The nectarine is a variety of peach with a smooth skin and a flavour so fine that it’s named after nectar, the legendary drink of the gods.

 

Nectarines go well with apricots, berries (especially blackberries, raspberries and blueberries), cherries, figs, lemons, limes, oranges, peaches, plums, cinnamon, ginger, black pepper, vanilla, basil, coconut, cream, yoghurt, all nuts, champagne, port, honey and caramel

 

Look for nectarines that are aromatic, firm but not hard, and with a bright, deep colouring. Avoid fruit with wrinkled, cracked skin and spots that show evidence of decay. Hard nectarines will likely ripen at room temperature; to help speed the process, place them in a paper bag with an unripe banana. They can be canned or frozen, both in slices and puréed.

 

The thin skin of nectarines is edible, but may be removed by making a small “x“ in the bottom of the fruit, plunging it into boiling water for a minute and then placing it in ice water. When cool enough to handle, the skin will easily slip off. But think twice before you do it because lots of the goodness and fibre sits in the skin.