They may not be the most reliable of fruits, but that one perfect juicy nectarine, walking the line between sweet and tart, makes all the duds you bit into well worth it. 

What is it that’s so mesmerising about the nectarine? To me, it’s that a good nectarine is about the best fruit experience imaginable, almost mind-blowing in its nectar-sweetness and slight-tartness and juicy-but-firmness, its semblance to a crisp, syrupy bite of summer, while any other nectarine – the bulk of the bunch – is just a sad disappointment.

The mere thought of a great nectarine can make you salivate, and I hope that’s exactly what you’re doing now. Salivating into your shirt collar.

But finding that unicorn can take time, and wild optimism. It’s like hunting for an amazing op shop find – you know it’s hypothetically out there, the cashmere cardi in charcoal grey with big black buttons, waiting to make everything worthwhile, every other mothbally, ill-fitting sweater you tried on with hope. The hit-and-miss nature makes that eventual win so much better even if, on the road to get there, you’ll have to bite into a lot of average stonefruit.

Beyond the point, but shocking: People ask Google, “Is a nectarine a cross between a peach and an orange?” No, dear Googler. A nectarine is a variant of the peach, yes – likely domesticated in China about 4,000 years ago – and it’s smooth. But it’s not even tangentially related to the orange.

Even more beyond the point: My dream fruit tree would be one that grows nectarines, peaches, and peacherines, and through the amazing science of tree grafting, this is actually possible.

Where to find it

Nectarines are one of the earliest stone fruits to appear in summer, and now is the beginning of their reign.

Currently you can get extra-sweet hunny nectarines from Pak’nSave for $7.49/kg, or from New World at $14.99/kg. The 1k punnets of yellow nectarines are $12.99 at Countdown, while New World is selling the same for $7.99. New World also has white nectarines on offer for $14.99/kg. Basically, the pricing is confusing, but you can buy a nectarine – so it’s officially summer.

Perhaps controversial, but I’d like to note that the yellow nectarine is the only one I care about. White nectarines? No thank you. They’re not as juicy and have half the flavour since they’ve lost that acidic tang. Bring me the golden boy anyday.

How to make it terrible

Sniff your nectarine like you would the head of a baby. If it smells sweet and fragrant, you may just have a winner. Outside of the realm of picking “the one” from the bunch, there is no way to ruin a nectarine outside of truly bizarre acts, like, I don’t know, adding one to a beef stew – which, to be honest, could also be incredible.

How to make it amazing

This week’s ingredient is a lie. Or not quite a lie – the nectarine is a front. A spokesperson, if you will, for my true agenda, which is advocating fresh fruit in summery salads and other light meals. This is a trick that will make you enjoy salads about 200% more, and plenty of types of fruit will work wonderfully in an otherwise savoury dish: strawberries, nectarines, peaches, apricots, mangoes, pineapple, pears.

I do not advocate going mad with this (blueberries mixed into your broccoli stir fry are not the key to a delicious dinner; bananas will likely not go well in a salad), so proceed with even amounts of creativity and caution.

For inspiration: Grilled nectarines or peaches, tossed with fried halloumi, rocket, and pistachios – incredible. Strawberries and mint in a green salad – simple and sublime. Fresh slippery mango cubes with your tacos or poke bowl – the bloody best, and even better with a squeeze of lime.

This heirloom tomato and nectarine salad by Michael Meredith is a thing of beauty, balanced between salty jamon, creamy bocconcini, fresh basil, bitter witloof – and, of course, the sweetness of that wonderful nectarine.

I shouldn’t discriminate against winter fruits here; I’m all for thinly sliced pear in a rocket, feta and walnut salad, drizzled with sweetened balsamic. I’m a total advocate for replacing anaemic winter tomatoes that cost $10 and taste like disappointment for a fresh, sweet orange, diced and tossed with cos and avocado. I’ve written before about the excellent combination of kiwifruit salsa and crunchy fish burgers.

So get out there, and make summer fruit more than just a snack.

Wyoming Paul’s startup Grossr has just released a Christmas menu by Michael Meredith, with recipes, cooking videos, ingredient lists, and a preparation guide.