The Summer Fruit Hybrid You Need To Stop Ignoring

From succulent peaches to juicy watermelons, summer is perhaps the best time of year to savor a bounty of ripe fruit. That said, there's one hybrid fruit in particular your basket is missing that you need to get your hands on right away: pluots. If you think that it's just an odd-sounding word (there might be some truth to that), pluots are actually a delicious hybrid of plums and apricots. They're typically 75% plum and 25% apricot, hence the name, and unlike plumcots, which are a 50-50 hybrid. The result is a sweet stone fruit with a smooth, plum-like exterior and an interior that resembles the juicy flesh of an apricot.

Pluots are a result of Plumcots, the 50-50 predecessor, which came into existence in the late 19th century thanks to the ingenuity of renowned horticulturist, Luther Burbank. In the 1980s, botanist Floyd Zaiger cross-bred a plumcot and a plum; the rest is history. There are many varieties of pluots, and each variant has a signature taste. The Flavor King variety is the go-to for those with an avid sweet tooth, for instance, while Dapple Dandy is the way to go if you prefer a balance of sweet and tart flavors. Since pluots are plums for the most part, our guide for choosing the best plums should come in handy when picking the perfect pluots. Once you've picked the best pluots you can get your hands on, make sure to store them properly for maximum enjoyment: Ripe pluots are fine at room temperature for about three days and approximately one week in the refrigerator.

Pluots are incredibly tasty on their own given they bring some of the best traits of plums and apricots into one juicy bite. Typically, you may notice a subtle bitterness when eating a ripe plum and mildly tart undertones in apricots. With pluots, you're in for a sweet delight. Savoring them in their prime ripeness is one of the best ways to enjoy them, but you can also add more nuanced flavor by grilling them and tossing them into a salad or onto a grain bowl. Blend them into smoothies for a refreshing, summertime breakfast or add them to the list of fruits you ought to bake with; there are no shortage of ways worth trying to enjoy this summer stone fruit.

Having now heard of pluots, you might be curious to explore other fruit and vegetable hybrids. Over time, farmers and horticulturists have developed plentiful hybrids that you may not have know were hybrids in the first place. Peppermint (a cross between spearmint and water mint), seedless watermelons, grapefruit, and even slicer tomatoes are prime products of hybridization that we consume regularly. Some hybrids, however, don't stand the test of time, including grapples, the unexpected hybrid of grapes and apples. Farmers' markets are a great place to spot hybrid fruits and discover novel creations. Seasonally, you may find plumcots and apriums at Trader Joe's. If you're a passionate gardener, you can also source hybrid fruit seeds and trees online and put your green thumb to work.