Looking for fruits that start with H? This alphabet foods guide covers the familiar, the unusual and the ones you might only spot in specialist shops or on your travels. Some are everyday supermarket buys, such as honeydew melon and Hass avocado, while others, like hala fruit or huito, are much harder to find in the UK.

You will also find a few named varieties here, because plenty of fruit names beginning with H are cultivars rather than completely separate species. That still makes them useful for quizzes, school projects, menu planning or simply widening your fruit bowl without spending more than you need to.

Fruits That Start With H: Quick List

Here is a quick reference list of H fruits covered in this guide:

• Hackberry
• Hala fruit
• Hami melon
• Hardy kiwi
• Haskap berry
• Hass avocado
• Hawthorn berries
• Hayward kiwi
• Heirloom tomato
• Highbush blueberry
• Himalayan blackberry
• Hog plum
• Honeyberry
• Honeycrisp apple
• Honeydew melon
• Horned melon
• Huckleberry
• Husk tomato
• Hyuganatsu
• Hachiya persimmon
• Haruka citrus
• Huito
• Hottentot fig
• Hawaiian mountain apple

Popular Fruits Beginning With H

These are the H fruits you are most likely to recognise, buy or cook with in the UK.

Honeydew Melon

Honeydew melon is one of the easiest fruits that start with H to find in UK supermarkets. It has pale green flesh, a smooth rind and a sweet, gentle flavour. It is lovely chilled, cubed into fruit salad or wrapped with cured ham for a simple starter.

Money-saving tip: whole melons are usually better value than prepared melon chunks. Cut it yourself, store it in an airtight container and use within a few days.

Hass Avocado

Hass avocado is technically a fruit, even though it is usually treated as a savoury ingredient. It has dark, pebbly skin and creamy green flesh. It works in salads, guacamole, toast toppings, smoothies and even chocolate mousse.

To avoid waste, buy avocados at different stages of ripeness. Keep firm ones at room temperature, then pop ripe ones in the fridge to slow them down.

Honeycrisp Apple

Honeycrisp is a crisp, sweet-tart apple variety. It is especially popular for eating fresh because of its juicy snap. It can be pricier than standard apples, so look for it when on offer or buy loose if your supermarket allows it.

For cheaper alternatives with a similar crunch, try seasonal British apples such as Braeburn, Jazz or Gala when they are good value.

Hachiya Persimmon

Hachiya persimmon is an acorn-shaped variety of persimmon. It needs to be fully soft before eating, otherwise it can taste unpleasantly astringent. Once ripe, the flesh becomes sweet, silky and almost jam-like.

Use very ripe Hachiya persimmons in porridge, yoghurt bowls, cakes, smoothies or spooned straight from the skin.

Hayward Kiwi

Hayward kiwi is the classic fuzzy green kiwi found in many shops. It is tangy, juicy and high in bright flavour, making it useful in lunchboxes, fruit salads and breakfast bowls.

If you spot a reduced pack of firm kiwis, they are often worth buying. Leave them at room temperature until they soften, then refrigerate to extend their usable life.

Berries and Small Fruits That Start With H

Several fruits beginning with H are berries or berry-like fruits. Some are common, while others are regional or foraged.

Huckleberry

Huckleberries look rather like small blueberries, though the flavour can be more intense and slightly tart. They are strongly associated with North America and are not a regular UK supermarket fruit.

They are used in pies, jams, syrups and sauces. If a recipe calls for huckleberries and you cannot get them, blueberries or bilberries are the easiest swaps.

Haskap Berry

Haskap berries are also known as honeyberries. They are long, blue-purple berries with a tangy flavour that can sit somewhere between blueberry, raspberry and blackcurrant. They grow well in cooler climates, so they are becoming more familiar to gardeners and small fruit growers.

Use haskap berries in compote, crumbles, muffins, jam or stirred through yoghurt.

Honeyberry

Honeyberry is another name for haskap berry, but it is worth listing separately because you may see either name on plants, jams or frozen fruit. Despite the sweet-sounding name, honeyberries often have a pleasant sharpness, which makes them good for cooking.

Hawthorn Berries

Hawthorn berries, sometimes called haws, grow on hawthorn trees and hedges. They are small red fruits that have traditionally been used to make jellies, fruit leathers and sauces.

