Ripe peaches bursting with juice, sugary sweet plums at their peak and plump berries waiting to be plucked, these are the simple pleasures of summer. 

 Berries:  Luscious berries such as strawberries, blueberries and raspberries add a touch of summer to salads, drinks and desserts.  Berries make a delicious topping for cereal to fruit salads and also eating.

 Cherries:  Succulent cherries can be either sweet or tart.  Firm, heart-shaped sweet cherries are tasty as a snack or in baked goods.  Sour cherries are a little too tart to eat on their own but they're great baked into pies and for jams and preserves.

Peaches:  There's two main types of peaches, clingstone and freestone.  At the supermarket, you'll most often find freestones, which range in color from pink-blushed white to red-bushed yellow.  They separate easily making them great for eating.  Clingstone range almost in color as freestones, but these are great for baking as they are sweeter and better for desserts.

Plums:  Just as plums range in color from red to purple to amber-gold so does their flavor, from slightly tart to sugary sweet.

Nectarines:  A cousin of the peach, but smaller and sweeter with a smooth skin.  They'er perfect for slicing into fresh fruit salads and eating.

Storing your fruits:  Peaches, Plums and Nectarines will keep in the fridge for up to 5 days.  Only refrigerate them when they're ripe. as the fridge will heal their ripening.  Let fresh picked fruit stand on the counter for a while since they're juiciest at room temperature, but remember they should be picked when they are just about ripe not green as they will never ripen no matter what you do.  You can also speed up the ripening process by putting them a brown paper bag for a day or two.

Cherries should be shiny, firm and plump.  They're very perishable;e so refrigerate them after purchasing, they'll keep for up to 2 days.  Remove stems and pits before using them in recipes.

Select firm, brightly-colored berries.  Sort berries before you store them in the fridge and remove any that are bruised.  Wash berries when you're ready to use them. As moisture will hasten their decay.  Use fresh raspberries and blackberries as soon as possible.

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