Everything You Ever Wanted to Know About Peaches!
It’s peach season! We thought we would share some information about this beautiful fruit. Here is everything you ever wanted to know about peaches! Did you know peaches are low in calories, fat and sodium and contain vital nutrients that help maintain a healthy lifestyle? One medium-size peach contains 37 calories and is a good source of Vitamin C. Ontario leads Canada in both peach and nectarine production with 82 per cent of the national production.
Five Simple Steps to Peach Perfection
Step 1 – Select fruit that is firm and fragrant. Be aware that the blush of a peach does not indicate ripeness, but is a way of identifying the variety.
Step 2 – Remove fruit immediately from the container in which it was purchased and sort according to ripeness.
Step 3 – Store ripe fruit in the refrigerator or enjoy right away.
Step 4 – To ripen firm fruit, store at room temperature and out of direct sunlight in a loosely closed paper bag for a day or two. Note; plastic bags are not suitable for ripening fruit, as they will trap moisture and air, which can cause premature spoilage, so always use paper bags.
Step 5 – Once ripe, store tender fruit in the refrigerator for up to one week or enjoy right away.
TIP: The fruit is ready when it’s sweetly aromatic and yields to gentle pressure. Never wash fruit before storing, wait until you’re ready to eat.
Storage & Handling
Selecting:
Look for a creamy or yellow background, not green. Don’t be afraid to buy firm fruit. Look for fruit that’s relatively firm with a smooth skin, sweet aroma and clear peach background colour. Avoid wrinkled skin or a greenish tinge at the end, or excessively soft, bruised or blemished fruit.
Peeling:
Dip peaches in boiling water for 30 to 60 seconds; immediately place in ice water. Rub peach skins off by hand.
Freezing:
Peel, pit and slice. Add 1/2 cup (125 mL) granulated sugar and 1/4 tsp (1 mL) fruit preservative to 4 cups (1 L) sliced peaches. Pack tightly into plastic containers, leaving 1-inch (2.5-cm) air space at top. Top with a crumpled sheet of wax paper and seal tightly. Frozen peaches can be stored for one year. To prevent browning coat sliced peaches with lemon juice or fruit preservative immediately after slicing.
Peach Varieties
Semi-Freestone Peaches
The flesh of these peaches partially clings to the pit and are excellent for eating out-of-hand. Varieties include:
- Harrow Diamond
- Springcrest
- Candor
- Harrow Dawn
- Early Redhaven*
- Garnet Beauty
- Risingstar
- Brighton
- Sunhaven
- Harbelle
- Sentinel
Freestone Peaches
The flesh of a freestone peach separates easily from the pit, making it perfect both for eating fresh and for preserving. Varieties include:
- Redhaven
- Vivid
- Harbite
- Harson
- Blazingstar
- Harrowfair
- Starfire
- Veeglo
- Harrow Beauty
- Loring
- PF24
- Allstar
- Coralstar
- Cresthaven
- Redskin
- Glowingstar
- Harcrest
History
Archaeologists have found bowls of peaches entombed with Chinese dignitaries several centuries before Christ. They were revered as a potent symbol of immortality. The peach is likely native to that part of China near the Pakistani border where it still grows wild. The Latin name for peach means “Persian plum” because the Romans imported it from Persia (now Iran) some 2,000 years ago.
In the New World, peaches date back to the 1500s, brought first to Latin America by early Spanish colonists. Peach trees flourished in temperate parts of Canada almost from the time of the first European settlement.
Now is the time to enjoy this fantastic fruit. Still have questions? As always we welcome your feedback. You can leave a comment right here on the site or head on over and join in the conversation on Facebook (remember to ‘Like’ the page) and Twitter – (don’t forget to follow us there too).
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Until next time,
Giancarlo