Food safety note: do not eat wild berries unless you can identify them with complete confidence. Avoid picking from polluted roadsides, wash foraged fruit well, and be aware that hawthorn berries contain hard seeds that should not be chewed.

Highbush Blueberry

Highbush blueberry is the type most commonly grown commercially. It starts with H because of its growing habit rather than its everyday fruit name. These plump blueberries are easy to use in pancakes, muffins, overnight oats and smoothies.

Reduced grub tip: blueberries freeze well. If you find a yellow-stickered punnet, pick out any damaged berries, freeze the rest on a tray, then bag them up for smoothies and baking.

Himalayan Blackberry

Himalayan blackberry is a vigorous blackberry species found in several parts of the world. The fruit is edible when ripe and resembles the blackberries many of us pick from hedgerows.

As with all foraged fruit, correct identification matters. Ripe blackberries should be dark, soft and come away easily from the plant.

Hackberry

Hackberries are small fruits produced by trees in the Celtis genus. They have thin flesh around a hard seed and a sweet, date-like flavour when ripe. They are not a common commercial fruit in the UK, but they are edible and have been used historically in different parts of the world.

Tropical and Unusual H Fruits

These fruits that start with H are less common in everyday UK shopping, but they are useful to know for food trivia, travel and adventurous cooking.

Hala Fruit

Hala fruit comes from the pandanus tree and is found in parts of the Pacific. It has a striking segmented appearance, almost like a large pineapple made up of wedges. The edible parts can be fibrous and are used in different ways depending on local tradition.

It is not something you will usually find in UK supermarkets, but it is one of the most distinctive fruit names beginning with H.

Horned Melon

Horned melon, also called kiwano, has orange spiky skin and bright green jelly-like flesh. The flavour is mild, often described as a mix of cucumber, banana and lime. It looks dramatic on a fruit platter and can be scooped out with a spoon.

Because it is usually imported and sold as a speciality fruit, it can be expensive. Buy one for presentation rather than bulk eating.

Hog Plum

Hog plum is the name used for fruits from Spondias species, including tropical fruits eaten fresh, pickled or cooked into chutneys and sauces. The flavour can be tart, so it is often paired with salt, chilli or sugar.

You may come across hog plum in Caribbean, Latin American, West African or South Asian food contexts, though availability in the UK varies.

Huito

Huito, also known as jagua, is a tropical fruit from Central and South America. It has been used for drinks, preserves and traditional colouring. It is not a common eating fruit in the UK, but it belongs on a comprehensive H fruits list.

Hawaiian Mountain Apple

Hawaiian mountain apple is a bell-shaped tropical fruit with glossy red skin and crisp, watery flesh. It is related to rose apple and is eaten fresh in places where it grows. The flavour is light and refreshing rather than intensely sweet.

Hottentot Fig

Hottentot fig is the fruit of a coastal succulent also known as sour fig or ice plant in some regions. The fruit can be eaten when ripe and has a tangy, salty-sweet character. It is better known in parts of South Africa and coastal areas than as a UK shop-bought fruit.

Melons, Citrus and Orchard Fruits Beginning With H

Some H fruits are varieties within bigger fruit families, especially melons, citrus and orchard fruits.

Hami Melon

Hami melon is a sweet melon variety associated with China. It often has crisp, juicy flesh and a fragrant flavour. If you enjoy cantaloupe or galia melon, Hami melon is worth trying when available.

Serve it chilled, sliced into wedges, or diced with lime juice and mint.

Hyuganatsu

Hyuganatsu is a Japanese citrus fruit. It is pale yellow, aromatic and gently sweet-tart. Unlike many citrus fruits, part of the white pith is often eaten with the flesh because it can taste milder than expected.

It is specialist produce in the UK, so look for it through Japanese grocers or seasonal import suppliers.

Haruka Citrus

Haruka is another Japanese citrus fruit. It has yellow skin and a sweet, delicate flavour when ripe. It is not widely available in standard UK shops, but citrus fans may spot it through specialist retailers.

Hardy Kiwi

Hardy kiwi is a small, smooth-skinned relative of the familiar kiwi fruit. It can be eaten whole without peeling. The flavour is sweet and kiwi-like, and the fruit is sometimes grown in UK gardens in sheltered spots.

