Synonymous with the summer months, stone fruit is now bang in season and perfect for warm summer days.
Also known by their botanical name, drupes, stone fruits tend to have thin skins that may be fuzzy or smooth, covering a fleshy centre that encases a stone or pit.
They have two classifications – they are either clingstone or freestone, depending on how easily the flesh pulls away from the seed.
Peaches, nectarines, plums, apricots, mangos and cherries are all members of the stone fruit family. What may surprise you, is that mulberries, blackberries, and raspberries are also stone fruits! As are olives, coconuts and dates!
Eating them fresh needs no introduction, but they’re so versatile. Use them in desserts, salads, relishes, smoothies, sauces and loads of baking applications.
Today, we look at some of the deliciously sweet stone fruits that we supply.
Stone Fruit at Four Seasons
Flat Peaches
Also known as the Donut Peach or
the Saturn Peach, amongst many
other names, it’s flatter than its
spherical counterpart but equally
soft, juicy and sweet.
Apricots
With their soft, velvety skin that ranges from pale yellow to deep orange, apricots are a fantastic mixture of tartness and sweetness, so they’re versatile and can be used in many dishes.
Nectarines
Nectarines are a variety of smooth
-skinned peach, without the fuzzy
skin.
Smooth and firm outside, juicy
white/yellow flesh on the inside.
Mangos
Sweet and juicy with soft, fibrous flesh and tropical taste, mangos are delicious eaten fresh but they’re also versatile – from simple smoothies to spicy curries, sauces and stunning summer tarts.
Plums
Plums can be red, purple, blue-black, red, green, yellow or amber, with their flesh coming in hues of yellow, green and pink and orange.
Did you know, that a prune is actually a dried plum?
Peaches
The skin of a ripe peach is fuzzy with soft, sweet and juicy flesh which ranges in colour from white to yellow or orange. Use in salads, tarts, desserts, sauces and more.
Dates
With a sweet, rich, deep flavour and a sticky, slightly chewy texture, dates are packed with nutrients – used in salads, baking, smoothies, stews or as a simple, tasty snack.
Blackberries & Raspberries
While their name implies they are berries, blackberries and raspberries are actually aggregate fruits in the stone fruit family. Each raspberry or blackberry is a drupelet, or cluster of tiny drupes, each of which contains a single seed.
We hold a daily stock of all of these products when in season – for pricing and ordering please talk to your Account Manager – alternatively, you can call us on 01793 683299 or email: orders@fsfruit.co.uk
