A peach is a midsummer’s delight and a gorgeous icon of summer’s blistering sweetness. From May to September – but especially in July and August, the peak of the season – multiple varieties of peaches can easily be found at local groceries, farmers markets and roadside stands.
They may be native to China and adopted by Georgia and Alabama as their state flower but, lucky for us, California is the largest U.S. producer of peaches. That means we have ongoing access to the freshest and heartiest crops. There are two basic variations: freestones, whose pits are easy to remove; and clingstones, which are mostly used for canning. White-flesh peaches are more fragile but generally sweeter and more fragrant than their yellow counterpart, which boasts a sweet-acidic flavor. Peaches come in dozens of domestically grown variations, from the white-fleshed O’Henry to the squatty Donut Peach to the Babcock, a yellow-flesh version with red streaks near the pit. And, goodness, don’t forget the nectarines. The fuzz-less, shiny-skinned peach is just as luscious and tasty as its fuzzy sibling.
Peaches are heavenly when freshly plucked from a tree and hand-eaten. (Picture this: A voluptuous reddish-orange peach so warm from the sun you can smell it before you touch it, so fuzzy you have to rub it on your jeans leg first, and so ripe the juices run down your chin as you bite into it.)
That said, they are equally delightful as a special ingredient to enliven lighthearted summer dishes or to perk up refreshing hot-weather beverages. To hasten your departure to the nearest peach source, I’m not going to spend time outlining their history and cultivation this week, as I usually do. Instead, I offer you a few good tips and a half-dozen ways to prepare them. I challenge you to try at least one new way of serving them this summer and sharing the joy of peach-eating with family and friends. Sweet pickings!
Epicure’s tips for buying, storing and using peaches
* Select peaches that are firm to the touch but have a little “give” when gentle finger pressure is applied. Choose blemish- and bruise-free ones, preferably with a defined “cleft” along the body and a sweet fragrance.
* Avoid unripe peaches with green areas as they will never fully ripen. And, once peaches are picked, the sugar production stops even though they may soften.
* Because peaches are highly perishable, buy only as many as you will consume within a few days. Rinse them only just before eating or cooking.
* When storing, keep space between them to retard bruising and molding. To extend their life, store peaches in the refrigerator in a plastic bag to capture some humidity. Just before using, remove from the refrigerator and bring them close to room temperature to release fullest flavor.
* When cooking or freezing: Remove the pits so their bitterness is not transferred to the fruit.
* Peeling peaches: Mildly score each peach with an “X.” To loosen skins, blanch by adding to boiling water for 2-3 min. Transfer to a bowl of ice water and peel skins with a paring knife.
2006 (no, really, just 6) ways to enjoy summer peaches
1. Create a salsa for seafood or fish. Mix diced cucumber, red bell pepper, red onion and peeled peaches with lime juice, chopped cilantro, olive oil and sea salt. Season to taste with black pepper and/or crushed hot peppers.
2. Peach up a cool summer salad, such as Peachy Grilled Chicken Salad.
3. Roast them for dessert. For 4 people: toss 4 large peaches (peeled, pitted and halved) with 4 Tbsp. unsalted butter, 1/4 cup firmly packed light brown sugar, 2 Tbsp. dark rum (optional) and the juice of 1/2 lemon. On foil, roast the peaches on a grill or in a 350-degree oven until they are tender and start to caramelize, 10-15 min. Serve warm over vanilla, butter pecan or rum raisin ice cream in bowls or martini glasses.
4. Serve some liquid peach. I served White Sangria at a cookout recently and it was a big hit!
5. Substitute them. Make your favorite al fresco stack of mozzarella cheese and basil leaves but use cross-cut peach slices instead of tomatoes. Drizzle balsamic vinegar and olive oil over the stack and season with sea salt and pepper to taste.
6. Enjoy them frozen, as in Ginger Peach Sorbet.
Jacqui Love Marshall lives in Danville with her vintage-car-loving husband, two pugs and binders of recipes. E-mail her at Epicure@DanvilleWeekly.com.
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