It's Stone Fruit Season: Here's How to Enjoy Peaches, Plums, and More This Summer

Maybe it's the perfectly sweet flavor, or maybe it's the fleeting seasonality, but there's something so special about finding the perfect piece of stone fruit during the summer. Biting into a warm peach or plum ripe from the tree while its juices drip down your hands is a seasonal rite of summer.

There are seemingly endless types of stone fruit and dozens of varieties for each. It's impossible to eat all of them each summer, but that certainly won't stop us from trying. Each year, we inevitably have to say goodbye to those precious fruits, but here are some ideas on how to use them while they're in their prime.

What Is Stone Fruit?

Stone fruit is differentiated from other fruit groups based on very specific scientific classifications. In general, the term stone fruit refers to a group of fruits that contain a single hardened seed, sometimes called a pit or "stone," in the center, according to Nikiko Masumoto, a farmer at Masumoto Family Farm in Del Ray, Calif. Peaches, plums, nectarines, apricots, and cherries are the most widely available and well-known stone fruits, and can all be lumped into this category since they each have a pit in the center. 

Much like how stone fruits are scientifically differentiated from other fruits, each stone fruit variety’s genetic makeup makes it different from the others. Katie Ross of Fishkill Farm in New York's Hudson Valley notes that peaches have a dominant allele that creates their soft, fuzzy coating. Nectarines show the recessive gene that is responsible for their smooth skin.

When Are Stone Fruits in Season?

Each stone fruit has a short peak-season window, which can be hard to predict. Nature has a way of keeping us on our toes. According to Ross, everything from each season's temperature, soil drainage, and stress on the plants can affect that year's harvest. But when everything aligns, each tree can produce hundreds of pounds of fruit. Each individual fruit ripens in its own time over the course of about two weeks.

In general, peaches and nectarines have the longest season. The earliest varieties are usually ready to harvest in early July, while others don't ripen until September. On the other hand, cherries, especially in the Hudson Valley, are at their peak for just two weeks out of the year.

How to Use Stone Fruit

Peaches and nectarines have a very similar flavor profile and can be used interchangeably for the most part. Apricots and plums are milder in flavor, the former providing the palate with a bit more tartness. Cherries can be sweet or sour, depending on the variety, but each is bursting with a juicy, slightly almond-like flavor.

All of these fruits can be served simply as is, or can be baked, roasted, and even pickled. Each fruit can take the sweet or savory route: Here are a few ideas to get you started.

Eating Stone Fruit Fresh

• Pound cake topping: Top thick slices of grilled pound cake or toasted brioche with a dollop of whipped cream or mascarpone cheese and slices of any fresh stone fruit. Dealer's choice.
• Cottage cheese or labneh topping: Nectarines and apricots are particularly nice served over bowls of cottage cheese or labneh with a drizzle of hot honey.
• Yogurt topping: For a rich breakfast, serve peaches, sweet cherries, and granola clusters over yogurt. Alternatively, place the fruits and granola in bowls and pour buttermilk over the top for an elegant take on cereal.
• Icebox pie: Fold a mix of sweet and tart cherries into chocolate or vanilla ice cream, then scoop and serve or spoon into a cookie crust and freeze to make an icebox pie.
• Ice pops: Any stone fruit can be blended with a touch of sugar and frozen into refreshing ice pops.
• With balsamic vinegar and olive oil: Fresh sweet cherries are the perfect accompaniment to equally seasonal tomatoes. Slice a variety and drizzle everything with balsamic vinegar and extra-virgin olive oil.
• Salad toppings: Sour cherries can add a touch of brightness to leafy green salads. Let them marinate in a simple vinaigrette, then scatter them into salads. Toasted almonds would be a delicious addition.
• Pair with beets: Earthy roasted beets play off the sweetness of plums and would taste amazing in a salad together. Apricots would also be a good match.
• With glass noodles: Nikiko likes serving thin slivers of ripe nectarine over bowls of tangled glass noodles with fish sauce dressing and plenty of fresh cilantro.

Baking, Roasting, and More

• Pies: The first thing that springs to mind when you think of summer stone fruit is probably pie. Peach and cherry pies are ever-popular options and a great way to make use of the bounty. Try them with a classic lattice crust or a brown butter streusel crumble. Hand pies are a fun departure from the traditional–simply fold pie crust around the fruit filling to make individual pockets.
• Crisps, crumbles, and cobblers: These desserts scratch a similar itch. Each stone fruit bakes down similarly in the end, so use whatever you have on hand. A drizzle of cold cream over a warm cobbler is perfection.
• Grilled fruit: Grilling brings out even more natural sweetness in peaches and nectarines. All they need is a hefty scoop of vanilla ice cream.
• Roasted with panna cotta: A quick roast in the oven is ideal for cherries and apricots. We love to make a healthier take on panna cotta to serve the fruit over.
• Poached: Peaches and nectarines both hold up nicely when poached, either halved or sliced. Floral flavors like chamomile are refreshing, and bold flavors like bourbon balance out the sweetness. Serve them simply over ice cream or with pavlova.
• Sautéed: The fruit can also be sautéed in some butter or oil and served over rice pudding or oatmeal.
• Roasted with meat: Cherries are a classic pairing for rich meats.
• Served under grilled pork or made into a glaze: Sugary plums almost melt under the heat of this grilled pork dish. Turn them into a sweet glaze for spare ribs or a rack of lamb.
• Turned into salsa: Nectarines and onions can be grilled and made into a savory salsa to spoon over swordfish or salmon fillets. Similarly, plums can be mixed with Japanese flavors and served alongside plump marinated shrimp.
• Pickled: You can pickle bite-size pieces of stone fruit just like you would vegetables. They're great tossed into salads, served alongside meat, or as a briny addition to a cheese plate–they brighten even the richest, most fatty cheeses.

Jams, Preserves, and Compotes

• Compotes and Jams: Lightly roast stone fruit and seasonal berries to make a flavorful compote. This can be drizzled over ice cream, scooped up with your morning yogurt, or shaken into cocktails. Use a mix of stone fruits or pair them with your favorite berries to make even more compotes and jams that you can enjoy year-round.
• Preserves: Cherries are naturally high in pectin, which makes them perfect for making preserves that are equal parts tart and sweet.

How to Store Stone Fruits

Once you get your hands on some in-season ripe stone fruits, you'll want to store them so that you can savor them for as long as possible. If you plan to eat them within a day or two, storing them at room temperature is fine, but for longer storage, place them in the refrigerator in a breathable bag to slow ripening.

Stone fruit can also be frozen, but don't freeze them whole. First, remove the pit, slice it, and freeze the slices on a single layer on a baking sheet, then transfer frozen slices to a freezer-safe bag and store up to six months.