There's something magical about summer in Orange. While the rest of Australia swelters, our cool climate produces some of the country's finest stone fruit and berries — sweet, juicy, and bursting with flavour. Cherries, apricots, peaches, nectarines, plums, and blackberries all come into their prime between December and February, filling local orchards and market stalls with colour.
But here's the thing: when you've got kilos of premium fruit at your fingertips (and let's be honest, it's hard to resist a cherry box or a tray of plums when they're this good), eating them straight from the punnet can start to feel a bit... repetitive. The good news? These fruits are incredibly versatile, and with a little creativity, you can transform them into something that goes way beyond your standard fruit salad.
Turn Stone Fruit into Savoury Magic
Stone fruit isn't just for dessert. The natural sweetness of peaches, nectarines, and plums creates incredible balance when paired with savoury ingredients, and the results are genuinely restaurant-worthy.
Try grilling halved peaches or nectarines cut-side down until they caramelise, then serve them with burrata, prosciutto, and a drizzle of balsamic glaze. The heat intensifies their sweetness, and the char adds a smoky depth that works beautifully with creamy cheese and salty cured meat. It's the kind of dish that feels fancy but takes about ten minutes to pull together.
Plums are underrated in savoury cooking. Roast them with a splash of red wine, honey, and fresh thyme until they break down into a jammy compote, then serve it alongside roasted pork or duck. The acidity cuts through rich meat perfectly, and the whole dish has that rustic, European bistro vibe that makes summer entertaining feel effortless.
Cherries work surprisingly well in savoury applications too. Pit a handful and toss them into a pan sauce for lamb or chicken — their tartness brightens fatty meats, and they add visual appeal that makes your weeknight dinner look like something from a cookbook.
Breakfast Gets a Serious Upgrade
If you're still putting frozen berries on your morning porridge, it's time for an intervention. Fresh local fruit changes everything.
Slice apricots and nectarines over yoghurt with a drizzle of local honey and some toasted hazelnuts. The combination of creamy, sweet, nutty, and tart hits every note, and it's the kind of breakfast that actually keeps you full until lunch.
Blackberries are perfect for pancake or waffle batter — fold them in at the last minute so they burst while cooking, creating pockets of jammy fruit throughout. Top with mascarpone and a squeeze of lemon instead of maple syrup for something that feels special without being overly sweet.
Or go minimal and make a simple stone fruit compote by simmering chopped peaches, plums, or apricots with a little sugar and a vanilla bean until they soften. Spoon it over everything from French toast to ricotta on sourdough. It keeps in the fridge for a week and makes every breakfast feel like a treat.
Preserve Summer for Later
When stone fruit is at its peak, it's tempting to eat it all immediately. But with just a bit of effort, you can lock in that summer flavour for months.
Jam-making has a reputation for being fussy and complicated, but it doesn't have to be. A simple apricot or plum jam needs just three ingredients: fruit, sugar, and lemon juice. Simmer them together until thick, pour into clean jars, and you've got breakfast sorted for the next few months. The key is using fruit that's ripe but not overripe — you want enough natural pectin to help it set.
Pickled cherries are a revelation if you've never tried them. Pack pitted cherries into jars with vinegar, sugar, star anise, and a cinnamon stick, then let them sit for a week. They're incredible with cheese, fantastic on charcuterie boards, and genuinely addictive straight from the jar.
For something low-effort, freeze stone fruit at its peak. Halve and pit plums or apricots, arrange them on a tray, freeze until solid, then transfer to bags. You'll have perfect fruit for smoothies, baking, or compotes all year — and it'll taste infinitely better than anything you can buy frozen.
Drinks That Actually Taste Like Something
Fresh fruit makes drinks better. Not just "a bit nicer" — genuinely, noticeably better.
Muddle blackberries with fresh mint and lime juice, add soda water and ice, and you've got a non-alcoholic drink that's miles ahead of anything from a bottle. The berries stain everything a deep purple, the mint adds brightness, and the whole thing feels sophisticated without being complicated.
Peaches and nectarines make incredible iced tea. Slice them thinly, steep with black or green tea, chill, and serve over ice with a sprig of basil. It's refreshing, lightly sweet, and far more interesting than plain iced tea.
For something a bit more grown-up, freeze cherries or blackberries into ice cubes with a little water, then drop them into sparkling wine or a simple gin and tonic. As they melt, they infuse the drink with colour and flavour — and they look beautiful, which doesn't hurt when you're entertaining.
Baking (But Make It Worth It)
Stone fruit desserts are a summer tradition for good reason, but they don't have to be complicated to be impressive.
A cherry clafoutis sounds fancy but is essentially a slightly sweet pancake batter poured over fruit and baked until puffy. It's the kind of dessert you can throw together with minimal fuss and still feel smug about when people ask for the recipe.
Apricot galettes are equally low-effort but high-impact. Roll out store-bought puff pastry, arrange halved apricots in the centre, fold the edges over roughly, brush with butter, and bake until golden. Serve with vanilla ice cream, and you've got a dessert that tastes like you spent all afternoon on it.
Plum cakes are criminally underrated. A simple butter cake batter topped with halved plums and a sprinkle of sugar bakes into something that's part cake, part tart, and entirely delicious. It's perfect with afternoon tea or as a not-too-sweet end to a summer dinner.
The Bottom Line
Orange's stone fruit and berry season is short, but it's spectacular. These fruits aren't just for snacking — they're ingredients with real versatility, capable of transforming everything from breakfast to dinner to drinks.
The best part? When you're buying local fruit at its seasonal peak, it's already doing most of the work. You don't need fancy techniques or complicated recipes. Just good fruit, a bit of creativity, and a willingness to think beyond the fruit bowl.
So next time you find yourself with a cherry box, a punnet of blackberries, or a tray of apricots, don't just eat them one by one. Grill them, roast them, pickle them, bake with them, freeze them for later. Make the most of summer while it's here — because before you know it, it'll be citrus season, and we'll all be wishing we'd stocked up on stone fruit while we had the chance.