A nectarine is the sturdy twin sister of the peach. Nectarines have slightly more firmness compared to peach. They are easier to cut into cubes than the quickly soft peach. Nectarines are very similar in taste to peach. It is a delicious orange-yellow fresh fruit that fits perfectly in a mixed fruit salad. NB! This article is written from the personal view of the author and may contain information that is not scientifically substantiated and/or in line with the general view.

Contents:

• Godliness
• Spontaneous new fruit
• Lutein and vitamins
• Orange carotenoids
• Turns brown quickly
• Chinese fruit

Godliness

Necatarine is a very healthy fruit. It owes its name to the divine drink called nectar or ambrosia, which must have been a delicious drink that the gods enjoyed. The nectarine is an excellent tasting fruit. There are few people who don’t like it. Moreover, the sister of the peach is quite healthy. It contains antioxidants that the body immediately converts into vitamin A. A nectarine provides a fifth of the vitamin A requirement according to the Recommended Daily Allowance (RDA).

Spontaneous new fruit

What is special about the nectarine is that it has only been around for about 2,000 years. It is a mutation of a peach, that is, a spontaneously created new type of peach. The nectarine is actually a peach without a velvet jacket. This is evident from DNA research. The first smooth-skinned nectarine must have grown on a peach tree. There are many cultivated nectarine trees today. But the idea that a nectarine originated as a cultivated peach is incorrect. The idea that nectarine is a cross between a plum and a peach is also incorrect. It does have the taste of a peach and the skin of a plum, but it is not a crossbreed.

Lutein and vitamins

There is a lot of vitamin C, lutein and zeaxanthin in nectarine. Lutein is a phytonutrient that regulates female fertility and plays a role in the eyes. Zeaxanthin is even more important for the eyes and prevents eye cataracts. Furthermore, it contains many vitamins from the B complex, such as B1 (thiamine), B3 (niacin), B5 (pantothenic acid and B6 (pyridoxine). Nectarine also contains the minerals potassium, iron, zinc, copper and phosphorus.

Orange carotenoids

Carotenoids are always found in orange colored fruits. The nectarine is no exception. This sweet and juicy fruit is packed with antioxidants. Most of these are just under the skin. It is therefore wise not to peel with a knife but to either eat the peel or carefully peel off the wafer-thin peel. When the nectarine is fully ripe, you can easily peel off the skin without needing a knife.

Turns brown quickly

Nectarine is a delicious snack fruit. You have to eat it quickly otherwise it will turn brown. This browning has no consequences for the nutritional value and brown colored fruit looks ugly in a fruit salad. Immediately after peeling, an enzyme reaction starts which turns the flesh brown. If you briefly dip the flesh in water with vinegar, the browning will occur slightly less quickly. You can put the nectarine in the salad bowl just before serving the salad.

Chinese fruit

Nectarines, like peaches, come from China. They came to the Middle East via ancient Persia, which is now Iran, and later to ancient Greece and Spain. In the 17th century they were also cultivated in Northern European countries. The tree grows in the Netherlands, but it is too cold here to get a good harvest every year. Today, 95% of all nectarines are grown in the US.

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