Not only its soft skin with fine hairs, but also the incomparable sweet taste make the peach probably the most seductive of all fruits. Peach season is from mid-May to the end of September, which is why the scent of peach brings back pleasant memories of long, hot summer days for many people. No wonder, after all, a fresh peach with its high water content is a perfect refreshment without many calories. The stone fruit also enjoys great popularity as jam, compote, melba dessert, tart or juicy peach pie.
Peach: calories and nutrients
An average peach weighs about 125 to 150 grams. There are about 40 kcal and 87 grams of water in 100 grams of peach, as well as
- Potassium
- Calcium
- Magnesium
- Vitamins A, B1, B2 and C
The high water content makes this fruit a healthy, sweet and fruity alternative to sticky, fatty snacks, especially on warm days.
How to eat a peach?
When eating, it is recommended to cut the raw peach and eat the individual slices. Since peaches are very juicy, biting directly into them often results in spills. When slicing peaches, you should first carefully cut vertically around the pit all the way around. Then the fruit can be broken in two by hand, leaving the pit stuck in one of the two halves. It can then be easily removed from there so that the peach can be sliced.
Tips for buying peaches
When buying peaches, press lightly against the skin: If it is very hard, the fruit should not be eaten yet, but can already be purchased to ripen at home. Very soft fruit with a slightly shriveled skin is often already overripe and rots quickly. There are numerous recipes and ideas for preparing peaches. Below we present some of them.
Peach punch with alcohol
Canned peaches are best for a fruity and fresh peach punch, as their juice is a great addition to the drink:
- To do this, remove the peaches from three large cans and cut them into bite-sized pieces. Save the juice from the cans.
- Now sprinkle 4 tablespoons of sugar over the flesh and drizzle with 1/8 liter of cognac.
- After two hours, put the fruit in a large bowl and pour a bottle of white wine and the peach juice.
- Leave to infuse overnight, then top with sparkling wine just before serving.
Recipe for peach melba
A classic peach recipe is the summer sweet dessert peach melba:
- To do this for two people, scald a large peach with hot water.
- Steep briefly, then immediately rinse with cold water and carefully peel off the skin.
- Now cut the fruit in half, remove the core and stew in sugar water.
- Then drain the peach halves and let cool.
- In the meantime, purée a small bowl of raspberries.
- Arrange the peach halves in dessert bowls, each with a scoop of vanilla ice cream and a dollop of whipped cream and top with the raspberry puree.
Peach pie made quickly
In winter with canned peaches, in summer with fresh peaches from the market – a fruity peach pie tastes good on any occasion. With fresh peaches, a pound of fruit should first be skinned as in the peach melba recipe. For canned peaches, simply drain the juice. Cut the peeled fruit into slices. Now beat 125 g soft butter, two eggs, 100 g sugar and some lemon flavoring with a hand mixer until fluffy. Gradually stir in 200 g flour and 2 tsp baking powder. If the dough is too dry, add some milk. Pour the batter into a greased springform pan, top with the peach slices and bake at 190 degrees for about 30 minutes. Then let the peach pie cool and serve sprinkled with powdered sugar.
Origin and cultivation of peaches
Peaches grow on low trees that belong to the rose family. They love a mild, sunny climate as well as deep, nutrient-rich sandy soils. However, the fruits grow large and beautiful only with adequate irrigation. Most peaches are imported to Germany from Italy, France, Spain or Greece. The largest peach-growing country, however, is China, where the little trees were already cultivated 4,000 years ago because of their beautiful blossoms.In Germany, too, peaches can be grown in temperate wine-growing regions in sunny, windless places. There are about 3,000 different peach varieties worldwide, with hairy peaches distinguished from smooth-skinned nectarines. Peaches are also distinguished on the basis of the color of their flesh. This may be yellow, white, or reddish.
