Explorer gutted with ancient stewed fruit (9)
I believe the answer is:
nectarine
'fruit' is the definition.
(nectarine is a kind of fruit)
'explorer gutted with ancient stewed' is the wordplay.
'gutted' means to remove the middle letters (to gut something is to remove its insides).
'with' says to put letters next to each other.
'stewed' indicates anagramming the letters.
'explorer' with its centre removed is 'er'.
'er' after 'ancient' is 'ancienter'.
'ancienter' with letters rearranged gives 'NECTARINE'.
(Other definitions for nectarine that I've seen before include "Luscious fruit" , "Trace nine to a kind of peach" , "Juicy fruit" , "Variety or mutation of a peach" , "Smooth-skinned fruit" .)