Content

• To step
• Part 1 of 3: Choosing peaches
• Part 2 of 3: Eating peaches raw
• Part 3 of 3: Cooking with peaches

The peach is one of the most eaten fruits in the world. Peaches are native to China, where they have been cultivated for 1,000 years before our era, and where the bride wears peach blossoms on her wedding day. The Romans gave the peach the name "Persian apple" (Persia is the original name of the country of Iran and many peaches are cultivated there as well) and thanks to Columbus, the peach also crossed the ocean and ended up in America. Canned peaches are of course available all year round, but in the summer you can enjoy fresh peaches, although fresh peaches are usually imported into the Netherlands. Fresh peaches are nice and sweet and juicy and easy to eat. In this article you can read how to determine whether a peach is ripe, how to best store peaches and the different ways you can eat peaches.

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Part 1 of 3: Choosing peaches

1. Only buy fresh peaches during the peach season. The best peaches come from the area and are picked when they are already ripe; just before they fall from the tree on their own. You usually eat the tastiest peaches when you are on holiday in, for example, Spain, Italy or Greece. In the Netherlands itself, peaches are also grown on a small scale, but it is actually just a bit too cold for peaches in our country. Most peaches come from sunny, Mediterranean countries in the south of Europe. The European peach season starts in Spain, where the first peaches are picked in April, and lasts until mid-October. Peaches are also grown on a large scale in North and South America. In the United States, the exact harvest season varies by state. So it may be that they already eat peaches in California, while they are still green on the tree in New Jersey. In the South American country of Chile, the seasons are exactly the opposite. So it is summer there when it is winter here, and the peach season in Chile runs from November to April. Below is a list of a number of areas where peaches are grown, followed by the period in which the peaches are ripe there:
   • Spain: from the end of April to mid-October
   • Italy, France and Greece: June to September
   • Florida: April and May
   • California: May through September
   • Argentina, Chile and South Africa: November to April
   • Georgia: May through August
   • South Carolina: May through August
   • Chile: November to April
2. Choose ripe peaches. It is best to buy ripe peaches and eat them in a day or two or three. Store-bought peaches are usually not fully ripe, but if you store them at home out of the sun and at room temperature, they should be fully ripe after three days to a maximum of a week. If you keep peaches in the fridge, the ripening process will stop. That's why it's smart to keep the peaches in a paper bag in the fridge as soon as you think they're ripe enough.
   • When buying peaches, make sure they feel heavier than they look. This is a sign that the peaches' flesh is full of juice.
   • Do not squeeze or squeeze the peaches to see if they "yield." The flesh of a ripe peach will indeed yield when you press it, but squeezing the peach will damage the flesh and the pressed area will usually rot quickly.
   • A ripe peach usually exudes a fairly strong scent where the stalk is, but that scent is not the same for all types of peaches.
3. There are many different types of peaches. Peaches have been cultivated for nearly 3,000 years and there are literally hundreds of different varieties of peaches worldwide. Most European and North American peaches are yellow to orange in color, but did you know that the peaches in Asia and South America are much lighter in color, to almost white?
   • Which peaches are the best? The tastiest peaches are the ones that grow closest to you. Locally picked peaches are generally much tastier and juicier, as they can be more delicate than the peaches to be shipped for export. Peaches that still have to undergo a long journey are therefore often already picked when they are actually not yet ripe enough.
   • A few well-known peach varieties are the Amsden June, the Red Haven and the Champion (from North America), the Charles Ingouf and the Benedicte (from France).
   • Peaches can be divided into peaches with a solid and peaches with a loose stone. In peaches with a fixed stone, the pulp has “grown” firmly around the stone. There are also peach varieties that are just in between. With such peaches, the stone is not very stuck, but also not completely loose.
   • Most so-called "melting" peaches have the flesh attached to the stone. These peaches are usually grown for commercial purposes and for direct consumption. These so-called “melting” peaches are very juicy once ripe, almost as if the flesh is melting. So-called "non-melting" peaches remain much firmer and are therefore usually canned.
4. Store peaches properly. If you bought peaches, remove the stems and keep them with the stem side down on a cloth of breathable material to allow the peaches to ripen a little longer. For example, peaches ripen very well on a linen or cotton napkin or tea towel. Cover the peaches with a thin napkin so that they can ripen quietly. As soon as the peaches start to yield a little and as soon as the peaches start to smell nice, place the peaches loosely wrapped in a paper bag, or just loose in the refrigerator.
   • From the moment you put the peaches in the fridge, you should eat them within a few days, as they will be overripe in less than a week. Never keep peaches in a closed plastic bag as they are guaranteed to spoil.
   • You can also freeze peaches. To freeze peaches, you first have to blanch them briefly in water. Then remove the skin with a knife and cut the peaches into wedges. Store the peach wedges in airtight freezer bags.

