Nectarines

Packed with with sweet, delicious flavor, nectarines are drupe fruits closely related to peaches and native to China.

Nectarines are in season from June through September. An average-size nectarine measures 2½ inches in diameter, weighs 142 grams and contains 63 calories.

Nectarines belong to the Rosaceae family, which includes apricots and cherries, in the genus Prunus. Genetic studies have concluded that nectarines are produced because of a recessive allele, or one of a number of alternative forms of the same gene or same genetic locus, whereas a fuzzy peach skin is dominant.

Nectarines contain an ample supply of Vitamin C. The fruit contains 88 percent water by weight.

China produced 11.5 million metric tons of peaches and nectarines in 2011, with Italy (1.64 million metric tons), Spain (1.34 million metric tons) and the United States (1.18 million metric tons) rounding out the list of leading producers.

Stats for 100 Grams of Nectarines (Raw)

• 44 calories

Notable Nutrients

Percentages based on the Reference Daily Intake for a 2,000-calorie diet

• Fiber: 6.8%
• Vitamin A: 6.6%
• Vitamin B3: 5.6%
• Vitamin C: 9%
• Potassium: 5.7%

Carbs/Protein/Fat

• Carbohydrates: 85.9%
• Protein: 6.1%
• Fat: 2.8%

Food Type

• Subacid fruit

Sources

• http://ndb.nal.usda.gov/ndb/foods/show/2325
• http://www.cronometer.com
• http://www.nutrition-and-you.com/nectarine.html
• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peach#Nectarines