Do you know what a nectacot is?

It’s a cross between an apricot and a nectarine.

And it’s delicious.

The texture of a nectarine, the size of an apricot, and the flavour of both at the same time.

Now, I’m not the biggest fan of doctoring nature, but I can almost convince myself that the nectacot was the result of an illicit affair between an apricot and a nectarine. And that’s not science; that’s love …

On the subject of summery fruits that I love, here are a few of my favourites:

Peaches. Usually the yellow cling variety wins hands down, but every so often I’ll find a red one that’s perfectly ripe and exploding with sweetness.

Nectarines, especially when their skin is just a little bit firm, so you have to burst it with your teeth to get to the flesh.

Apricots. Not only for their flavour (superb, especially when they’re not too ripe), but also because you can use the pips as attractive garden mulch.

Greengages, far more than the humble plum. There’s a stage in greengage ripeness when they’ve just turned yellow and their sweetness is multidimensional. It’s so delicious.

The illicit grape. The only fruit I don’t allow myself to eat as a diabetic, because they’re so loaded with sugar and I could easily polish off half a box without noticing. Alas! The illicit grape is shunted to the corner of the summery fruit party; the outcast, the pariah. Unable to socialise with the exotic nectacot.