Pick Your Peach
As with all produce, buying local is best. Peaches stop getting sweeter as soon as they’re picked (though they do still ripen and get juicier after leaving the tree). Thus, the tastiest peaches will be local, ones picked already ripe and ready to eat. A tree-ripened peach should be fragrant and bruise easily under light pressure. You want to handle them like eggs. This softness means that ripe peaches should never be found in a large stack—that means they’re too green and not tree-ripened at all.
When you do come across a peachy pyramid display like that found at most grocery stores, don’t despair. High-quality and tasty fruit is still within your reach if you know what to look for. Store-bought peaches should be yellow with a rosy blush. Avoid any peach with green undertones, a sign of being picked too early, or with tan circles, an early mark of decay. When you buy these firmer peaches, you’ll need to ripen them at home. To do this in a jiff, place your peaches stem down in a brown bag on the counter for a few days. If you’re in a rush to enjoy that nectary goodness, add a banana to the bag. The ethylene given off by the fast-ripening banana will speed up the peaches’ ripening process as well.
Get Peachy
Of course, while peaches are delicious eaten alone, they’re also an amazing addition to your meals. Grilled, baked, or preserved, here are a few innovative peach recipes you can try as you celebrate the peach this August:
This is the perfect way to use over-ripe peaches, and with only three ingredient (just water, sugar, and peaches, of course), jam can’t get simpler than this!
Grilled Peaches over Arugula with Goat Cheese and Prosciutto
Kick up your salad with the artful flavor combination—from the sweetness of the peaches to the spice of the arugula—in this summer-themed dish.
Enjoy the sweet and spicy kick of peaches and jalapenos on this savory summer grilling recipe, made from simple aingredients you might already have on hand!
With just the right combination of sweet and tart, this pie recipe monopolizes on two delicious summer fruits: fresh raspberries and ripe peaches.
Cool things down and keep it fresh with this delicious tomato-peach gazpacho, which in addition to being tasty, doesn’t require you turn on the stove.