Summer stone fruits like peaches and plums are among my favorite seasonal fruits. I have memories stored up of the perfect specimens of each.

As a young girl in the 1960s, lining the fence between my Aunt Helen’s garden and the yard next door was a row of plum trees. I do not know the variety, but every late summer they were heavy with small, deep lavender fruits. It was a contest to get to them before the birds did them in — wickedly pecking just one or two holes in a plum, just enough to spoil it — and wiping them clean on a (probably fairly sweaty) T-shirt or jacket, and popping them into our mouths. The sweet juiciness was a burst of flavor on the tongue and down the throat, as the plum was skillfully manipulated about to extract the pit, promptly spat upon the ground. To this day, I compare all of my plum experiences to these.

My peach of a memory moves forward a few years, when married and living in Hartford. A spur-of-the-moment purchase at the Hartford Market very early one Saturday morning found us owning an Elberta peach tree. Neither my husband nor I had any idea how to nurture a fruit-bearing tree, but we dug a big hole, placed it in there and watered it faithfully. Being opposed to chemical sprays, we left our Elberta to fend for itself against the plights that can plague a peach… however, we happened to live next door to a very committed urban farmer. With houses and gardens mere feet away from each other, we suspect that he chose to share his insecticides and pesticides with our little tree, most probably in self defense, so that his thriving backyard orchard was not contaminated by our loose adherence to farming methods. At any rate, the tree thrived and one summer we were blessed with several plump, rosy peaches. I can still recollect the satisfying bite into one, the ideal balance of flesh and juice combining to make an unforgettable experience. So, guess what? I long to recapture that perfection with every peach I’ve bitten into since.

Plums, peaches, east coast, west coast, lands in between… it is not always easy to find a really good, ripe stone fruit. But while I don’t think any store-bought plum or peach could ever match up to a sun-warmed plum or peach just picked from its branch, there are some tips I’ve learned along the way.

Plums and peaches will continue to ripen after you buy them, but how deliciously sweet they are is determined at picking time. That won’t change.

A ripe plum feels heavy in the hand and has an even color, whether a purple, red, or golden fruit. Wrinkling indicates a lack of moisture, so avoid any with less than firm skins wrapped about the flesh. The blossom end of a plum should have a little give to it when ripe, and a very gentle squeeze should provide some give. A hard fruit with a hard tip is not ripe — it will ripen, but again, how delectable it tastes will then vary greatly.

When selecting peaches, look for a uniform golden color beneath the rosy hue; skip over any that are tinged with green. (White peaches are another story.) Firm, but with a bit of tenderness when squeezed, and a very round shape means it is ripe and ready to go. The stem end of a peach will be somewhat soft when ripe, and it should feel heavy in the hand. Don’t be shy: give it a whiff — if your mask will allow, that is — seeking that fruity scent that declares it ripe. As with plums, avoid any with bruises or that are wrinkled, unless you desire a dry, mealy mouthful.

Alas, it seems no matter how hard I try, there is always a dud in the basket: picked too soon (and there is no way to know when a peach has been plucked) or chilled before it reaches the store, mealiness is there to stay.

I dream about those perfect plums and peaches of yesteryear, but it does not stop me, nor should it stop you, from indulging in summer’s bounty. Even one fruit that echoes greatness is worth the hunt. Isn’t that peachy?

Put them in pies and cobblers, eat them out of hand, turn them into salsa, embellish ice cream; or how about some peaches and plums in a salad?

Chicken Salad With Peaches

And Plums

Toss together:

2-3 cups diced roasted or smoked chicken, white meat (OR one pound of extra firm tofu, pressed and diced)

1 small to medium ripe peach, diced

1 small to medium red or purple plum, diced

2-3 tablespoons minced red onion

In a small bowl, whisk:

1/3 cup mayonnaise

2 tablespoons stone ground

mustard

1-2 tablespoons honey

A few grinds of black pepper

Pinch of salt

Pinch of chili powder

How sweet/spicy you want the dressing is up to you.

Mix the dressing into the chicken (or tofu) and fruit.

If using tofu, refrigerate for a couple of hours to allow the tofu to absorb flavors. You may need to add a dash of tamari soy sauce.

Serve chilled on a bed of mixed greens.