Nectarine

Photo: flickr user ♥Sage

About

Nectarines are the same as Peaches, except that their reddish orange skin is smooth rather than velvety like Peaches. This fruit is round and medium sized with yellow or cream colored firm, juicy flesh that is sweet to taste. In the center of the fruit is a singular brown seed or stone.

Nectarines are high in Vitamin A and a good source of Vitamin C. They are great as snacks, in fruit salads, desserts and baked goods or made into juice.

Information

Other names: stone fruit

Translations: Nektarīns, Nektarinas, Piersică cu coajă netedă, Nektarina, Cây xuân đào, Nektarynka, Nektarin, Nectarina, Нектарин, Νεκταρίνι, زليقة, 넥타린, Nektarinka, Nektarin, Nektarin, 油桃, Nectarina, Nektarin, Nektarinka, Nettarina, נקטרינה, NEKTARIN, Нектарина, ネクタリン, Nektarine, Nektariner, Nectarina, Нектарин, Nektariini, Нектарин

Physical Description

Nectarines are smaller and smooth skinned golden yellow with large blushes of red.

Colors: red

Tasting Notes

Flavors: sweet

Mouthfeel: Juicy, Tart, Acidic, Sweet, Earthy

Food complements: Baked chicken or ham, Cream, Berries

Wine complements: Un-oaked chardonnay

Beverage complements: Sparkling water, Vodka, Gin

Substitutes: Peach, Apricot

Selecting and Buying

Seasonality: april, may, june, july, august

Choosing: Ripe fruit are fragrant and give, slightly, to the touch. If they are a under-ripe, leave them at room temperature for 2-3 days to ripen. Look for fruit with smooth unblemished skin. Avoid extremely hard or dull colored fruits and soft fruit with soft, wrinkled, punctured skin.

After buying nectarines, you're supposed to let them ripen for a couple of days at room temperature before eating them. This makes them softer and juicier, but not sweeter.

Avoid buying nectarines that are too hard or that have green spots--a sign they were picked way too soon--or those that are bruised.

Buying: Any supermarket

Procuring: Peaches should be located in full sun, and with good air flow. This allows cold air to flow away on frosty nights and keeps the area cool in summer. Peaches are best planted in early winter, as this allows time for the roots to establish and to sustain the new spring growth. When planting in rows, plant north–south.

Fresh fruit are best consumed on the day of picking, and do not keep well. They are best eaten when the fruit is slightly soft, having aroma, and heated by the sun.

Preparation and Use

Can be baked, grilled, poached, made into puree, served as an addition to any fruit salad, etc.

Conserving and Storing

Peaches should be stored at room temperature and refrigeration should be avoided as this can lessen the taste of the peach. Peaches do not ripen after being picked from the tree, so storing for ripening is not necessary.

Social/Political

The peach often plays an important part in Chinese tradition and is symbolic of long life.

History: The history of the nectarine is unclear; the first recorded mention in English is from 1616,[8] but they had probably been grown much earlier within the native range of the peach in central and eastern Asia. Nectarines were introduced into the United States by David Fairchild of the Department of Agriculture in 1906.