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Summer Fruits
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Peaches
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These members of the stone fruit family are some the easiest produce to choose well. Basically, you want a fruit that is firm but yields slightly to gentle pressure. As for color, just be sure to avoid any that are marked with green. You should also pass on fruit that has been over-handled or bruised; this is easy to spot: the fruit below the bruise will be loose and skin may be broken. You should also be able to detect a sweet aroma from these fruits.
Ripen at room temperature in a loosely closed paper bag. (Ripening softens the fruit, which allows the natural sugar to flow through it.) Refrigerate ripe fruit, unwashed, for up to three days.
The season for nectarines and peaches varies slightly from climate to climate, but they are both ripe in the summer months, with many peach varieties yielding full flavor in August.
Peaches are high in vitamin A and vitamin C. These fruits are also good sources of healthy carbohydrates, which are known to be a vital source of energy for the body.
Nectarines
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A nectarine is really a distinct fruit all its own. The nectarine and the peach are so similar that there is only one gene that separates the two to make them distinct. The nectarine has one recessive gene – the one with the fuzz.
These members of the stone fruit family are some the easiest produce to choose well. Basically, you want a fruit that is firm but yields slightly to gentle pressure. As for color, just be sure to avoid any that are marked with green. You should also pass on fruit that has been over-handled or bruised; this is easy to spot: the fruit below the bruise will be loose and skin may be broken. You should also be able to detect a sweet aroma from these fruits.
Ripen at room temperature in a loosely closed paper bag. (Ripening softens the fruit, which allows the natural sugar to flow through it.) Refrigerate ripe fruit, unwashed, for up to three days.
The season for nectarines and peaches varies slightly from climate to climate, but they are both ripe in the summer months, with many peach varieties yielding full flavor in August.
Nectarines are high in vitamin A and vitamin C and provide beneficial fiber. These fruits are also good sources of healthy carbohydrates, which are known to be a vital source of energy for the body.
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Plums
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The skin color of a plum can range from reddish to nearly black, so it’s not wise to judge on the basis of hue alone. Instead, look for plums that, like other stone fruits, give gently to light pressure, and avoid those that are either too hard or too soft.
Choose plums that are tender to the touch and that have smooth, uniform skin. Look for those that retain the “bloom” a natural powder-like haze covering the fruit, since these are likely to have received the least handling.
When plums are picked before they are ripe, they can be ripened at room temperature, or placed in a paper bag with an unripe banana for a day or two. In the refrigerator, ripe plums keep for about four days.
The large variety of plum on the market, from black plums to red plums, makes this season quite long – from June through October, or so.
Plums are a source of vitamin A and vitamin C and provide beneficial fiber. These fruits are also good sources of healthy carbohydrates, which are known to be a vital source of energy for the body.
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Apricots
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Over four hundred growers produce apricots from orchards covering 21,000 acres in the San Joaquin Valley and northern California. The most prevalent varieties are the Pattersons, Blenheims, Tiltons and Castlebrites. Growers continually experiment with new varieties that deliver sweet, juicy flavor and ship and process well.
Look for plump fruit with as much gold/orange color as possible. Blemishes, unless they break the skin, will not affect flavor. Avoid fruit that is pale yellow, greenish- yellow, very firm, shriveled or bruised.
Ripen apricots at room temperature until they give to gentle pressure. Refrigerate ripe fruit, unwashed, in a paper or plastic bag up to 2 days. Soft-ripe fruit has the best flavor, but must be used immediately.
Apricots are usually available from February through July.
Apricots are one of the best natural sources of Vitamin A, especially when dried. Vitamin A is essential for healthy skin and mucous membranes. Vitamin A is also needed for good sight: insufficient amounts can cause night blindness, impair sight and increase susceptibility to colds and other illnesses.
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Cherries
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Look for firm, plump cherries with green stems. If the stem or skin around the stem is brown, the fruit is not fresh. Highly perishable, wash cherries when ready to eat them.
Bing Cherries are large, plump and juicy. Their glossy skin ranges from garnet to almost black. Cherries do not keep well without their stem, so they must be harvested by hand. They are available May through August.
Rainier Cherries are available for five short weeks in May and June. The Rainier cheery is considered the most delectable of all sweet cherries. Large, sweet and juicy, the Rainier has yellow skin with a pink blush and pinkish-white flesh. The Rainier cherry is grown in California and Washington. Rainier cherries, picked ripe, are highly perishable and must be handled carefully. Buy firm, plump cherries with green stems attached. Cherries should be eaten soon after purchasing.
Keep cherries in a plastic bag in the refrigerator for up to two to three days. Cherries may be frozen with or without their pit, for up to one year. Rinse and dry cherries and place in a zip-seal bag. Remove excess air before sealing.
Generally cherries start coming from California in early May and continue until about the third week in August. Imports are usually available about the third week of November through the end of January.
Cherries are fat-free, sodium-free and cholesterol-free. They are also an excellent source of fiber and vitamin C.
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Grapes
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Grapes are one of the oldest fruits known to man. There are thousands of varieties, shaped either oval or round, with smooth green, red, purple or purple-black skin. Some grapes are seedless, others have several seeds.
Table grapes are often covered with natural bloom, which is a delicate white substance common to many soft fruits such as plums. The bloom protects the grape from moisture loss and decay. Bloom is sometimes mistakenly thought of as dust. When harvesting and pacing grapes, great care is taken not to disturb the grapes’ bloom.
Look for grapes that are plump, full-colored and firmly attached to their stems.
Refrigerate, unwashed, in a plastic bag up to 5 days. To freeze, wash and pat dry. Place a single layer of grapes on a baking sheet. Freeze until solid. Once frozen, pack in airtight freezer containers. Grapes make a great snack, particularly for children..
Grapes are available nearly year-round, depending on variety.
Grapes are fat, saturated fat, sodium, and cholesterol free.
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