Robbie’s Produce Tips: Stone Fruit

• Stone fruit should have a slight give if you want to eat them right away.
• Store them in the fridge if the fruit is as ripe as you desire: they should last four to five days. If it’s firm, then leave them on the counter for a day or two until they are ripe and ready to eat.
• For yellow nectarines, there are a lot of “sugar dots” as Paul Buxman likes to calls them. They have a bit of a crude look but are fantastic. The more of these sugar dots the better.
• You want to pick a nectarine (or a peach, for that matter) with a nice yellow background. I always like to turn my fruit over and look at the stem end to get a true indication of the color. It’s not the red blush color that you are looking for.
• And of course, you’ll want your stone fruit free of bruises.

Robbie Sigona is our produce buyer. He works with local farmers and scours the market for the very best in fresh fruits and vegetables – some you won’t find anywhere else.