A machine and method for recognizing and orienting fruits, especially peaches, for their automatic pitting, the machine has a fruit flight conveyor (1) up to a cutting station (6) in which a vertical cutting plane is provided, the fruit flights (4) being shaped with a number of recesses (7) in which fruits (P) are positioned with fruit suture plane thereof, containing a suture line (ls), being arranged vertically. A fruit recognizing station (8) is suitable to detect the position of the vertical suture plane, and to calculate an angle (α) between the suture line (ls) and the cutting line (lt), or to communicate information of non-detection. An orientation station (16) is adapted to receive information on the dihedral angle, and to control a respective gripping unit (17) to grip and rotate a fruit to a final position, or to remove from the fruit lane.