By Debra Morris–
There’s no better reminder that summer is here than to see juicy California stone fruit like peaches, nectarines, plums, and apricots appear at the farmers’ market. California is the largest producer of stone fruit in the U.S. In fact, California produces over 90 percent of the nectarines and plums grown in the U.S. and provides approximately 60 percent of all the peaches. Stone fruit gets its name from the large seed or “stone” inside and includes peaches, nectarines, plums, apricots, pluots, and apriums. They’re available from May to October.
Peaches and Nectarines: ‘Freestone’ vs. ‘Clingstone’
Freestone peaches and nectarines have flesh that slips easily away from the pit; clingstone fruits do not. Most peach varieties are freestone and are available April through October. Some nectarines are freestone and some are clingstone. Freestone nectarines are available in June and July. Most plum varieties are clingstone.
Plums
There are two types of plums—European and Japanese. Most plums produced in California are Japanese plums, with a distinctive round shape and dark color. European plums are more elongated in shape and have a mottled appearance with purple and green skin tones.
Pluots and Apriums
First introduced in 1989, pluots and apriums are unique crosses of plums and apricots. Pluots are smooth skinned, like plums, while apriums are slightly fuzzy, like apricots, but they have unique flavors and higher sugar levels than the standard varieties. The new fruits are complex hybrids of plums and apricots that are created by making several generations of crosses and selecting desirable traits such as high sugar content.
Apricots
The apricot, a native of China, has been cultivated for over 4,000 years. The first recorded commercial production of apricots in America was in 1792, south of San Francisco. A relative of the peach, the apricot is smaller and has a smooth, oval pit that falls out easily when the fruit is halved.
Selecting and Storing Stone Fruit
Look for fruit that is soft, gives to gentle palm pressure and has a sweet aroma. The best indicator of high-quality fruit is color. Ripen firm peaches, plums, or nectarines in a paper bag, folding the top over loosely, and keeping it at room temperature for 1–3 days. Check the fruit daily.
Tip: Never place firm, or unripe, fruit in the refrigerator as it may inhibit the ripening process and can cause the fruit to become dry and mealy, and lose flavor.
You’ll find fabulous stone fruit in varieties that can’t be found at your local grocery store from farmers like Allard Farms in Westley and Ken’s Top Notch out of Fresno.
Peach Salsa
2 pounds peaches, pitted and diced
1 large tomato, diced
½ medium red onion, diced
1 sweet pepper, diced
2–3 sprigs cilantro, finely chopped
1 lime, quartered
pinch of salt
Wash all your produce and your hands! Remove pits and dice the peaches. Dice sweet pepper. Using a serrated knife, dice the tomatoes. Put ingredients into a bowl. Add the juice of ¼ lime, salt, 1–2 tablespoons red onion, and 1–2 teaspoons cilantro, and stir, tasting as you go. Adjust flavor by adding more lime and salt, and add more onion or cilantro, if desired. Like it spicy? Use a jalapeño instead of sweet pepper in whatever quantity you enjoy.
Debra Morris is a spokesperson for the Pacific Coast Farmers’ Market Association (PCFMA). Check out the PCFMA website for recipes, information about farmers’ markets throughout the region and for much more: https://www.pcfma.org/
This Month at the Farmers’ Market
Published on June 8, 2023
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