I love this time of year, and always pick up a punnet or two of stone fruit whenever I see good, fresh-looking examples in the supermarket.

But there are so many more ways to enjoy stoned fruit as they come into season through the summer. Here are 11 ideas to get you going.  

I’m starting with jam, a great way of bottling up those delicious nectarine flavours to be enjoyed all year round. This small batch nectarine jam bursts with flavour; it’s quick and easy to make with no need for preserving pans or specialist equipment. Make two jars of this delicious nectarine jam from only four pieces of fruit.  

If there’s a glut of fruit available, making your own fruit leathers uses them up without filling up the deep freezer. Home made means authentic, less processed treats for both adults and kids. This recipe hails from Russia, where it’s a traditional, rustic way to preserve fruit for the winter.  

For chutney fanatics, this fresh peach chutney recipe is one of the best ever! Spicy, sweet and tangy, it still has a quality of freshness to it and is a perfect companion for meats and sandwiches. Make a large batch and take advantage of summer peaches! 

The possibilities of what you can make with juicy, tart, yet sweet apricots are endless—apricot tart, apricot jam, apricot marmalade, apricot pie, apricot crumble, apricot cobbler and cake. Apricot tart is the ideal dessert to enjoy in late summer when this fruit is at its peak.  

Semifreddo, with the flavours of the tropics and the deliciousness of stoned fruit is next level tasty.  It’s a make-in-advance dessert that will leave everyone going “wow”!  This author hails from Australia, so for them it’s perfect for Christmas Day! I’ll keep it for summer celebrations. One really important part of this recipe that you can’t skip is chilling the coconut cream. If you don’t, it won’t separate properly and therefore won’t whip well.  

Qubani ka Meetha (also spelled “Khubani ka meetha”, which translates as “sweet dish made from apricots”) is a popular sweet dish in Hyderabad—Pakistan is known for excellent apricots. Here, the fruit is gently stewed with some sugar and the nuts are crushed and sprinkled on top; I think this recipe would make an excellent topping for ice cream.  

A buttery, moist almond sponge topped with juicy, ruby-red plums and a crunchy amaretti crumble, this cake is equally good with a cup of tea or as an easy pudding with lashings of custard! 

Tkemali is a Georgian plum sauce that is a great alternative to ketchup or cranberry sauce. Use this sweet-sour condiment for almost everything: grilled food, roasted veggies, burgers, potato wedges, any kind of protein, in salad dressings, as a spread and so much more! 

This is a very simple recipe for sorbet, with no need for an ice cream machine or cooking up a sugar syrup. Just whiz the ingredients in a food processor or blender and freeze. The ratio of sliced fruit to sugar is 4:1—this is key to having a finished product that is creamy and will set to the right consistency—a sorbet that’s firm but still be scoopable. 

This recipe consists of fresh plums wrapped in tender potato dough (similar to Italian potato gnocchi) coated in sweet, buttery breadcrumbs then dusted with cinnamon sugar. Served as a dessert, they’re excellent warm or cold. Top each dough ball with a dollop of sour cream and dust generously with cinnamon sugar. It’s an adaptable recipe—you can substitute plums with apples or peaches.  

Easy leftover lamb tagine with apricots is a richly flavoured, delicious treat. Using leftover lamb means no long, slow cooking This dish is ready in 35 minutes, and it makes a perfect midweek supper.    

Helen Best-Shaw, is a freelance food & travel writer, recipe developer & photographer. She has been blogging at Fuss Free Flavours for over ten years.   

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