Fresh Produce Pick: Peaches!

• From South Carolina!
• At their juiciest this time of year!
• High in fiber, vitamins A and C, niacin, and potassium

Just a few of the amazing things you can do with peaches:

1. Eat them out of hand. They’re perfect alone in their natural state!
2. Can them and make peach jam
3. Grill them
4. Use them in desserts – pies, cobblers, shortcakes, crisps, pound cake, breads, scones, on top of ice cream
5. Chop them up in a salsa or other side dish
6. Drink your peaches! Sangria, smoothies, juices…
7. Puree them and use for dressings
8. Freeze them for the winter
9. Throw a little basket of peaches together to give to a friend!

Recipes

• Chicken with Peach Salsa
• Salad with Peach Dressing
• Peaches with Crème Fraiche, Brown Sugar, Cinnamon and Nutmeg
• Peaches Poached with Basil
• Blackberry and Peach Buttermilk Cobbler

Event More Hot Tips on Peaches

How to Select Peaches
Look for peaches with skins that show a background color of yellow or warm cream. The amount of pink or red blush on their cheeks depends on the variety and is not a reliable indicator of ripeness. Undertones of green indicate the peaches were picked too soon and will not ripen properly and won’t be sweet. Look for plump, medium to large peaches with unwrinkled skins. Choose fruits that are mildly fragrant. Avoid rock-hard peaches and choose those that yield slightly to pressure along the seam, even if they may otherwise be fairly firm. Peaches at this stage of ripeness will soften if kept at room temperature for a few days. Avoid dark-colored, mushy, bruised peaches that are overripe and beginning to spoil. Tan circles or spots on the skin are early signs of decay.

How to Store
Store them in a single layer with their stem end down to prevent bruising. Check them daily. When you sniff the stem end, a ripe peach will smell very sweet and peachy. Use them immediately or refrigerate them.

Using Peaches
Peaches should be washed thoroughly and can be rubbed with a paper towel to remove the fuzz on the skin. Some people prefer to peel peaches rather than encounter the fuzziness or chewiness of some peach varietal skins. Whole peaches can be peeled easily by immersing a few peaches at a time in boiling water for about 15 seconds and then plunging them into ice water. The skin will slip right off.