21 Peach Recipes for Summer (2024)

FAQs

What can I do with too many fresh peaches? ›

Peaches are a great way to eat vitamins like A and C while enjoying a sweet treat this summer. There's nothing like sinking your teeth into a perfectly ripe, juicy peach on a hot summer day.

Freezing peaches is one of the easiest ways to preserve the flavors of summer. The freezing method also locks in the fresh peach flavors, so they're ready to quickly thaw and bless your taste buds throughout the year. For best results, you'll want to peel and slice your peaches prior to freezing.

You can peel them raw, but it is easier to blanch the peaches first so the skin falls right off. But, if you're in a rush and just want to seal in that fresh summer flavor as soon as possible, you can place whole peaches right into a freezer bag.

Go Easy on Your Gut

If you have stomach trouble, a snack of canned peaches may be a good idea. They have a soft texture, are lower in fiber than fresh fruit, and are easy to digest. As part of what's called a “gastrointestinal soft diet,” canned peaches can help soothe an upset stomach and ease diarrhea and gas.

There's nothing like peaches in season. Thankfully, with so many varieties that can be grown in a number of regions through the U.S., you can get fresh-picked fruit for much of the year. But summer is the peak peach picking season, and that generally means May through late September.

Like most fruits, peaches act as a diuretic, flushing out toxins from your kidneys and bladder. The antioxidants in peaches may also assist in removing toxins from the liver.

Storing Ripe Peaches

Ripe peaches are best when eaten right away, but if you have more than you can eat in a single sitting, stash them in the refrigerator for up to a couple days. The cool temperature slows down ripening and prevents the peaches from quickly spoiling.

However, if you'd rather wait and enjoy your ripe peach at a later date, you do need to refrigerate your peaches to slow down the ripening process. Place your peach in your produce drawer or a loosely tied plastic bag to place in your fridge.

Can dogs eat peaches? ›

Peaches are a great source of vitamin A and fiber. In small, cut-up pieces the flesh of a peach is safe for your dog. But, like any food that's not a regular part of his diet, peaches can cause some stomach upset, most commonly temporary diarrhea. Don't share canned or preserved peaches with your dog.

To prevent discoloration from oxidation, toss the peaches with lemon juice or a mix of lemon juice and water; ascorbic acid or some kind of produce protector may also be used. Arrange the peaches on a baking sheet in a single layer and freeze until firm, then transfer to a freezer-safe resealable plastic bag.

For best results, you'll want to peel and slice your peaches prior to freezing. Eliminating any air from the bag will help keep freezer burn from forming. Slicing the peaches and tossing with lemon to prevent browning and a touch of sugar to bring out the juices will help aid in this process.

By coating the peaches with a bit of lemon juice before freezing, the fruit maintains its color and quality without added sugar. You can also use ground vitamin C (as Alton Brown suggests), or use a fruit-preserving product such as Ball's Fruit Fresh in place of the lemon juice.

At the other end of the temperature spectrum, peach trees need warm, sunny summer weather but not extreme heat. Most peaches grow in zone 5 to 8 but there are also more cold-hardy varieties that can be grown in zone 4, as well as heat-tolerant varieties that grow in zone 9 or 10.

By the time they are harvested and sold to your family, they are fresh, ripe, and full of vitamins and minerals! Late summer fruits and vegetables are in season during August and September. In most of the United States, they include bell peppers, peaches, tomatoes, and zucchini.

Summer brings berries and a parade of stone fruits, from early summer cherries and apricots to late summer peaches and plums, and finishes with grapes and the beginning of the apple and pear harvest.

Peaches like moderate temperatures and generally grow best in USDA growing zones 5a to 8a. However, you can select more cold or heat-tolerant varieties to expand the growing zone to include zones 4 and 9. Peaches need at least 600 chilling hours at 45 degrees Fahrenheit or lower to trigger fruiting.