Instructions: Selection: Ripe and ready-to-eat fruit should be firm, yet give to gentle pressure. At room temp, it should have a delicious fragrance. Avoid bruised fruit or fruit wiht brown spots. Some varieties of nectarines have
a natural russeting, which is fine. In peaches, a bright red blush is not an indication of ripeness but of variety.

Fruit that is hard when purchased will soften but usually does not acquire the full flavor of tree-ripened fruit.

Storage: Hard fruit should be ripened at room temp, but not in direct sunlight. Eat ripe fruit immediately or refrigerate it. Ripe fruit sitting
at room temp is quite likely to develop brown rot.

Ideas: Homemade ice cream or sorbet is a wonderful way to capture the essence of full-flavored summer fruit.

Serve tangy plum ice cream with plum sorbets made from differnt varieties.

Serve peach ice crean in cones, with cookies or with fresh berries.

Ripe white-fleshed nectarines and peaches have such delicate flavor that they are best eaten fresh or given the simplest preparation. Try white nectarines sliced, lightly sugared and served with a little raspberry ice cream.

The contrast of tangy skins with sweet, flavorful flesh makes plums perfect
for cooking. Sliced plums work beautifully as the fruit in an upside-down cake. They are also wonderful lightly sugared and baked in a puff pastry tart.

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