Peach, and Plum
Stone fruits are all species of the genus
Prunus, members of the large rose family and
relatives of the pome fruits. They owe their
name to the stone-hard “shell” that surrounds
a single large seed at their center. Though the
15 species of Prunus are found throughout the
northern hemisphere, the important stone
fruits mostly come from Asia. They do not
store starch and so get no sweeter after
harvest, though they do soften and develop
aroma. Their internal tissues tend to become
mealy or break down in prolonged cold
storage, so fresh stone fruits are more
seasonal than hardier apples and pears. Like
some of the pome fruits, stone fruits
accumulate the indigestible sugar alcohol
sorbitol (a frequent ingredient in sugar-free
gums and candies, p. 662); they’re also rich in
antioxidant phenolic compounds. The seeds of
stone fruits are protected by a cyanide-