Summer Fruit Part 2
Nectarines, Cherries, Pineapple
As purveyors of Gourmet Fruit Gifts, we know a ton about fruit. We know how to grow it, pick it, store it, ship it and—as the skins, seeds, and pits in our trashcans show—eat it. But we don’t know it all; we’re constantly learning new things and we wouldn’t have it any other way. That’s why we’re introducing our newest feature “Will it Grill?” where we’ll grill different varieties of fruit to see whether we can and should fire up our grills. Will we burn a fruit or two along the way? Absolutely. But for the sake of knowledge, and some sweet caramelized fruit goodness, we’ll give it a shot. Let the grilling and discovery commence!
Grilling Nectarines
When it comes to grilling nectarines, we run into a moral dilemma: do we really need to grill them? They don’t need it; I’ve never bitten into a ripe nectarine and thought, “Eh, how can I make this taste better.”
In fact, I was given four nectarines for this grilling fiesta, and I ate three of them before the grilling started. I’ll say it right now, the moment I picked those nectarines, I knew there was no way I’d grill them all. The only thing in doubt was whether I’d grill any of them. Consider it quality control, dear reader. Don’t judge: I still got the goods from the one that made it to the grill.
The Goods: Cut your nectarine(s) into slices or—if it’s a freestone nectarine—in half and place them onto the grill skin side down. Wait, about 1-2 minutes and flip. Nectarines grill fast because they’re a delicate little number. Let them sit; don’t eat them immediately, regardless of your love of nectarines, even scorching hot nectarines. Sweet, sweet, scorching nectarines…
Before: Soft, sweet, and tender, with a heavenly Nectarine-y flavor.
After: Grilled flavor added, same delicious taste that makes nectarines so amazing.
Will It Grill? Yes, it develops grill marks and grill flavor.
Should You Grill It? Maybe? It’s up to you.
Grilling Cherries
Moments that change the course of human history are difficult to pinpoint as they’re happening. It’s impossible to predict how one moment will play out in the grand scheme of things; whether it will set off a chain of events powerful enough to change the world, or just flicker out as quick as it started is unknown. However, when I put my first batch of skewered cherries on the grill, I knew I was doing something much greater than potentially burning cherries. I was potentially burning history. Or rather, changing it.
The Difference between Skewers and Tooth-pick Sized Torches
Before our cherries hit the grill, we skewered them with wooden skewers in order to flip them uniformly. Before we skewered our cherries, we soaked our wooden skewers in the water for 30 minutes. We suggest you do the same. Unless of course, you want a tooth-pick sized torch because in that case skewer away.
Grilling
We had two skewers of cherries: one with Bings, one with Rainiers. We didn’t de-pit them, we just skewered through their meat and left them as intact as possible. We placed them on the grill and stood back to admire our work. It was quite the feat and while there wasn’t any media attention on the event, there was a bird watching us and it was certainly impressed.
After a minute, we turned our cherries and removed them from the grill.
Before: Juicy, sweet, tart, and delicious as only Oregon Bing and Rainier Cherries can be.
After: Sour? Bitter. Disappointing.
Will it Grill? It will. But so will everything else in the world.
Should it be Grilled? No. Cherries are too delicate.
Did We Really Change History? Maybe. Probably.
Grilling Pineapples
Pineapples, like Watermelons, are incredibly easy to grill. Cut them into slices, put them on a grill, and make sure they don’t burn. How will I know if they’re burning, you ask? Well, look out for flashes of brilliant red flames. If one side of your pineapple is engulfed by flames, chances are, your pineapple is in danger of burning.
Before: Tropical and juicy with a unmistakably pineapple-y flavor.
After: Meaty (texture, not taste) with caramelized juices. The char on the pineapple from the grill gives it a smokey and bbq’d taste.
Will it Grill? It most certainly will.
