Types of Peaches
Peaches are the quintessential summer fruit. They can be eaten right off the tree, yet they are incredibly versatile and can be used in everything from salads to mains, drinks, and desserts.
Peaches, botanically known as Prunus persica, have been cultivated for hundreds of years. They are believed to have been first cultivated in China and brought to Europe via the Silk Road from Persia. European settlers brought them to the US in the 1600s.
China is still by far the largest commercial producer of peaches, with Spain and Italy in distant second and third place. The US is an even more distant seventh in terms of production.
There are hundreds of varieties of peaches, but they all fall into three main groups: Freestone, clingstone, and semi-freestone.
Freestone Peaches
As the name implies, freestone peaches’ flesh comes off of the pit easily when they are fully ripe. This makes them very convenient for eating or processing large numbers of peaches. These peaches are generally very juicy and have great flavor. They are also mostly larger than Clingstone varieties.
The freestone varieties are ripe from mid-May to late September, depending on the local climate. Some popular varieties are Big Red, Summer Lady, Sunprince, Majestic, and Harvester. Freestones are most commonly found in grocery stores due to their long picking season.
Clingstone Peaches
Clingstone peaches have flesh that “clings” to the pit or stone. They are generally smaller than freestone varieties, but they are usually sweeter and juicier. Clingstone peaches are great for canning, jams, and jellies.
They are available in extra early, early, extra late, and late varieties. These are mainly found at farmer’s markets and farm stands.
Semi-freestone Peaches
These are mixed hybrids. Depending on the variety, they can more closely resemble the freestone or clingstone parent. The same tree can also produce a great variation on the same tree. They are good for eating fresh and baking or canning.
Yellow and White Peaches
There are also yellow and white peaches. These can either be freestone or clingstone. White peaches have more sugar, aren’t as firm, and are sweeter. They do not hold up to canning or baking well, but they are delicious eaten fresh or in salads and the like.
To complicate things even more, there are nectarines, which are peaches bred to have smooth skin with no fuzz. They are also great for eating raw, baking, grilling, and canning.
Some Favorite Varieties
Donut Peaches, like Galaxy: Donut peaches are flatter and not round like regular peaches. They have a sweet flavor but not any sweeter than some standard varieties. We find that some donut peaches have way less flavor than their standard counterparts. Most of them are freestone.
Elberta: Elberta is a large, freestone, heirloom variety named in 1875 in Macon, Georgia. This midseason variety has bright yellow flesh, yellow skin with a pink blush, and is very sweet. It is the perfect peach for eating and canning. The tree is self-pollinating, so it is great for smaller properties that don’t have much room.
Redhaven: This cold-hardy variety was developed in southern Michigan and is semi-freestone. It has a beautiful pink blush with yellow flesh. Another self-pollinator, it is great for smaller properties. This firm, early-season variety is great for canning, eating, and freezing. This variety also makes delicious pies.
Arctic Supreme: Considered one of the best white-fleshed varieties. It is self-pollinating and has an excellent flavor. This late-mid season, clingstone, large-fruited variety has a red over cream-colored skin. It is perfect for eating and salads.
Nectarines, like Fantasia: Fantasia is a smooth-skinned, mid-season variety of nectarine with a good flavor and firm texture.
Growing Peaches
Peaches are fairly easy to grow and, depending on the variety, are hardy from USDA plant hardiness zones 4-9 but may struggle in the low and high range. They require full sun and enough room to spread. Most peaches require a minimum period of vernalization in the winter. This means they must have a minimum number of days where the temperature is below 45°F.
Protect the bloom from late frost in northern zones.
Branches, as well as fruit, should be thinned throughout the growing season. This will produce larger fruit.
As with all of the species in the genus Prunus, peaches are susceptible to many insects and diseases. While they can be grown organically, the skin will rarely be blemish-free.
When planting peaches, determine if you have a self-pollinating variety; otherwise, you will need to plant two trees. In northern regions, protect them from the Northwest wind in the winter.
How to Choose the Best Peaches
As with most fruits, first and foremost, use the senses. Ripe peaches smell sweet and strong, like peaches.
Give the fruit a gentle squeeze. If it is hard, it will take a few days to ripen. If it has some give, it is ready to eat. If it is mushy or has bruised or mushy spots, it is overripe and should be used immediately, with any damaged spots cut out.
How to Quickly and Easily Remove the Skin
Get water boiling in a large pot. Set up an ice bath in a large bowl with water and ice. Make an X in the blossom end of the peach (the smooth end opposite where the stem was). Using a slotted spoon, drop a peach in the boiling water. Blanch it for about one minute or until the skin near the X loosens.
Remove the peach with the slotted spoon and immediately plunge it into the boiling water. After it cools, the skin should slip right off with a paring knife.
How to Store Peaches
If peaches are perfectly ripe, store them in the fridge. Store them in the fruit drawer at the bottom of the refrigerator. Keep an eye on them. If they start to wrinkle, this is a sign they are becoming overripe and dehydrating.
For unripe peaches, store them on a bright windowsill to ripen them quickly. For very firm fruits, add them to a paper bag to speed up the process. Add a banana, pear, or apple to the bag to speed this up even more. These fruits release ethylene, which will help the peaches ripen.
Peaches also freeze beautifully. They can be sliced and par-frozen on baking sheets, then added to containers, or puréed and frozen as a purée. This is great for jams, jellies, or smoothies.
Note: If peaches are picked too green before they are full-sized, they may not ripen at all.
Thanks to the number of varieties available, peaches are pretty long-lasting during the growing season. Fresh peaches are found from May or June through August and early September at farm stands and farmers’ markets.
Although peaches are available year-round in grocery stores, their flavor does not compare to fresh ones. Buy extras fresh during the season and freeze some for use in the winter. Frozen fruit can be used to make pies, smoothies, ice cream, jams, jellies, and more.