Part 2 of 3: Eating peaches raw

1. Always rinse a peach before eating it. Always rinse a peach with clean water just before you eat it or before you use it in something. Gently rub the outside of the peach with your hands or a vegetable brush. That way you not only remove any dirt and bacteria from the peach, but also any residual pesticides.
   • Always wash peaches just before eating them. If you wash peaches first and then keep them in the refrigerator, they will spoil faster because the moisture can cause bacteria and fungi to form on the peaches.
   • You can eat the skin of a peach, but if you don't like the texture of the skin, you can also remove it very well with a sharp knife. The skin of a peach is rich in phytonutrients and fiber, but many people are not so fond of that velvety.
2. You can eat a peach out of hand, just like an apple. The best way to eat a ripe peach? Just sink your teeth in and let the juice drip over your chin. Be careful though, because peaches, like plums, apricots and nectarines, are stone fruits. So there is a rock-hard pit in the middle, but otherwise you can eat the peach completely.
   • You can also try cutting the peach in half by cutting the peach all the way around to the stone with a knife. Then gently rotate the halves and pull them apart. Now you can easily take out the wick and put your teeth in the peach with peace of mind without having to worry about biting into something hard.
   • One of the nice things about a peach is that it is such a juicy fruit, but some peaches are very juicy. Therefore, have a handkerchief or some kitchen paper or napkins ready to catch the drops of juice and to prevent your clothes from getting dirty.
3. You can also slice a peach. Using a sharp knife, cut the peach all the way around the stone, from the end where the stalk was to the other end of the fruit. Pull the two halves apart and then cut each half into three or more slices, depending on the size of the peach. Sliced ​​peaches are great as a snack.
   • To spice up the flavor of the peach slices, you can sprinkle a little bit of cinnamon or brown sugar over them. Whipped cream or sour cream also taste delicious with fresh peaches.
   • With peaches with a solid stone, it can be quite difficult to remove the stone when they are very ripe. Chances are you will crush the peach, and if the pulp is very tight to the kernel, it is usually very difficult to turn and release the peach halves from the kernel.
4. Stir fresh peach cubes through the yogurt, quark or cottage cheese. Diced peaches make a bowl of plain yogurt just a bit sweeter and also provide a tasty “bite”. Yogurt is healthy because of the probiotics, and with the peach you add a fruit that is rich in iron, potassium, vitamins A and D and antioxidants, as well as a number of different phytonutrients. But the most important thing is of course that it is very tasty.
   • Want to really spoil yourself or someone else? Then scoop some piece of peach over a bowl of vanilla ice cream. Irresistibly delicious.
5. Add peaches to your smoothie. Almost every smoothie tastes better with some peeled peach in it, because the peach makes the drink sweeter and more fruity. For an easy peach breakfast smoothie, try the following recipe:
   • Puree equal parts peeled peach and milk with a hand blender or blender, then pour the mixture over ice cubes. For one large glass, measure out a quarter of a liter of milk and add the same volume of peach pieces. If you want, you can also add orange juice (one third of the total amount), and a little honey if you like.
   • Other ingredients that are tasty in this smoothie are for example: yogurt, banana, strawberries, blueberries, chia seeds, peanut butter or (uncooked) oatmeal or oat flakes.
6. Use peach cubes as a garnish. With diced peach you can finish your breakfast or snack in a beautiful and delicious way. Try pieces of peach as a finishing touch or topping on:
   • Cornflakes or other cereals
   • Brinta or oatmeal
   • Rice porridge or semolina pudding
   • Pancakes, pancakes or poffertjes
   • Muesli or cruesli
7. Try making a Bellini. Fancy a summery peach drink? A drink that was a favorite of American writer Ernest Hemingway? Yes please, you will say. Mix freshly mashed peaches with a little lemon juice and you have a sweet and fruity base for a refreshing champagne cocktail. For an authentic Bellini, mix the following ingredients in a food processor:
   • Place four peeled peaches without stone in a blender with the juice of one lemon. Puree the peaches with the lemon juice in the blender and then add some sugar or honey to taste, and two or more tablespoons of lemon juice if desired.
   • Pour a little of this mixture into a champagne flute and top it up with the same amount of good Italian sparkling wine (spumante) or champagne. A delicious summer cocktail.

