How to Pit a Nectarine

Over 100 varieties of nectarines exist today.

Red and yellow on the outside and soft and succulent on the inside, the nectarine closely resembles the peach. Also like the peach, the nectarine conceals a stone-sized pit at its center. Rather than risk an unpleasant surprise by eating around the pit, slice open the fruit and remove the pit prior to consumption. Does this Spark an idea?

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Cutting board or bowl
Cutting knife

Instructions

- 1
  
  Hold the nectarine above a cutting board or bowl to collect any juices.
- 2
  
  Support the nectarine from beneath while inserting the blade of a knife into the nectarine beside the stem.
- 3
  
  Slice the nectarine down, toward the bottom, and back up the other side, making a full circle. Carefully rotate the nectarine during this procedure, keeping any fingers well away from the knife blade.
- 4
  
  Place the knife aside, and carefully grasp both halves of the nectarine. Twist the top half of the nectarine to separate it from the bottom half.
- 5
  
  Pull the halves of the nectarine apart, and place the side without the pit aside. If the halves prove difficult to separate, cut the fruit into smaller sections and separate the sections individually. More so than freestone nectarines, clingstone nectarines may present a higher degree of difficulty in separating the fruit from the pit.
- 6
  
  Hold the nectarine half at both ends while using the point of the knife to remove the pit from the center.

Tips & Warnings

To ripen nectarines, leave them at room temperature for two to three days.
Nectarines remain fresh for up to five days if stored in a sealed plastic bag in the refrigerator.