If you grow your own, pick them when mature and allow them to soften indoors for the best texture.

Heirloom Tomato

Tomatoes are botanically fruits, and heirloom tomatoes are older, open-pollinated varieties grown for flavour, colour and character. They can be red, yellow, green, purple or striped.

Heirloom tomatoes are excellent in salads where their flavour can shine. They can be costly, so use them simply with salt, pepper, olive oil and herbs rather than hiding them in a heavily cooked sauce.

Husk Tomato

Husk tomato is a name used for small fruits in the Physalis family, including tomatillos and ground cherries. They grow inside papery husks. Tomatillos are usually green and tangy, while ground cherries are sweeter and more golden.

Use tomatillos in salsa verde, soups and stews. Sweet ground cherries work well in fruit salads, jams and bakes.

Best H Fruits for UK Shoppers

If you are trying to save money, it helps to know which H fruits are realistic everyday buys and which are occasional treats.

Practical Ways to Use H Fruits

A few simple ideas can help you use these fruits before they spoil:

• Freeze berries: huckleberries, haskap berries, honeyberries and blueberries can be frozen for smoothies and baking.
• Make a melon box: chop honeydew or Hami melon and keep it chilled for quick snacks.
• Turn soft fruit into compote: simmer berries or ripe persimmon flesh gently with a splash of water and a little sugar if needed.
• Use avocado before it turns: mash ripe Hass avocado with lemon juice and freeze in small portions for guacamole-style dips.
• Add citrus to savoury dishes: Hyuganatsu or Haruka citrus can brighten salads, fish dishes and noodle bowls if you manage to get hold of them.
• Swap smartly: if a recipe calls for a rare H fruit, use a similar affordable fruit. Blueberries can replace huckleberries, standard kiwi can replace hardy kiwi, and ordinary melon can replace Hami melon.

Storage Tips for Fruits That Start With H

Good storage reduces waste and keeps your fruit tasting better.

• Melons: keep whole melons at room temperature if uncut. Once cut, cover and refrigerate.
• Avocados: ripen at room temperature, then refrigerate when ripe. Add lemon or lime juice to cut avocado to slow browning.
• Kiwis: ripen firm kiwis at room temperature. Store ripe ones in the fridge.
• Apples: keep in the fridge for longer storage, away from delicate fruit that ripens quickly.
• Berries: refrigerate and wash just before eating where possible. Remove mouldy berries promptly.
• Persimmons: leave Hachiya persimmons at room temperature until very soft, then eat soon after ripening.

FAQs About Fruits That Start With H

What is a common fruit that starts with H?

Honeydew melon is one of the most common fruits that start with H in the UK. Hass avocado, Hayward kiwi and Honeycrisp apple are also fairly familiar.

What tropical fruit starts with H?

Hala fruit, horned melon, hog plum, huito and Hawaiian mountain apple are tropical or warm-climate fruits beginning with H.

Is avocado a fruit?

Yes. Avocado is botanically a fruit, even though it is usually used in savoury dishes. Hass avocado is the variety most commonly sold in UK supermarkets.

Are hawthorn berries edible?

Hawthorn berries are edible when correctly identified and properly prepared, but they contain hard seeds that should not be chewed. Only forage if you are completely confident with identification, and avoid fruit from polluted areas.

What fruit starting with H is best for children?

Honeydew melon, kiwi and apples such as Honeycrisp are easy options for children because they are sweet, colourful and simple to serve. Cut fruit into age-appropriate pieces.

Which H fruits are best for baking?

Huckleberries, honeyberries, haskap berries, highbush blueberries and Hachiya persimmons are all good for baking. Apples such as Honeycrisp can also be used in cakes and crumbles, though cheaper apple varieties may be better value.

What can I use instead of huckleberries?

Blueberries are the easiest substitute for huckleberries. Bilberries, blackcurrants or a mix of blueberries and raspberries can also work, depending on the recipe.

What is the cheapest fruit that starts with H?

Honeydew melon is often one of the best-value H fruits, especially when bought whole. Hass avocados can be good value when on offer, but only if you use them before they over-ripen.