Peaches

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All About Peaches

Peaches are at their sweetest and juiciest in season, but they can still be delicious all year long. Here are some tips on how to best enjoy them.

Benefits

Peaches are high in fibre, vitamins and minerals. They also contain a high level of natural sugars that are good for the body.

Characteristics

In the same family as apricots, almonds, cherries and plums, peaches have a juicy, sweet, fragrant flesh. Its soft fuzzy skin varies in thickness according to the variety.

The Right Techniques

EXPERT Tip

Cook the peaches on the stove with some butter and sugar. A real treat! Enhance the flavour by adding a pinch of pepper.

Storing them
Peaches will keep for several days in the fridge. To hasten ripening, store them at room temperature, preferably in a paper bag. Storing them in a plastic bag is not recommended as it could cause them to spoil prematurely.
Freezing them
Peel, pit and slice the peaches first. For 4 cups of sliced peaches, add ½ cup (125 ml) of granulated sugar and ¼ tsp (1 ml) of fruit preservative—a product readily available at Metro. Pack tightly in a freezer bag leaving a 2.5 cm (1 in.) space at the top, cover with a sheet of wax paper and seal well.
Peaches can be stored in the freezer for up to a year.

Choosing them
Choose fragrant, firm fruits. The skin should be soft and free of spots and bruises. The colour of the peach doesn’t necessarily reflect how ripe it is.
Serving them
Peaches go well with vanilla, mint, rum, cloves, apricots, almonds, nuts, lavender and citrus.
They can easily replace apples in strudels crumbles and pies. Try preparing peaches in foil, alone or with raspberries and chopped basil. Feel like bringing it up a notch? Add a scoop of ice cream topped with caramel.
Undeniably delicious as a dessert, peaches can also be served in your main dishes. For a fresh take, top a bed of greens with peach slices and drizzle with red wine or raspberry vinegar.
Peaches pair beautifully with pork and poultry. Grilling enthusiasts will enjoy cooking peaches on skewers with pieces of pork, onions, peppers, white wine vinegar and a bit of lemon zest.
Preparing them
To pit a peach, simply cut along the natural seam, gently twist until the two halves separate and pull out the pit.
To peel more easily, blanch in boiling water for ten seconds then immediately transfer to cold water to cool.
To prevent sliced peaches from turning brown, place them in a cup of water with 15 ml (1 Tbsp.) of lemon juice or toss them directly with fresh lemon juice.
Cooking them
Delicious raw, sautéed, fried, grilled or poached, it’s generally not recommended to bake them unless they’re of the white variety.