The Most Nutritious Way to Serve This Food
Fresh and ripe.
Diets That May Restrict or Exclude This Food
Buying This Food
Look for: Peaches and nectarines with rich cream or yellow skin. The red “blush” character-
istic of some varieties of peaches is not a reliable guide to ripeness. A better guide is the way
the fruit feels and smells. Ripe peaches and nectarines have a warm, intense aroma and feel
firm, with a slight softness along the line running up the length of the fruit.
Avoid: Green or hard unripe peaches and nectarines. As peaches and nectarines ripen
enzymes convert their insoluble pectic substances to soluble pectins and decrease their con-
centration of bitter phenols. The longer the peach is left on the tree, the lower the concentra-
tion of phenols will be, which is why late-season peaches and nectarines are the sweetest.
Once you pick the peach or nectarine, the enzyme action stops completely. The fruit may
shrivel, but it cannot continue to ripen.
Storing This Food
Store firm ripe peaches and nectarines at room temperature until they soften. Once they
have softened, put them in the refrigerator. The cold will stop the enzymatic action that
dissolves pectins in the fruit and softens it.
The pectin in freestone peaches is more soluble than the pectin in cling peaches, so ripe
freestones are softer than ripe cling peaches (which stay firm even when cooked). NOTE: The
names “freestone” and “cling” indicate the ease with which the fruit separates from the pit.
Preparing This Food
To peel peaches, immerse them in hot water for a few seconds, then lift them out and plunge
them into cold water. The hot water destroys a layer of cells under the skin, allowing the
skin to slip off easily.
Don’t peel or slice peaches and nectarines until you are ready to use them. When you
cut into them, you tear their cell walls, releasing polyphenoloxidase, an enzyme that pro-
motes the oxidation of phenols, forming brownish compounds that darken the fruit. You can
Peaches