Part 3 of 3: Cooking with peaches

1. Make a Pêche Melba. Poached peaches, fresh mashed raspberries and vanilla ice cream. That's all you need for this classic treat and you make it like this:
   • In a pan, bring 125 ml of water with a tablespoon of lemon juice and 220 grams of sugar to the boil. While heating, stir the water so that the sugar dissolves. When it is simmering, add four peeled peaches cut in half. Let the peaches cook over low heat until soft and then scoop them out of the sugar water with a slotted spoon.
   • Puree 250 grams of raspberries, 30 grams of icing sugar and a tablespoon of lemon juice in a food processor or with a hand blender.
   • Let the cooked peaches cool. Then divide the peaches between cooled dessert dishes or ice cream sundries, scoop vanilla ice cream on top and pour some of the raspberry sauce over it.
2. You can also bake very well with peaches. Whether you have peaches that are not yet ripe or overripe, whether they have a solid or a loose stone and whether they taste delicious or actually only mediocre, peaches in all types and flavors are an excellent basis for pies, cakes. and crumbles. If you have a lot of peaches, use them in one of your favorite baking recipes.
   • Try making a peach pie. A peach pie is a delicious, refreshing and summery variation on the well-known Dutch apple pie. In almost all apple pie recipes you can replace the apple with (not too ripe) peach. You can make a classic plaited peach pie or a peach crumble pie, and peaches will undoubtedly do well in a vanilla or chocolate cake too.
   • Try peach crumble. Just like the well-known apple crumble, peach crumble is actually a kind of fruit pie, but without a bottom. Warm peach crumble with such a sweet, crumbly and crispy baked crust on top, combined with vanilla ice cream, whipped cream, sour cream or even with vanilla custard is so delicious that it should actually be banned ...
3. Make peach jam. If you really have a lot of peaches to process, then you have a good excuse to make delicious sweet jam. Mix equal parts pureed fresh peaches with white sugar, a little lemon juice and pectin or another gelling agent. You can make a good amount of jam in one go.
   • Most store-bought gelling agents come with specific instructions to follow and the correct proportions depending on the type of fruit you are using. Always read the directions for use on the packaging of the gelling agent that you have purchased. You can use jam sugar instead of regular granulated sugar.
   • Try making peach jam from peaches mixed with ginger syrup. Peach ginger jam is delicious in marinades and on roasted meats. The taste also goes very well with that of blueberries, plums or cherries.
4. Drying peaches. If you have a lot of peaches that are all starting to ripen, drying can be a useful way to store them so that you get more out of your harvest. It is best to cut the peaches into wedges and dry them in a dehydrator or food dryer, or by putting them in the oven on the lowest setting for a very long time. They should dry slowly and at low heat.
5. Fruit on the barbecue. It may sound strange, but like certain other fruits, you can grill peaches on the barbecue. And the taste of roasted peaches is a very special addition to various meats and even fish from the barbecue, such as pork, chicken, beef or salmon.
   • Slice the peaches and brush a little bit of balsamic vinegar over them with a brush. Then roast them pulp side down on the grill grid. Do not toast the peach slices for longer than 3 to 5 minutes as they will soften very quickly.