Tips for Buying - Summerfruit SA | Summer Stonefruit of South Australia

Tips for Buying the Best Stonefruit

Purchasing seasonal peaches, nectarines, plums and apricots from your local supermarket, farmer's market or fruit shop is an excellent way of helping to keep you and your family happy and healthy, so here are a few simple tips to help you make the right choice when buying stonefruit.

Selection

Australian stonefruit is available between October and April each year. By purchasing your stonefruit during this time you can be sure that you are getting the very best locally grown fruit and that you are also supporting local growers and local jobs.

Step 1: Look

The sweetest stonefruit are colourful. Apricots can vary from yellow to orange with some having a red ‘blush’. Nectarines and peaches also vary, with combinations of yellow, orange and red. Plums come in a range of colours ranging from black, blue/purple, red, green to pale yellow. Plums can also have a ‘blush’ which is a normal feature of particular varieties. Full coloured plums are generally ready to eat. Stonefruit may have small surface marks or blemishes which do not affect the eating or keeping quality of the fruit. However, good fruit should be free of bruises and skin cuts.

Step 2: Touch

When buying stonefruit, skip the squeeze (it can bruise the flesh)! Instead, cup it in your hand gently to see if the fruit has any ‘give’.

Step 3: Taste

Once you have purchased your fruit and taken it home, place it in your fruit bowl at room temperature. When it has softened to your liking, enjoy!

Once the fruit is soft, you can place all or some into the fridge to extend its life.

Step 4: Ripening Tips

If you want your stonefruit to ripen quickly, place your fruit in your open fruit bowl with some bananas on top of it. Bananas release ethylene which naturally speeds up the ripening process.

Buyers Guide

Apricots

Fresh, ripe apricots are irresistible. Apricots have a fresh, crisp yellow or orange flesh texture and are freestone. Apricot flavours range from slightly tart to very sweet and all are delicious when ripe.

White Flesh Peach

Some white flesh peaches are sweet when still firm and crunchy and they can be enjoyed that way or allowed to soften. Other white peach varieties are most flavoursome when soft. White fleshed peaches can vary in taste from mild to stronger and are known for their sweetness.

Yellow Flesh Peach

Some yellow flesh peach varieties are sweet when still crunchy but most are sweet once soft. Yellow flesh peaches are known for their aromatic peach flavours.

White Flesh Nectarine

Some white flesh nectaries are sweet when still firm and crunchy and they can be enjoyed that way or allowed to soften. Other white flesh nectarine varieties are most flavoursome when soft. White fleshed nectaries can vary in taste from mild to stronger and are known for their sweetness.

Yellow Flesh Nectarine

Yellow flesh nectarines are best enjoyed when soft and juicy. The flavour of yellow flesh nectarines can be either sweet or slightly tart.

Plums

Plums can have red, yellow or white flesh. The different flesh colours have their own distinct flavours. Plus are best enjoyed when soft.

If in doubt as to how you should treat a particular variety of stonefruit, feel free to contact us.

Summerfruit SA

Formally South Australian Fresh Fruit Growers Association – is pleased to welcome you to our website. Our endeavour is to encourage everyone to eat more delicious summer stonefruit by providing you with as much information as possible on how to source, buy, store and cook tasty summer stonefruits grown in the Riverland.