There are so many things I enjoy about summertime, and admittedly, much of it revolves around food. Fresh peaches are delightful with a wide variety of ways to enjoy them.
Though Georgia most likely comes to mind as the peach capital of the US, according to Clemson Cooperative Extension, more peaches are grown in the states of South Carolina and New Jersey than in Georgia! However, California grows far more than all those states combined. California grows about two-thirds of US peaches, and most of them are for processing canned and frozen peaches. Ohio ranks 23rd in the US for peach production.
Amazingly, the United States produces only 5 percent of the world’s peaches. The peach tree is native to China, and that country produces 45 percent of the world crop.
When evaluating fresh peaches, look at the under color, which should be a deep yellow or creamy white. Peaches that are hard and green are immature and will never ripen properly. Peaches are either clingstone or freestone. This term refers to how easily the flesh separates from the pit.
The best way to ripen peaches is to place them in a single layer in a loosely closed paper bag at room temperature for one or two days. If you stack peaches, the bottom ones will bruise from the weight. Store ripe peaches in the refrigerator for up to a week. Rinse peaches just before eating with cool, running water.
A medium-sized peach has about 60 calories and provides vitamins A and C, potassium, and fiber.
Peaches are versatile because they can be eaten any time of day in an assortment of sweet or savory dishes. There’s peach cobblers and crisps, fresh peach salsa, peach glazed pork loin, peach and chicken salad, grilled peaches… the list is really endless! Here are three recipes for a cool peach treat.
A simple recipe for Peach Sherbet: Peel and slice 5 or 6 peaches, and then lay them on baking sheet lined with wax paper. Freeze the slices. Next puree the peaches and a can of sweetened condensed milk in a blender until the mixture looks like soft serve ice cream. You can serve it immediately or freeze in an airtight container until it is a firmer texture.
An easy Peach Sorbet recipe: Just blend 4 peeled and pitted peaches with 1 ½ cups orange juice and ½ cup low-fat vanilla yogurt. Pour this mixture into an ice cream maker and make it like you would any ice cream mix.
A foodie twist on the typical Peach Sorbet: Begin with roughly 3 cups of frozen peaches, ½ cup almond milk, 5 minced basil leaves, juice from half a lime and 4 tablespoons honey. Blend this until smooth and then freeze in an airtight container until solid.
No matter how you like them, I hope you will enjoy some peaches this summer!
Written by: Emily Marrison, Family and Consumer Sciences Educator, OSU Extension Coshocton County
Reviewed by: Patrice Powers-Barker, Family and Consumer Sciences Educator, OSU Extension Lucas County
Sources:
Shertzer, Julie Kennel. “Selecting, Storing, and Serving Ohio Peaches”. Ohio State University Extension Ohioline. 2010. https://ohioline.osu.edu/factsheet/HYG-5525
Kelly, Tammy and Stroud, Jennifer. “Juicy Fresh Peaches”. North Carolina Cooperative Extension. 2020. https://lenoir.ces.ncsu.edu/2020/08/juicy-fresh-peaches/?src=rss
Live Healthy Live Well 
Leave a Reply