Opuntia ficus-indica (L.) Mill. is a widespread crop in many countries with a sub-tropical climate, where it represents a valuable source of food and feed. Its fruits are appreciated for their nutritional and nutraceutical composition. The species can re-flower after a complete removal of flowers and immature fruits. Therefore, it provides two main yields in summer and autumn. When partial pruning is applied, the plant produces progressive out-of-season ripening. In the present study, we compared the morphological and physicochemical composition of five harvests carried out in the south of Sardinia (Italy) from August 2022 to March 2023. According to principal component analysis, most of the morphological, physical, and chemical parameters showed significant differences among the harvest periods. Fruit fresh weight ranged from 177.5 ± 6.9 g to 218.7 ± 6.3 g of fruits collected in December and March, respectively. A decrement in pulp weight was evident in fruits from March (−30%) with the highest percentage of water content, but the winter fruits (from January) did not show any significant differences in pulp weight (133.9 ± 6.1 g) when compared to those of October (135.2 ± 3.9 g). Antioxidant activity was high in December and January with the highest level of polyphenols in January (1115.2 ± 38.7 mg GAE/L), when a significant amount of glucose and fructose was also found. This study provides basic information on morphology, physical traits, bioactive compounds, and antioxidant capacity of cactus pear fruits from progressive out-of-season harvests as prospects for commercial diversification and health-promoting consumption. © The author(s), exclusively licensed to Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, a part of Springer Nature 2025.

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