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Navigate the tasty array of Valley stone fruit

Posted at 06:08 PM on Tuesday, Jun. 15, 2010

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Ever wonder about the differences between a plumcot and a pluot? Or do you need tips for selecting the best peaches?

During California's stone fruit season, these are burning questions. After all, the state grows 95% of the nation's nectarines and plums, and about 66% of the nation's peaches, according to the California Tree Fruit Agreement.

The state also is home to at least 95% of the country's hybrid fruits, such as pluots, apriums and plumcots, says Eric Gaarde of Fruit Dynamics Inc., a Fresno lab that analyzes and evaluates tree fruit.

And most of the state's stone fruit for the fresh market is grown in the San Joaquin Valley, Gaarde says.

That's good news for us, but it also means we have to navigate through all the available choices. So here's a guide to selecting and storing all of that fruit.

Start here, then head to some of the stone-fruit events this summer. You can also discuss your favorite fruit -- such as Fay Elberta peaches and Blenheim apricots -- at fresnobeehive.com, the Bee's entertainment blog.

Selecting fruit

The best way to get delicious fruit is to taste samples before buying, says Jeremy Lane, president of RIPENOW, a Fresno-based delivery service for fresh fruit.

Some folks only want juicy, softer fruit, while others like a crunchier texture. Likewise, some prefer a sweet-tart flavor instead of strictly sweet fruit. So taste, taste, taste.

Storage

Blossom Bluff Orchards in Parlier gives its customers a guide with these general tips: When you get home, don't automatically place your fruit in the refrigerator. Instead, line up the fruit on the kitchen counter and examine each piece.

Very gently handle the fruit at its so-called shoulders, the wide, rounded part of the fruit near the stem end. If it yields a little to gentle pressure, then the fruit is ripe. At this point, it can be refrigerated for just a few days. For the best flavor, bring the fruit back to room temperature before eating.

If the fruit still is too hard, then leave it on the counter to ripen. "Don't stack the fruit, because if one piece of fruit ripens and begins to go bad, it will spread quickly to any fruit it is touching," the guide says.

Plums

Most plums have smooth, tart skin and sweet flesh. The skin becomes less tart and the flesh becomes sweeter as the fruit ripens, according to the California Tree Fruit Agreement.

California plums grown for the fresh market generally are Japanese plums, which have a round shape. Harvest season is between May and September.

When buying, avoid plums that are too soft or too hard, Aliza Green writes in "Field Guide to Produce: How to Identify, Select, and Prepare Virtually Every Fruit and Vegetable at the Market" (Quirk Books, $14.95). Allow them to ripen at room temperature until the skin loses its shine.

Peaches

Known for their fuzzy texture, peaches are divided between two types: yellow-fleshed peaches and white-fleshed peaches.

Generally, yellow-fleshed peaches are softer when ripe and have a sweet-tart taste. They are available April to October.

White-fleshed peaches are still crunchy when ripe and have less tartness. They are harvested between April and August.

When buying, check the stem end of a peach, Green writes. It should be yellow or cream-colored. Don't buy peaches with greenish shoulders, or ones with bruises. Also check for shriveled skin at the stem end, a sign of overripe fruit, she adds.

Nectarines

Like peaches, nectarines are either yellow- or white-fleshed. Yellow-flesh nectarines are available between April and August, while the harvest for white-flesh nectarines lasts May-August.