What is it?

During the last weeks of June, white peaches and the early yellow varieties arrive in stores. These first peaches of the season are low in acid and have a clear, sweet taste that makes them perfect for eating out of hand, but bakers should wait a month or so before they start rolling out their pie dough. Later varieties have a higher acid-to-sugar ratio, which gives the fruit more depth and complexity. Mid- to late-season peaches can stand up to stronger accompanying flavors and are the best choice for baking and using in desserts. In mid-August, start looking for the dark-fleshed Indian or blood peaches. Though usually smaller and not as juicy as their summer cousins, these peaches have a rich, almost berry-like flavor that’s unsurpassable for cooking. You can usually count on finding ripe peaches in markets until the end of September.

All peaches are classified as eitherfreestoneorcling. The flesh of a cling peach clutches at the stone of the fruit, while freestone varieties relinquish their seed more readily. You’ll rarely find cling peaches at the market: their firm flesh holds up well when cooked and is prized by commercial canners. The peaches you find at the grocery or farmers’ market are almost always freestones.

As with all produce, peaches thatgrow closest to your homeshould be your first choice. They’ll be fresher and will not have been subjected to as much handling as those that come from a more distant locale. Peach varieties are myriad and fleeting. Each variety in a geographic zone has a two-week window, more or less, in the market. Depending on where you live, you’ll find peaches with names like Red Haven, Elberta, O’Henry, Georgia Belle, and Sun Crest. Learn the names of your local varieties, if you can.

Pair peacheswith flavors both sweet and tart.They go especially well with sour cherries and raspberries. Almonds, with their aromatic undertones, are also a delicious match for peaches. The sweet acidity of a ripe peach cries out for the richness of cream. Serve fresh slices with mascarpone, crème fraîche, ice cream, or just a pour of thick, fresh cream. Caramel, too, is a good match for the tartness of a peach. Bourbon, port, and sweet dessert wines are also all delicious partners for peaches.

How to choose:

A perfectly ripe peach should be firm. The only soft places will be the bruises left by other people pinching the peach before you got there. A ripe peach feels heavy in the palm of your hand; it will give a little, feel more voluptuous. Look for the golden or creamy background color of the skin at the stem end of the peach. Don’t be duped by a provocative blush color (varieties are being developed that are nearly 90% blush). The background color of the skin is all-important.

Size is crucial, too.Bigger is better when it comes to peaches.Bigger peaches seem to be sweeter, more fully developed in flavor. Sniff the peach you’re considering: you can smell the nectar in a riper peach.

How to prep:

When preparing peaches for cooking, the trick is to remove the skin while keeping as much flesh as you can on the peach. The best way to do this is to quickly blanch the peaches before you peel them.To blanch:Bring a large pot of water to a boil. While the water heats, cut an X into the bottom of each peach. Drop the peaches into the boiling water and cook just until the skin begins to loosen, 30 to 60 seconds. Drain the peaches and then plunge them into cold water to stop them from cooking further. The peel should slip right off.

Toslice a peach:run a small knife from stem to tip, cutting right through to the pit. Turn the peach in your hand, making one cut after another and let the slices fall into a bowl. Once exposed to the air, peach flesh tends to turn brown quickly. To keep the color bright, sprinkle the slices with a bit of lemon juice.

How to store:

Supermarket peaches often fail us because they’re smaller, picked greener, and stored longer. But if imperfect peaches may be all that’s available, you can ripen peaches in a brown paper bag or a ripening bowl.

If you’ve picked firm, ripe fruit with good background color at the stem end, the peaches will soften in three or four days, and a lovely fragrance will beckon you. They’ll keep in the refrigerator for a couple of days longer.

Don’t washpeaches until you’re ready to use them or they’re likely to develop mold.

Recipes

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  Recipe

  Blueberry Muffin-Peach Ice Cream Sandwiches

  Modeled after the Italian ice cream sandwich using gelato and brioche, this sweet duo combines two iconic summer ingredients, blueberries and peaches. Unlike most cookie-based ice cream sandwiches, which can…

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  Recipe

  Grilled Peaches with Maple-Cardamom Butter and Ginger Ice Cream

  Grilling stone fruits such as peaches and nectarines is easy as long as your fruit is just ripe but still firm. The flavor of warm grilled fruit is enchanting—especially when…

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  Recipe

  Peach Sheet Pan Pie

  Bourbon, vanilla, and thyme mingle with peaches in this summer crowd pleaser. No need to peel the peaches: Their delicate skin becomes tender during baking.

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  Recipe

  Peach Whey Sorbet

  Because this recipe uses the whey (the liquid left after straining regular yogurt), it has hardly any fat, which makes its texture less like ice cream and more like sorbet.…

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  Recipe

  Peach-Vanilla Cobbler

  The unusual, crumbly topping for this cobbler completely covers the peach-vanilla filling. Though it looks like streusel, it still has a tender biscuit texture.

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  Recipe

  Bourbon-Macerated Stone Fruit

  By soaking in spirits, stone fruit becomes something new, a complex mingling of flavors and textures. The fruit and liquid have many uses: a tasty dessert on its own topped with…

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  Chicken Cutlets with Peach and Arugula Salad

  这种即兴重复鸡米兰代替西红柿with juicy peaches; their sweetness pairs well with the crisp breaded chicken and peppery greens.

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  Recipe

  Cardamom-Peach Galette with Toasted Hazelnuts

  The distinctive herby, citrusy flavor of cardamom pairs beautifully with ripe peaches. A honey glaze and a sprinkling of chopped nuts make the galette feel even more special. Serve it…

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  Recipe

  Marinated Peach Tart with Honey-Yogurt Mousse

  Perfect for a dinner party and easier to make than a peach pie, this tart marries sweet peaches and a creamy yogurt mousse in a press-in shortbread crust. If you're…