Nothing speaks of Summer quite like a bowl of ripe, red cherries, or that first luscious, juicy bite of plum. Both of these fruit bowl favourites are from the stone fruit family, so named because of the stone-like pit at their centre. Other members of this stony-hearted family also include apricots, peaches and, surprisingly, raspberries and blackberries in which clusters of tiny stone fruits actually make up each berry. Generally picked at their peak, stone fruits have a short window of time for ultimate freshness, and many are only available for part of the season, which is why we only see them in the supermarkets for a few weeks at the height of summer. With such a short seasonal availability, it means we must preserve them in other ways so we can enjoy them year-round. Because of their strong flavours, they are the perfect addition in desserts like galettes and ice-creams, although a little extra work is involved in separating the flesh from the rough stone.
Although the stone is usually discarded once the juicy flesh has been eaten, they do have several uses. To start with, the pit houses the seed of the fruit, providing a protective armour until the seed is exposed and can germinate. Then, during World War I, an American chemist discovered that the fibres from the fruit pits could be used effectively in making filters for the gas masks used by the Allied forces. Peach Pit campaigns sprang up faster than the fruits themselves and everyone ‘back home’ joined the cause and contributed tons of pits towards the war effort. New filtration systems have since been designed but don’t throw out your pits just yet. A thrifty fertilizing hack is to boil down the rough stones and, once soft, mash them to a pulp for a nutrient-packed detox for your garden. Or, for the experimental chefs among us, make your own infused essence by pickling the pits in vinegar and once cured, use the liquid to flavour vinaigrettes. They can even be used as biomass to generate electricity, as proven by the global fruit company Del Monte – although they possibly have more surplus stones than most households.
For most of us, however, we just enjoy these delicious fruits in baked treats while we wait for Summer to come round again, bringing with it a few short weeks of fresh plums and cherries with all their juicy goodness.
Recipe Inspirations
Fresh Plum and Almond Crumble Tart
