Peaches have a whitish or yellow flesh with a fuzzy skin. This fruit offers a delicious yet light aroma with a sweet taste. They are used in various dishes and desserts, offer amazing health benefits, are wonderful to make jam or preserves with, and are enjoyed by millions the world over.

The History of the Peach

The next time you take a bite of juicy peach, think about how this fruit has been loved by the Chinese for many centuries. In fact, the Chinese believe that peaches bring good luck and encourage fertility. Once other cultures discovered peaches, they quickly embraced them. Ffom the Romans to the Persians to the French, so many cultures have grown to love this fruit. Eventually, peaches found their way to North America from the Spanish, and Native Americans began to cultivate them. Not only were the Native Americans fans of the peach, but Thomas Jefferson himself grew this beloved fruit at Monticello.

The peach is part of the rose family and is a cousin to almonds, apricots, and cherries. It is considered a stone fruit. There are two basic types of peaches: clingstone and freestone. Clingstone peaches tend to be difficult to remove from their pits, so they are most often used for canning. Freestone peaches can be easily pulled from their stones and are the ones sold in stores and at roadside markets.

Today’s peaches are grown around the world in countries including China, Iran, France, the United States, Australia, and Canada.

A Fruit for All Dishes and Diets

Although best known as a food for breakfast or for dessert, peaches are perfect for any meal at any time of day. Peaches can be sliced, peeled and then added to pancake batter. They can be tossed into salads. Pureed peaches can make the base to a great marinade for pork or chicken or be whipped into a sweet beverage whether alcoholic or not. When mixed with oats, brown sugar, and butter, peaches make for a terrific crisp dessert. Adorn peaches with fresh raspberry sauce and vanilla ice cream to make the famous and much-loved Peach Melba.

Just like other fruits, peaches are filled with good nutrition. They are low in calories – usually about 35 calories in a medium-sized peach. They offer vitamin C, vitamin A, vitamin E, fiber, and are full of phytochemicals, which are a type of antioxidant. Although many people prefer the taste of fresh peaches to canned, most canned peaches contain as much nutritional value as fresh. So, even if you choose to enjoy peaches when they aren’t in season, they are still good for you.

Choosing the Peach for You

When choosing peaches for consumption, look for unblemished ripe fruit. Make sure there isn’t any bruising, which could result in the fruit rotting quickly. Peaches should be firm yet offer a bit of give to them when pressed. The color should be bright and yellowish-red, but not green and they should offer a sweet scent.

Once you get those fuzzy beauties home, keep them flat in a spot in your kitchen, as opposed to stacking them in a fruit bowl. Don’t put them in the refrigerator, because the peaches will lose some of their sweet taste. If you’d like to freeze them, slice them along the indented line and open them. Then, remove the pit and freeze with the sliced sides onto a cookie sheet. Once frozen, you can remove them from the sheet and store them in a plastic bag for up to a year.

Just Peachy

You may enjoy your peaches cooked or fresh off a tree in the orchard. Experiment with peaches – try them in a recipe with ginger or cinnamon. Puree them with lemon juice and honey to make a sweet condiment for chicken. Baste them with a mixture of melted butter and brown sugar, grill them, and then eat them warm with vanilla ice cream. Peaches are so versatile that you really can’t go wrong with any recipe that includes them. This delicious fruit is a wonderful addition to your diet and will make any meal of yours memorable.