The last day of summer is officially September 22nd, but Maggie started back to school weeks ago. As the long days wind down, we must begrudgingly say farewell to peach season. This year, I found myself with an abundance of peaches throughout the summer. Whenever I swiped the last one from the counter to eat in my oatmeal, another batch would show up on my doorstep. Into the house that bag would come. The moment of anticipation and joy of standing over the kitchen sink—house perfectly silent—and biting into the soft flesh, savoring the moment as juice runs down my arm…for me, this is the essence of summer.
All peach lovers know that peaches develop their sweetness and flavor while on the tree. Once they are picked, they just get softer and juicier. Stay away from peaches that are firm and look for those who yield slightly to gentle pressure. To test firmness, don’t poke the fruit with your fingertip; hold the peach in your whole hand and squeeze gently. Peaches that are green around the stem are not yet ripe; shriveled skin means the fruit is too old. The best test for a peach’s flavor is its smell; a peach will taste almost exactly how it smells.
You can store firm peaches at room temperature. Once they begin to turn soft, put them in the crisper drawer of your refrigerator and plan to eat them soon. If you find yourself with too many peaches, you can freeze them (peeled and sliced) and keep them for up to 6 months.
As a newly converted juicer, I have not yet run out of uses for peaches. Fresh, sweet peach juice is full of vitamin C, potassium, and fiber – and combines well with most other fruit juices. It also makes a perfect mixer for cocktails. This recipe makes two full-sized drinks and works well for brunch, after dinner, or just about any time.
xoNatalie
GINGER PEACH SPRITZER (serves 2)
1 to 2 slices fresh ginger
1 to 2 ripe peaches, depending on size
Cold Prosecco or sparkling wine
Blueberries, for garnish (optional)
Blend ginger and peaches together until completely liquefied. Pour into a champagne flute, about ½ – ¾ of the way full. Top with Prosecco or sparkling wine. Drop a few blueberries into the glass for garnish.
For an extra cold beverage, slice and freeze your peach beforehand.
Enjoy responsibly.
I think finding the perfect peach is one of my culinary dreams for each summer. I’m in New England, so you never know if you’ll find that perfect one or not. I tried to pay a friend to bring back as many peaches as possible from his trip to Mississippi, but it didn’t work out. ;( Maybe another year. Our family also like to sing the song that starts “Goin’ to the country, gonna eat a lot of peaches…” each summer. It gets the hunt for the perfect peach underway. 😉
Every year I make several trips to Chilton County to buy my peaches from Jimmie Harrison’s stand where CR 15 runs into Hwy. 82. That stand started the year I was born and my family has been getting peaches there for decades. I have written essays and am working on a documentary about Jimmie’s. One of my favorite ways to eat the peaches is soaked in a good Beaujolais with a sprinkling of dark brown sugar. I got that recipe from Frank Stitt’s first cookbook. The last “peach run” of the season is always a bittersweet portent of the end of summer but a reminder that Jimmie’s will be offering a brand new crop starting around Mother’s Day of the next year.