Thursday, February 25, 2010

On White Peaches



I love white peaches. They are one of the things that I am going to miss about summer.

In Melbourne, white peaches typically start appearing in late Spring. However beware of those early pickings---they are either petrol guzzlers or early bloomers that could not get enough sun to turn their flesh into nectar. As a result, most of them will turn you off peaches for a long, long time. I pity the person whose first taste of peaches fall at that inopportune of times.

Peaches need the sun, and a bit of heat, to ripen. When I buy my tree ripened (yet still firm) peaches from the farmers' market, I normally leave the whole punnet out by the window for a couple of days. When I see their fuzzy skin start to wrinkle around the top, I know that they are ready for me.


My favourite, as I said, is the white freestone variety. This is the peach, with its white flesh and red pit, that created so much envy among other peaches. More subtle than the flavourful, and sometimes tart yellow variety, the white peach is like the that elegant cousin you see once a year at reunions, whose refined manners you secretly and desperately tried to mimic.


There are many ways to eat a peach. I for one will not be so bold as to instruct you on how to eat yours. However, I hope that you will allow me the indulgence of sharing mine. Dispensing with all cutlery or graceful manners, I eat mine right over the sink. There are few greater pleasures than eating a luscious, ripe peach, and letting its saccharine juices run down your arm to your elbow, catching the droplet with the tip of your finger, and then bringing it to your lips to savour every last bit of summer sunshine.


You can, of course, eat a peach in a more civilised manner, say, sliced and arranged on a plate, or with the skin off, but to me, there just can be no other way. And besides, if you don't tell and I say nothing, this can just stay between us, no?

14 comments:

Grace Massa Langlois said...

Christy you are one amazing writer, I was able to visualize grabbing that ripened peach and seeing myself enjoy it as I watched the juice drip down my arm. It is one of the many pleasures I remember as a child, my parents grew peach trees in our yard. Thank you for taking me there this morning, I awoke this morning from a dream of my Dad and missing him so much, your post brought me to a place where I was remembering happy times with my Dad. Something I really needed today!

Have a wonderful day!

Grace

Mallory Elise said...

petrol guzzlers??

very nice peach. mhm. i just ate a nectarine. and a white guava. and now i want a mango. tee hee.

hey it started to cool off now....guess end of summer. hmm. temperature dropped and clouds rolled in. muuuuuuch nicer now :P

ps. i'm getting married on 27 March and i'm making myself a cake.

Julia @Mélanger said...

Not being a summer girl, I look forward to this time of year as the temperature starts to dip and the days slightly shorten. I enjoy the months from April through September for the cooler climate. But I do miss one thing about summer. The disappearance of stone fruit. My absolute favourite is the peach. And every year, at this time, I walk around with a slower shuffle in my fruit store as I see the end of season peaches sitting there. Knowing that their fate is soon sealed for the year ahead. But while they are in available in their full, juicy glory, I sometimes eat two a day. Oh and yes, sometimes over the sink, too! How can you not? :)

Alisa said...

Reading this has left me with a huge craving for peaches.You really write well and that photo looks so good.I'd really love to guide foodista readers to your site if you won't mind. Just add your choice of Foodista widget at the end of this blog post and you're all set. Thanks!

Mallory Elise said...

question miss Christy: are you taking a break from daring bakers? i haven't done it in three months....was just too hard during moving and going crazy.

Pity said...

i love peaches as well, but my favorite are flat peaches, i cant stop buying them when they are on season, whicih is quite short, really, cheers from london

Grace Massa Langlois said...

I need to ask, what are flat peaches?

Mallory Elise said...

Grace, i think flat peaches are the same as donut (doughnut, whatevs) peaches. if you know those instead...ie if you're american :) just thought i'd answer since Christy is on a potty break :D

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Grace Massa Langlois said...

Hi Mallory, I am Canadian and am still at a loss, I don't know what doughnut peaches are either. May be a lost cause, may have to take a trip just to experience them. Thank you for taking the time to help me figure this out. May have to visit wisegeek, such a good site.

Christy said...

Hi Grace, flat or as Mallory said, donut peaches, are also called Saturn peaches, and they are a squat variety of the normal peaches. The shape resembles a ring, which is probably why it's called a donut or a Saturn peach. Here's a link for you: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saturn_Peach

PS. Thanks for helping out with the answers, Mal. I haven't checked in for quite some time.

Grace Massa Langlois said...

Hi Christy, thanks for the info, I will have to ask my local market if they can acquire them, I would love to try them sweet peaches with a hint of almond, don't think it can get better than that. Two of my favourite things! Also wanted to say thank you so so much for all your help, hope I didn't bother you with all my questions, I am hoping my blog will be up and running by next week. You are a sweetheart!!!

Allison Jones said...

Oh, man, peaches. We're MONTHS away from peaches over here, but these look so good! I guess this is what I get for all those months of bragging about my Portland summer bounty...

Ann said...

Awesome pics, I love all your pictures, looks super cool and yummy