“Life is better than death, I believe, if only because it is less boring, and because it has fresh peaches in it.” - Alice Walker
It’s the peak of summer! You can tell, not only because everyone is fleeing from the cities and heading to the shores, but because peaches are in their best shape of the year. They are sweet, delicious, falling off the stones and crying out to be put into salads, made into ice cream, baked into crumbles and turned into jams and jellies.
Lately, I’ve been putting half a peach into my morning smoothie and so enjoying the sweet, gentle flavor it adds. I’ve been making my favorite salad of tomatoes, peaches, burrata cheese and fresh basil – so pretty that it’s hard to eat it sometimes. Last but not least, I’ve been making different variations of peach ice cream and frozen yogurts and devouring every batch. There are so many ways to use peaches in all your meals, from breakfast to dessert!
There’s nothing too complicated about peaches. They originated in China and are a member of the rose family – as are nectarines, plums and almonds (which is one good reason why peaches and almonds go so nicely together). The most interesting thing about peaches is that they can be categorized into three different groups – clingstone, freestone and semi-freestone. Perhaps you’ve wondered why sometimes it seems impossible to twist a peach and get it to release from the pit? Well, it’s the variety of peach that you’re using.
Clingstone peaches are harvested first in the season, in May or June. As their name indicates, they cling to the pit inside, making it impossible to simply twist two halves of a peach to separate them from the pit. They are sweeter and juicier than freestone peaches and are perfect for eating (messily), or making jams and jellies. The only downside – they are much harder to manage should you like to cut your peach into nice segments.
Freestone peaches are harvested later in the year – in July to September – and are much easier to manage. They are usually larger, firmer and less juicy than clingstone peaches, but can be just as delicious. They are easy to eat and toss into dishes, but are also perfect for baking. Semi-freestone peaches are a new variety of peach that is a cross between the two other groups. As such, they are good for all sorts of purposes.
At this time of the year, the easier to manage freestone peaches can be found everywhere. What does that mean to you? Well, it means you’ve got no reason not to grab some peaches and start preparing them in all sorts of ways. Maybe you should start with some Grilled Pork Chops with Peach BBQ Sauce to start. Or perhaps you want to go straight to the Peach Ice Cream with Waffles?
