It’s that time of year again! Local peaches are being harvested from your neighborhood orchards and can be seen (and bought) at roadside stands, farmer’s markets, and even a local grocer. We love eating them fresh, with juice dripping down our arms and chins. Nothing better than a Utah peach in August.
Keep reading to learn some fun facts about these delicious fruit..
Peaches originated from mainland China.
The darker the peach’s color, the more Vitamin A it has in its pulp.
Peaches are best eaten raw. When they are cooked or boiled, they lose up to 80% of their nutrients, especially Vitamin C.
Peaches contain high amounts of nutrients your body needs like niacin, thiamine, potassium and calcium.
Peach kernels are often used for their medicinal value.
selection: You will know you’ve got a peach when the fruit you handle has that distinct fuzziness, has an undeniable aroma, and is blushed with varying shades of orange, yellow, blush and red. Look for peaches that feel firm to slightly soft, with no bruises. Rock hard peaches with green around the stem aren’t ripe yet, and soft peaches with shriveled skin are old. White peaches are sweeter and less acidic than yellow peaches.
storage: If they aren’t ripe yet, keep them at room temperature until they are; then you can transfer them to the crisper drawer in your refrigerator where they will keep for a number of days.
use: eat them raw, make into leather, soups, ice creams, sauces, jams, pies, cobblers, paired with meats, poultry, seafood, anything you fancy.
recipes:
peach almond tart with vanilla ice cream
plum and peach crisp from 101 cookbooks
peach and rosemary spritzers from shutterbean
