Stone Fruit

Stone fruits come in many colorful varieties, all with a thin layer of skin that may be fuzzy or smooth. All stone fruits contain pits (the stone) in the middle. Examples of stone fruit include:

• Apricots
• Cherries
• Dates
• Mangoes
• Nectarines
• Olives
• Peaches
• Plums
• Pluots

Just before eating a stone fruit, rinse under cold water and rub with your hands. You can also take a damp kitchen towel or paper towel and wipe the fruit clean.

SIMMER: Make a quick jam or fruit sauce. Pit and chop 1 pound of stone fruit, place in a sauce pan with ¼ cup water, ½-1 cup sugar, 1 tbsp. of lemon juice and a pinch of salt. Bring bring simmer over medium heat for about 20 minutes, stirring occasionally, until it thickens.. Mash with a potato masher or fork, if desired. Cool completely then store in an airtight container or jar in the refrigerator for up to 3 weeks or in the freezer for up to 4 months.

Store unripe stone fruit at room temperature away from direct sunlight. Brown spots will naturally occur on stone fruits due to sugar collecting at the bottom of the fruit. To avoid this, try rotating your stone fruits each day to evenly distribute the sugars. Very ripe stone fruit should be eaten right away or stored in the refrigerator.