Berries

Berries are always associated with the summer months and come in great variety.

The most common, the strawberry, is soft, succulent and seductive. It is available all year round and us used to make many wonderful desserts. Its flavor, as with other berries, varies according to size and ripeness.

Other berries include blackberries, gooseberries, blueberries, mulberries, red and black currants, raspberries and loganberries. Should you desperately want to make something with any of these fruits and they are unavailable, the frozen or canned varieties work well, especially fro sauces or purees.

When choosing strawberries, look for evenly colored, plump fruit with fresh green tops. Avoid baskets containing squashed fruit. Strawberries are highly perishable and should be used on the day pf purchase, but will keep for a day or two, covered, in the refrigerator. Should any begin to mold, remove immediately as mold spreads quickly.

When choosing other types of berries, look for shiny, plump fruit in baskets without fruit stains.

Raspberries and blueberries can be frozen loose and uncovered on cookie sheets, and then packed in rigid containers. Blueberries also keep for up to 3 weeks in the refrigerator.

Stone Fruits

Cheers, Peaches, nectarines, apricots and plums all belong to the Stone Fruits family.

With the summer comes the mouth-watering aroma and delectable flavor of stone fruits, which include all-time favorites like cheers, peaches, nectarines, apricots and plums. These fruit are perfect additions to all types of summer cooking, whether raw or cooked.

When purchasing cherries, look for shiny, plump, unblemished fruit, avoiding any that are split or soft. They will keep for several days in the refrigerator.

Peaches come in many varieties, but they all have either yellow or white flesh. If the flesh adheres to the pit, they are known as clingstone, and if it comes away cleanly they are known as freestone. They are delicious broiled, poached or used to decorate tarts. Look for firm fruit with yellow or white beneath the rose blush. They will keep refrigerated for about a week.

Plums also come in many varieties and are great pureed, poached, in jams, sherbets, ice creams or as a sauce to accompany pork, duck or goose. Choose undamaged fruit that is mot too soft. the same applies to nectarines and apricots.