Welcome to our new series where we’ll let you know what fruit and vegetables are market fresh this week, give you handy storage tips and recipes to make the most of seasonal produce.
Stone fruit is usually in season in Australia from November through to April when the heat helps the fruit develop its characteristic sweet flavour.
Basically a peach without the fur, nectarines – or ‘nectar of the Gods’ – have smooth yellow, orange or red skin and either white or yellow juicy flesh.
Originating in China some 4000 years ago, nectarines can either be eaten firm and crunchy or allowed to ripen to become soft, juicy and lower in acid.
Yellow nectarines will reveal superior eating qualities when they yield slightly to gentle palm pressure and can taste both sweet and tart, while their white counterparts are sweet when they are still firm and crunchy. Both types will express more juice as the fruit softens.
For most cultivars, white speckles around the tip of the fruit are the best indicator of fruit sweetness.
Nectarines are rich in fibre and antioxidants and may offer protection against certain chronic diseases including obesity, heart disease, type 2 diabetes and cancer. The fruit is also a good source of copper and niacin (B3) and provides smaller amounts of other vitamins and minerals.
A bright red blush colour with undertones of light orange mean nectarines are almost ready to eat, they won’t be ready if the undertones are too green. Ripe nectarines are softer than the unripe fruit, but don’t have a long shelf life; choose firm, not-quite-ripe fruit and allow them to ripen at home in the sun.
Look for nectarines which are medium-to-large in size, which will be the juiciest and have the sweetest flavour.
You can store fresh nectarines in three ways - at room temperature, in the fridge or the freezer:
Room temperature: if your nectarines are not quite ripe yet, store them in a dry place on the kitchen counter and let them ripen at room temperature. Keep them in a fruit bowl or brown paper bag. The paper bag will contain the fruit’s ethylene gas and help your fruit ripen faster. Almost ripe nectarines will keep on the counter for two to three days as they ripen.
Fridge: if you have ripe nectarines but you don't want to eat them right away, store them in the fridge to slow down the ripening process and keep them for longer. Keep your ripe fruit in an open paper bag or plastic bag so that they can breathe. Nectarines will keep in the fridge for three to five days depending on how ripe they are when you put them in the fridge. If their skin starts to prune or go mushy, they have turned bad.
Freezer: you can freeze nectarines to keep them for up to six months. Freezing is a great method if you plan to use nectarines later in desserts like cobblers, pies, or smoothies. Peel and slice your nectarines into quarters and discard the peel and stones. Wash the slices in a mixture of water and lemon juice to prevent the freshly cut fruit from browning.
Lay the nectarine quarters in a single layer, spaced out evenly on a parchment paper-lined baking sheet and place them in the freezer for two hours. Remove the baking sheet and transfer the flash-frozen slices to a freezer bag or airtight container.
Tips for cutting nectarines:
Insert paring knife blade into the stem end of the nectarine until the knife touches the stone. Run the knife around the nectarine.
Remove paring knife and gently twist the two nectarine halves to pull them apart.
Remove the stone using the tip of the paring knife and discard. Slice the nectarine to the desired thickness.
Here are three recipes for you to enjoy nectarines this week at home:
This is a great starter for Christmas Day or a long New Year’s Eve lunch with family and friends, best paired with a cheeky peach cocktail. This recipe also works nicely with prosciutto or smoked salmon.
This delicious salad featuring succulent chicken breast, sweet nectarines, brown rice and creamy bocconcini is perfect for a light dinner or easy work lunch.
A beautiful Summer salad with fresh barramundi fillets, mango and nectarine...ideal for a balmy Summer evening with a glass of wine in hand.
