By Beth Hillson

Allergy-Friendly Fruit-Full Homecoming

Delicious summer goodness with an allergy-friendly twist

When baking with fruit, pick those that give off a sweet perfume and are tender to the touch but not mushy. Select fruit with no brown spots or soft places on the flesh. Pears and peaches can ripen further on the kitchen counter but don’t let them linger more than a few days. Fruit’s sweet scent can quickly turn to a fermented, yeasty odor, signaling that the fruit is nearly past its prime. Apples should be firm with only a slight fragrance, the crisper the better. Plums should be slightly soft. The same holds true for apricots. They’re trickier to ripen at home; I often rely on dried apricots in my gluten-free recipes for this reason and because they add an intense sweetness that isn’t always imparted by fresh apricots. If you’re not able to bake when the fruit is ripe and ready, store it in the refrigerator to extend its life.