Six of the Best Peach Recipes To Make All Summer Long
It’s hot as hades these days in the San Gabriel Valley, which I jokingly tell folks is the devil’s underpit. While sweating through the annual Los Angeles heatwave, I find nothing more enjoyable than relaxing by my pool with a cold peach. But my affinity for peaches isn’t just grounded in taste. I love them because they gave me some of my valuable memories of feeling loved.
One of my most treasured memories with my grandmother in Athens, Georgia was when I was 7 years old and she handed me a paring knife and taught me how to effortlessly cut a slice of peach into my mouth. In that moment, I felt like a bad-ass pirate, but also loved, trusted and empowered. She didn’t let me use any knife, she let me use her knife. And out of 53 grandchildren, I had the pleasure of sitting on the front porch with her in silence enjoying the delights of a juicy Georgia peach. Love enacted is much more powerful than it is spoken. And at that moment, I experienced my grandmother’s love simultaneously with a peach.
One of my favorite peach farms in California, has a similar origin story that expands past love and centers on identity and preserving the legacy of California peach varieties. The farm is Masumoto Family Farm and it is a 80-acre stone fruit and raisin farm just south of Fresno. Owned by David ‘Mas’ Masumoto and Marcy Masumoto, the farm has been organic since the 1980s and certified organic in 1987. It’s truly a family affair at this farm. Mas runs the day–to–day operations with his daughter Nikiko and some help from his son, Korio. The farm grows five types of peaches, four types of nectarines and Thompson seedless grapes for raisins each year. During the summer, they offer “Stone Fruit Drive Thru” where visitors can pick up “organic, ugly and fabulous” fruit and “Adopt-a-Tree”. Adopt-a-Tree offers community members the chance to harvest fruit from their very own designated stone fruit tree during the season.
As the dog days of summer creep upon us, I challenge to find a peach and create a memory centered on love.
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When peaches are firm to the touch and lack their signature sweet fragrance, they need a few more days to ripen before they’re ready to eat. Follow these tips to store them until they’re ready to eat:
Store unripe peaches on the counter at room temperature. Keep them unwashed, and place then stem-side down, preferably in a single layer to avoid bruising.
If you’re in a hurry you can speed up the ripening process with a pretty simple trick. Grab a paper bag (and a banana if you’re in a real rush) and tuck those peaches inside. In one to three days later, you’ll have a peach perfection.
Ripe peaches are best when eaten right away, but if you have more than you can eat in a single sitting, follow this tip:
Stash them in the refrigerator for up to a couple days. The cool temperature slows down ripening and prevents the peaches from quickly spoiling. It’s worth noting, however, that extended time in the fridge will dehydrate the fruit, making the texture less appealing. If it gets to that point, you can always make peach butter.
If you have more peaches than you can possibly eat before they start to spoil or the skin gets wrinkly, the best place to store them is in the freezer. Ripe (not mushy) peaches are best for freezing.
Peel the peaches, slice them into wedges, then freeze them on a baking sheet or plate before transferring them to a freezer bag. They’ll keep well for months, retaining their sweet flavor and orange hue. Defrost them as needed for anything from a peach smoothie to peach cobbler to a classic peach pie.