name.
The sweet-sour flavor is complemented by a juiciness that bursts in your mouth with every bite.
The green mango typically sits between 3-6 inches long and can be eaten just as it is or added to dishes for flavor, texture, and even color.
6. Green Oranges
One of the most well-known symbols for environmentalism is the word “green” written in white text. Recently, green has become synonymous with healthy, especially in regard to food.
Green oranges are just one way that people can buy food that’s both environmentally friendly and healthy.
7. Pears
Pears are a type of fruit that is usually light green in color. Pears are related to apples, but they are smaller and more delicate.
They are round and oval-shaped with pointed ends. Pears are ripe when they start to soften, and they can be eaten raw or cooked.
Pears are great for making pear sauce, which is made by boiling the peeled pears in sugar water, cider vinegar, or white wine.
8. Green gooseberry
The green gooseberry is a green fruit with an oval shape. It is also called the “gooseberry cucumber” because of its resemblance to the cucumber.
This fruit has a sour, almond-like taste. The taste of the fruit is sour and it can be eaten fresh or made into jams.
9. Kiwi fruit
Kiwis are full of vitamin C and potassium, with no fat or cholesterol. Kiwi fruit tastes best when it is at its peak ripeness, so it should be eaten right away after purchase if not refrigerated.
They have a mild, sweet flavor and are high in vitamin C. They can be eaten whole, peeled, cubed, sliced, or made into a juice or smoothies.
They are also used in savory dishes like tartar sauce, Asian fruit salad, and chutney.
10. Greengage plums
Greengage is a fruit with a greenish skin. It is also known as the “true medlar” and it is harvested in September.
Its flesh has a strawberry-like flavor and it’s often used in conjunction with other fruits such as plums, apricots, and peaches.
The greengage fruit can be found at most stores during this time of year because it’s so popular for use in jams and jellies.
11. Honeydew melon
The honeydew melon is a green, juicy fruit that is sweet and juicy on the inside. They are shaped like a cantaloupe but have a smoother exterior.
Honeydew melons are best eaten in the summer time, when they are ripe. These melons are often used in salads or as a dessert.
For example, here is a good combo you can try – honeydew melon salad is typically made with avocado, cucumbers, red onion, tomatoes and lime juice.
12. Pomelo
The pomelo is a large, oval shaped fruit that is orange or yellow in color. It’s also called the tree grapefruit due to its color and grapefruit-like flavor.
It has a thick, hard skin with an inner fleshy pulp. The pomelo is grown in tropical climates around the world including Southeast Asia, Africa, and Australia.
It can be used to make desserts because of its sweet citrus flavor. It’s also commonly eaten raw as well as used for marmalade and other preserves.
13. Soursop
Soursop is a green spiky fruit that comes from the family of Annona. The name soursop comes from the sour and sweet taste it has.
It resembles the shape and size of a grapefruit, but has a warty skin, and soft, custard-like flesh. The flesh contains many large, black seeds.
14. Bread fruit
Most people around the world know breadfruit as a staple food in many Pacific Islands, but few realize that it is also a healthy fruit that can be eaten by those who are gluten-intolerant.
Breadfruit is a delicious and versatile fruit that can be used to make anything from desserts to main dishes.
15. Durian Spiky Green Fruit
Durian has a very distinct, strong odor and flavor. The taste of durian is often described as “slightly sweet and spicy.”
The texture of the fruit is creamy and rubbery. Those who have tasted the fruit have strong opinions either for or against it.
16. Jackfruit
The fruit of the jackfruit tree is an oval shaped green fruit with a thick yellow skin. Inside the fruit are eighteen to twenty-five seeds that are each surrounded by a white fleshy substance.
The inside flesh is sweet and has a strong flavor of pineapple. Jackfruit trees grow to be 18-25 meters tall. It can be used in a variety of dishes; from dips to desserts.