Time's ripe for harvesting, enjoying fruits

Persimmons, oranges, cantaloupes, sugarcane and pomegranates­ – there are fruits aplenty to be picked during this harvest season in suburban Jiading District.

Persimmons and oranges

Persimmons and oranges are ripe. It's time to go to the orchards to taste the sweetness of early autumn!

At Lijiang Ecological Park in the Jiading Industrial Zone, oranges are ready to eat. The variety planted in the park is Gongju, characterized by golden fruit color, thin skin and tender flesh.

"This year, because of the late cooling, the oranges ripened late. The size is a little smaller than in previous years, but the taste is not affected, still very sweet," said Shen Yanyan, head of the park.

On the other side of the orchard, persimmons are also hanging on the tree tops, and the heavy fruits have bent the branches. Pick one and gently break it off. The crystal flesh is exposed, making people salivate.

Later, the park also plans to launch persimmon jam and other derivative products.

Address: 3333 Jiazhu Highway

Pomegranates

Round and red pomegranates are pressing down the branches at the Guoguxiang Ecological Agriculture Cooperative in Waigang Town as the best season for enjoying the lantern-like fruit has arrived.

Just peel one open, and the mouth-watering seeds are as red as agate and transparent like crystal.

Four varieties of pomegranate are planted in the cooperative's 30-mu (2-hectare) orchard, with all the trees being transplanted from Huaiyuan County, Anhui Province.

After 3 years of cultivation, they have become adaptable to the local soil and climate, with a total output of up to 10,000 kilograms.

Thanks to high temperature and little rain in the summer, this year's pomegranates are sweeter compared to previous years.

The orchard is now offering on-site picking through mid-November.

Address: Near the west tourist center of Jiabei Country Park

Cantaloupe and sugarcane

The fruits and melons in the Juyuan Orchard are fragrant, in particular cantaloupe and sugarcane.

There are four cantaloupe greenhouses in the orchard and this is a good time to taste the fruit.

There are also two kinds of sugarcane: red peel and green peel. The freshly-squeezed sugarcane juice is really sweet.

Address: 300 meters north of the intersection of Shisheng Road S. and Huyi Highway
Business hours: 8:30am-5pm (no entry after 4pm; closed on Mondays except for holidays)
Tel: 5991 0900