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| Nutri- Notes: Peaches Galore! |
| Nancy Berkoff, RD, |
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This is the time of year to revel in the glorious captured sunshine of fresh white, yellow and doughnut shaped peaches, white and yellow nectarines, not to mention apricots and yellow, red and green plums and even some combination stone fruit, such as pluots (a cross between plums and apricots).
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Every wondered why a peach smells so sweet? That’s because peaches and nectarines are members of the rose family. We mention peaches and nectarines together because a nectarine is merely a fuzz-less peach. Sometimes a peach tree may produce nectarines and sometimes the reverse is true. When there’s been real frivolity in the orchard, a peach or nectarine tree may produce a chimera, one piece of fruit that is one half peach and one half nectarine. And yes, this is a natural occurrence, not a bio-engineered plot.
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 California is a real peach growing state. At last count there were over two thousand standard and heirloom peaches and nectarines grown and harvested here. Lots of peach and nectarine varieties were perfected in California, such as the Baby Crawford ( originating at UC Davis), Nectar( born in Bakersfield), Rio Oso Gem ( introduced in Rio Oso in 1933), Heavenly White ( Modesto), White Rose ( Le Grand, California) and the Snow Queen (Ontario, California). Local markets will carry several varieties of California peaches and nectarines throughout August and possibly into September. |
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Peaches and nectarines are not just pretty, they’re good for you. Both are good sources of potassium, with some Vitamin A, C and niacin. And of course, there’s no fat or salt to speak of.
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How should you select your peaches and nectarines? It depends on your eating and cooking schedule. If you’re going to enjoy your fruit au naturel then you’ll want ripe, ready to eat specimens. Choose fragrant fruit without blemishes or soft spots. Peaches and nectarines can go soft, mushy and moldy on you fairly quickly, so buy ripe fruit with an intent to eat it in two or three days. You can refrigerate them, but you may cut down on the flavor and they may turn slightly brown.
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Try not to choose peaches that are the texture of soft balls. Hard fruit may not ripen sweetly. If one or two hard guys slipped into your package, you can quickly soften them by putting them in a paper bag. The paper bag traps the natural gasses fruit emit when they being to ripen and traps it in the bag. Don’t leave them in the bag too long, as you can wind up with peach sauce.
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Peaches and nectarines are very amenable fruit. They can be baked, stewed, grilled, broiled, barbecued, dried or frozen. Toss some sliced peaches or nectarines into chicken or turkey dishes, add a skewer of peaches and sweet onions to the barbecue and even try a slice of peach or nectarine on a beef or veggie burger. If you’re peach crop is too plentiful, you can slice them and dry them in a slow oven or in the sun, protected from uninvited guests. Drying concentrates the nutrients and the flavor. Store dried peaches or nectarines in a cool, dry place and serve them with ice cream, yogurt, chopped into pasta or green salads or used as a garnish for poultry or rice dishes.
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| Quote of the Day |
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Age is an issue of mind over matter. If you don't mind, it doesn't matter.
~Mark Twain |
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A generous contribution
has been received honoring
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John Maxwell
with all our love
Bill, Mary, Susan
and Phil |
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