Celebrating the Last of the Fresh Peaches

August 29th, 2013 by Savvy Veg

Peach season is winding down and with pangs of regret, I celebrate the Last of the Fresh Peaches

Fresh Peaches

I’m crazy about peaches, especially fresh ripe tree-ripened local organic peaches, but any peaches will do.

And peaches are happening now in Iowa! For the past 6 weeks, we’ve had a steady, relatively cheap abundance of Georgia peaches, Missouri peaches, Colorado peaches and local peaches.

The best peaches I’ve ever eaten were small ripe organic peaches just picked from the trees of friends and neighbors - bugs and all.

But there’s never enough to truly satisfy my peach lust. I need bowls of peaches, I need to stuff myself with peaches, I never get sick of eating fresh peaches.

Plus I wanted to try making peach ice cream and I had an idea for peach tart.

I wish that all the peaches I eat were organic, but I confess that they are not. Organic peaches cost the earth, and in my experience, are not all that great compared to those in my friends back yards, or the Missouri peaches at Bob’s Barn.

Regretfully, even though peaches are on the Dirty Dozen list, I must rationalize eating non-organic peaches.

So yesterday I went to Bob’s Barn - purveyor of local produce, Amish goodies, nuts, seeds, dried fruit, spices, seeds etc. in Fairfield IA.

Every year for the last umpteen years, Bob and his son Marty drive down to Missouri and bring back a truck load of peaches from their favorite peach orchard - for me! (ok AND the other addicts)

I bought my second 10 lbs of Missouri peaches - ripe but firm, sweet and juicy, smelling peachy, ready for my sugar free vegan peach ice cream experiment - in the freezer waiting for me now! (Sneak taste tests indicate a winner).

As for my gf, sugar free, fat free peach tart recipe - the first try was made and devoured, and it was tasty enough though not quite up to my vision.

So that’s happening again today, and this time I’m determined that my peach tart vision will be fully realized. (it came closer)

I know I’m not alone in my passion for peaches, and this morning while making peach ice cream at 6:00 a.m., I started thinking about peaches.

I accept that peaches are one of nature’s miracles, and I am thankful, but I like to know the details:

Where did peaches come from? How did they get to be so delicious? What hidden ingredients make us crave them?

So I took a quick virtual peach tour (love Wikipedia!) and here’s what I found.

7 Fascinating Facts About Peaches

1. Peaches have been cultivated in China for over 4000 years. From there they traveled to India, Western Asia and Persia. From Persia they went to Greece, then to the rest of Europe, and America and England in the early 17th century - the peach world tour encapsulated.

2. Peaches are very picky about their growing conditions, and they are quite perishable, with a short shelf life - which explains why they are expensive, especially organic peaches.

3. Growers plant several different types of peaches to produce fruit in succession and extend the season to satisfy the mass peach addiction. And by the way, nectarines are just peaches by another name.

4. Just picked tree ripened peaches are the most flavorful and also the rarest of treats. Most commercially grown peaches are picked while still hard and continue to ripen off the tree.

5. Commercially grown peaches aren’t always tasty. Tastiness has to do with the variety of peach, where they are grown, how close to ripe when picked, and how long ago they were picked. And with peaches, apparently it’s the aroma that gets us. “More than 80 chemical compounds contribute to the peach aroma”.

6. Peaches are nutritious! The Wikipedia article I read just said that “A medium peach typically contains 30 Cal, 6 g sugars, 1 g fiber, 1 g protein, 140 mg potassium, and 8% DV Vit C.” Meh. But this article has much more info about the bounty of vitamins, minerals and phytonutrients in peaches. Supposedly peaches may even cure cancer!

7. Peach allergies are surprisingly common, even though they are so nutritious, but peeled and canned peaches can usually be tolerated. My husband is one of the unlucky ones who are allergic to fresh peaches, poor baby! (more for me, heh heh).

Judith Kingsbury, Savvy Vegetarian