Types of Stone Fruit: Your Guide To This Tasty Fruit
From peaches to cherries, there are so many types of stone fruit to try. These healthy fruits are delicious on their own or used in a recipe. Need more stone fruit in your diet? Gobble meal plans make healthy and tasty eating easy.
What Is A Stone Fruit?
Stone fruits, also known as “drupes,” are a type of fruit that typically contain one seed inside a large pit. There are multiple stone fruit varieties, so something will be sure to fit your needs. Different stone fruits come from various flowering plants, such as coffee and mango trees, palms, and trees of the genus Prunus.
What Are The Health Benefits Of Stone Fruits?
Stone fruits are bursting with important vitamins and nutrients we need. Many stone fruits are rich in antioxidants like vitamin C, which can help you build a strong immune system. Vitamin C is also important for producing collagen, which helps keep your skin healthy.
You may think the sweet sugar of fruit would be bad for you. Actually, stone fruits are a great way to help keep your health in check and potentially stave off diabetes. A plum or nectarine may help you satisfy your sweet tooth but without all the drawbacks of unhealthy candy or other snacks. Stone fruits are also a low-calorie source of fiber. Fiber is important for keeping your cholesterol levels healthy and preventing health diseases.
How Do You Know When A Stone Fruit Is Ripe?
Choosing the perfect time to eat your stone fruit is perhaps the most important part of the process. Usually, stone fruits arrive at grocery stores underripe. You may need to wait a day or two after purchase to enjoy your stone fruit at its best — but the wait will be worth it! Picking fresh ingredients is key to maximizing both taste and nutritional benefit.
For most stone fruit varieties, the skin should be plump and firm when ripe. The flesh should be generally soft and yield to slight pressure. Some types of stone fruit, like peaches, have an unmistakable sweet scent that lets you know it’s ready to eat.
To ripen a stone fruit fast, place it on the counter in a closed plastic bag with an apple or banana. The ethylene gas from the other fruit will help speed up the ripening process for stone fruits!
Where Do You Store Stone Fruits?
Assuming you want to maximize freshness, most types of stone fruit should be initially stored on the counter in a basket. Try keeping them in only one layer, and use a towel to avoid denting your fruit. Keep them there until they ripen, and for best results rotate to avoid brown spots. Once the fruit has ripened, store it in your refrigerator’s crisper drawer to keep it for a few more days.
Some stone fruit varieties, like cherries, are usually already ripe when purchased from the store. In the case of these fruits, put them straight into your refrigerator in a breathable produce bag.
Tasty Stone Fruit Varieties To Try
There are many types of stone fruits to try, including some you may not even realize are drupes!
Peaches
Peaches are the most classic summer stone fruit. There are many types of peaches, including yellow peaches, white peaches, and nectarines. To pick the perfect peach, go for one that feels heavy for its size. On average, one peach contains 17 percent of your daily vitamin C!
Plums
Plums are closely related to peaches, and are another type of stone fruit high in vitamin C. They come in many varieties, and you can even buy plum wine! But the best way to enjoy a juicy plum is fresh, ripe, and raw.
Apricots
Apricots are a great source of antioxidants to help with lowering inflammation and reducing the risk of chronic disease. There are so many varieties of this stone fruit, that the best way to find your favorite is just to start trying some! Head to your local market between spring and summer to find your perfect apricot.
Cherries
While many people think of cherries as a berry, thanks to their pit they are a type of stone fruit. One cup of cherries packs a large nutritional punch, including 18 percent of daily vitamin C. Whether you like them sweet, sour, or in pie — cherries are a classic stone fruit you must try.
Olives
Did you know olives are a type of stone fruit? If you prefer savory over sweet, this may be the dupe for you. Like other stone fruit varieties, olives are rich in antioxidants. Olives also provide a good source of healthy fats, especially when extracted to produce olive oil. In moderation, olive oil is a healthy alternative to other fatty dressings and cooking oils.
Coconuts
You probably could guess coconuts aren’t nuts but did you know they are a type of stone fruit? Coconuts are another fruit that is high in healthy fats. This surprising stone fruit also contains many necessary minerals, like 75% of your daily manganese. One cup of dried coconut meat is also a good source of protein, with 7.5 grams on average.
Blackberries
Another berry dupe, blackberries are not berries at all but a tiny collection of stone fruits! Called an “aggregate fruit,” blackberries contain loads of antioxidants that are good for your heart and brain.
Eat More Stone Fruits
If you’re ready to add more types of stone fruit to your diet, the first step is developing a solid meal plan. Not everyone has time to prep over twenty meals per week, which is where Gobble can help. Take the stress out of meal planning with weekly delicious meals prepared by our chefs. Try Gobble’s Lean & Clean plan to focus on healthy eating, including plant-based options.
