How Are Seedless Fruits Actually Created?

Removing seeds from fruits is one of the most tedious tasks in the kitchen—aside from husking corn, peeling garlic, or hulling a pineapple. Those tiny, bitter seed pockets are usually essential for plant reproduction, but they can be a nuisance when they fill up the flesh of a watermelon, lemon, or mandarin orange. Still, it’s worth the effort—almost.

Thanks to innovations in farming and a bit of luck, we now have seedless varieties of many beloved fruits. Remarkably, these varieties retain the same great flavor, texture, and juiciness as their seeded counterparts.

“Seedless lemons offer convenience for home cooks and bakers, helping save valuable time in the kitchen,” says Zak Laffite, president of Wonderful Citrus. (The Wonderful brand currently offers a range of seedless options, from lemons and limes to Texas red grapefruit and the kid-friendly Halos mandarins.)

We caught up with Laffite to explore the fascinating world of seedless fruit and discuss the future of this growing industry.

How to Cultivate Seedless Fruit

The method for producing seedless fruit can vary between different types, but the common thread is a process called parthenocarpy, which is the growth of fruit without fertilization.

Normally, fruit forms after a flowering plant is pollinated—thanks to bees and other pollinators—resulting in seed development. However, in rare cases, mutations occur that lead to fruit growing without fertilization and without seeds. Farmers have learned to harness these rare occurrences and encourage the growth of seedless plants using specialized farming techniques.

“For example, to create more seedless lemon trees, an Australian farmer took a bud from an existing seedless lemon tree and grafted it onto the rootstock of another tree,” explains Laffite. “This technique, known as grafting, involves joining parts from two plants so they grow together as one,”

“This method led to the creation of a new variety, known as ESL2,” he adds, pointing out that this technique is not limited to just lemons.

It’s crucial to note that seedless fruits are not genetically modified organisms (GMOs). Instead, they are the result of harnessing a natural but rare occurrence: preventing fertilization to influence future growth, and then applying modern techniques to optimize the process. Over time, and with precision, companies like Wonderful are able to produce enough to satisfy the demand from millions of seedless lemon enthusiasts.

However, cultivating seedless plants is far from simple. It often involves years of trial and error. For instance, seedless oranges might need nets to keep bees away, and watermelons may undergo chromosome doubling, sometimes using a chemical called colchicine (which still isn’t classified as a GMO), to produce the desired seedless fruit.

Do Seedless Fruits Taste Different?

There’s no conclusive scientific evidence to suggest that seedless fruits taste any better or worse than their seeded counterparts, although some believe that seedlessness contributes to a fruit’s plumper, sweeter taste.

The idea that seedless fruits are plumper makes sense—more flesh means more juice. However, the sweetness is likely influenced by the timing of harvest and how far the fruit has traveled.

Flavor can be influenced by adjusting various farming techniques, which is why we see so many different versions of familiar fruits like apples, or even unique, market-friendly varieties like cotton candy grapes. However, don’t expect a significant change in taste with a typical seedless fruit. If it tastes different, it’s probably a trick of your mind.

When Are Seedless Fruits Available?

While seedless fruits can generally be enjoyed throughout much of the year, the supply doesn’t always meet the demand. Some, like seedless watermelon, are available year-round. However, seedless lemons are a newer addition to the market and remain seasonal for now.

“As lemon trees mature, we plan to offer them year-round and expand our distribution,” says Laffitte. “It has taken years to refine our growing techniques and acquire enough orchards to produce the quantity needed to bring this variety to market.”

Wonderful's main goal for the next five years is to boost production volume, which should make seedless fruits more accessible and more widely available in grocery stores across the country.

When life hands you lemons, make them seedless and skip the hassle of prepping for cooking, baking, cocktails, or even just snacking.