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Know Your Fruits and Veggies™ - Peaches
By Dawn Swidorski, Public Outreach Director
Peaches are one of the most delightful of the summer fruits that
has an, oh so sweet but painfully short season.
Scientifically the peach is classified as Prunus Persica and is also closely
related to the almond subgenus. The peach is an edible and juicy fruit of a
deciduous tree that produces delicate pink petals each spring and a light
fragrant aroma.
The peach got its name from the
Greek philosopher Theophrastus around 300 B.C. who thought it came from Persia (now Iran) hence the
designation Persica. However, they actually originated and were first
cultivated in China as early as the 10th century
B.C. and peaches are often found on paintings and illustrations of that era. They
were introduced to Persia and the Mediterranean region along the Silk
Road and reached Europe with the Romans sometime around the birth of Christ.
Peaches, along with cherries, plums and apricots, are
considered stone fruits (drupes).
Peaches are divided into two basic
types: clingstones where the flesh clings to the stone (pit) and freestones
where the flesh does not. Both clingstones and freestones can have either white
or yellow flesh. Each fruit has a single brown seed that is oval shaped and
surrounded by a convoluted woody husk. One side of the fruit has a distinctive vertical
indentation and sport the trademark fuzzy skin.
Peaches
and nectarines are very closely related and are self pollinating. In fact, a
peach tree can suddenly begin producing nectarines and then several years later
return to producing peaches (and vice versa). Charles Darwin even observed
incidences where a half peach, half nectarine fruit was produced on the tree.
Like
many fruits and vegetables they can be easily grown from the stone (pit) but be
sure not to plant it near an almond or they may cross and result with bitter
fruit and bitter almonds.
White-fleshed peaches are the most popular variety in Asia,
while Europeans and North Americans generally prefer the more acidic,
yellow-fleshed kind.
The flesh is very delicate and easily bruised in many varieties. Peaches are
best when picked ripe as
many cultivars do not ripen well after they have been
picked. Peaches
actually taste best eaten "warm" from the tree.
Peaches can be used for salads and a
variety of desserts, peach puree, peach juice (both of which can be frozen),
chutneys and jam. To learn
more about peaches
