Properties: Stone fruit
Many of the stone fruit variants are extremely rich in vitamins. The cherry, for example, is known for its vitamin C, folic acid, as well as several vitamin B variants.
Origin: Stone fruit
While cherry trees and plum trees feel relatively well in Germany, there are some stone fruit variants that thrive more in the Mediterranean region. Apricot trees can occasionally be found even in the warmer south of Germany, but they are actually mainly distributed around the Mediterranean Sea. There and in Turkey, they are considered typical plants. Even more exotic is the cultivation area of pistachios, which find ideal conditions especially in Iran, Syria, but also in California, Greece, and Turkey. Of some of these fruit varieties, there are different variants; for example, with cherries, there are the sour cherry, the Japanese flowering cherry, as well as the common cherry plum. The Japanese flowering cherry, known under the name Prunus serrulata, grows mainly in Japan, China, and Korea. On the other hand, the sour cherry is cultivated in large parts of the Northern Hemisphere; the sweet cherry is also not uncommon within Germany. Plum production comes primarily from China. In 2018, 6.7 million tons were produced there, followed by Romania and Serbia with more than 800,000 tons each. Turkey leads in apricot production (985,000 tons in the year 2017).
Uses: Stone fruit
Many stone fruit varieties are consumed directly as freshly washed fruits. Thus, apricots, cherries, and plums belong to the classic fruit types that are eaten pure. Also, coconut, pistachio, and almonds are excellent food for in-between meals for those without allergies. Stone fruits also play a significant role in kitchens around the world. A classic is the cake; thus, there are cherry cakes, apricot tarts, plum cakes, or coconut pastries. Coconut is also popular as an ingredient in chocolate or as a topping on desserts. Cherries are also often processed into cherry pudding, which combines well with pancakes or other baked goods. Stone fruits are also popular in muffins and similar mini-cakes. Jams are also a widespread form of use: whether as cherry, apricot, or plum jam. And almonds like pistachios can be found occasionally in various nut assortments or in trail mix. In addition, stone fruits are used in beverages, whether as fruit juice or smoothies. Mango chutney is also popular alongside these. Stone fruits are also suitable as fruity ingredients for the morning muesli.
Storage: Stone fruit
Unlike many vegetable varieties or mushrooms, most types of stone fruit should not be stored in the refrigerator compartment. Although they might last longer this way under certain circumstances, they lose their aroma. Therefore, storage between cooler to room temperature is usually recommended. Room temperature is particularly suitable for exotic fruits that thrive in warmer countries. However, this also means that many fruits should not be kept in extremely warm containers. At the same time, open storage of many stone fruits often leads to fruit fly infestation, which is why protected storage is recommended. The fruit varieties behave differently towards ripening. For example, mangos can continue to ripen, while this is not the case with cherries.
Health: Stone fruit
Many of the stone fruit variants are extremely vitamin-rich. The cherry, for example, is known for its Vitamin C, Folic acid as well as several Vitamin B variants. Added to this are ingredients such as Potassium, Calcium, Magnesium, Iron and more. Apricots also contain Vitamin C, Folic acid but also Calcium, Iron and similar nutrients. Thus, these fruit varieties belong to the relatively healthy meals for in between. Caution is advised when enjoying coconut, which has many nutrients and can have antibacterial effects, however contains about 350 calories per 100 grams.
Nutrition: Stone fruit
Also almonds and pistachios contain many healthy nutrients, but with the latter it should be noted that they are not consumed with too much salt. They also have high fat values, which is why one can gain weight more easily with these nuts than with low-calorie cherries or apricots.
Season of Stone fruit: As examples, popular stone fruit varieties such as cherries, apricots, and plums are mentioned. Typically, these stone fruit varieties prefer warm climates. So sweet cherries usually ripen in July, for apricots it is July and August, for plums it is July, August, and September. In this regard, there are indeed similarities among the different stone fruit varieties. While the cold winter is not beneficial to these varieties, they thrive during the warm months.
The stone fruits include, for example, mangoes, apricots, plums, cherries, nectarines and more. In fact, coconut, almond, and pistachio plants also belong to the stone fruit varieties. As a special form of stone fruit, aggregate stone fruits are categorized, which include the blackberry and raspberry. Stone fruit should be distinguished from pome fruit (apple, pear, quince and more), which typically have smaller seeds. There is usually also a distinction in the pollination of flowers; for instance, about 25% of pollinated flowers are needed for a full harvest of stone fruits, while this is only 5% for pome fruits. Although there are exotic varieties of stone fruit, many of these fruit types are cultivated within Europe.