Instructions

1. Choose a ripe nectarine and eat it fresh. You can cut it into fourths, remove the pit and place the pieces in a bowl and eat them with a spoon, or you can simply eat a nectarine like an apple. Just be sure to wash it first and keep plenty of napkins on hand for the sticky juice that escapes.

2. Cut a nectarine into several pieces and place it in a bowl with a bit of cream or half-and-half. Sprinkle the nectarines with brown sugar if you like, but you may find that the nectarines need no added sweetener.

3. Mix small slices of nectarine with yogurt or use them for a topping on frozen yogurt or ice cream.

4. Make nectarine jam or jelly if you have a large number of nectarines. Nectarines won't keep long, so nectarine jam and jelly is a perfect way to preserve them.

5. Select some ripe nectarines and freeze them for winter. Nectarines are easy to freeze and will taste like summer in the middle of winter. Pack them in a syrup made of sugar and water and store them in plastic containers or zip-seal bags.

6. Make a nectarine pie or cobbler. Your favorite peach pie or peach cobbler recipe will work beautifully with nectarines.