Storage Tips

Summer Fruit

Can you really call it summer if you don’t eat one of Stemilt’s Artisan Organics™ summer fruits?! One of the best summer experiences is taking a big bite out of a yellow peach only to have your hand covered in juice and your taste buds begging for more. But to make that experience happen, you first must learn how to store your summer fruit the Stemilt way!

First, selecting the perfect piece of summer fruit is important. Picking a peach or a nectarine is nearly interchangeable and finding the right one can be achieved in five simple tips. To find the perfect apricot, look for firm, brightly colored pieces of fruit that are free of bruises or blemishes. Simple, right?
Patience is a virtue! Summer fruits may need a day or two after purchase to soften up. To speed up the process, a brown paper bag with a little ventilation can help.
Remember to refrigerate your ripe peaches, nectarines and apricots and eat within 7 days.
If you are looking to preserve summer fruits, you can freeze them either in a syrup pack or dry pack! For a syrup pack, just mix 2 cups sugar with 3 cups cold water and boil. Let the syrup cool and brush the sliced fruit, then pack them away into a freezer safe bag. Dry packing consists of laying sliced summer fruit in a single layer on a cookie sheet, brushing with lemon water (to prevent browning) and freezing until solid, then transferring to a freezer safe bag.
If you aren’t sure how to peel a peach, this is a great method to use!