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 Passionate
About Peaches
Once a fruit of the Gods and still associated with beauty and
genuine goodness, peaches have been enticing people worldwide for more
than 3,000 years. Me, I simply adore peaches, being a South Carolina gal
at heart. I have recently discovered that America's love of peaches
began in the 1600s. Since then, we have been passionate about peaches in
all types of treats: pies, puddings, smoothies, baked goods and more. In
fact, believe it or not, each and every American consumes about five
pounds of peaches every single year. When selecting peaches, be sure to
handle the fruit very carefully because peaches bruise very easily and
decay develops rapidly. I always tell my sons Trevor and Hutch to treat
peaches like they were delicate flowers. When choosing, look for peaches
with a creamy to gold undercolor that best indicates ripeness. The
amount of red blush on fruit depends on the variety and is not always a
sign of ripeness. Two other indicators of ripeness are a well-defined
crease and a good fragrance. Select fruit that has begun to soften for
immediate use. Firm, ripe fruit can be held a few days at room
temperature to ripen further. Never pick peaches with a green undercolor
since they will not ripen well. They will shrivel, become flabby and
never achieve a good flavor.
When storing, peaches should be held at 32 to 35°F in high
humidity. Fully ripened peaches should be refrigerated immediately and
kept there until ready for consumption. Sound and mature, but not
overripe, peaches can be expected to last 1 to 2 weeks at 32 to 35° F
with little adverse effects. Peaches deteriorate rapidly when stored for
longer periods. When ripening, a room temperature of 65 to 70°F is best
for mature peaches. There is no gain in sugar content once a peach is
picked from a tree. Its ripening process consists primarily of
softening, developing juiciness, and developing flavor. So the riper a
peach is at harvest, the more sugar it will contain. Remember, once a
mature peach begins to ripen, it never stops; but you can slow the rate
of ripening by storing it in low temperatures. and finally, when
preparing, wash peaches gently, peel, and remove pits. Handle carefully
to avoid bruising. To peel a peach, dip it in boiling water for 30
seconds, then in cold water. The peel should slide off easily. To keep
sliced peaches from darkening, dip in lemon juice or ascorbic acid. In
celebration of something truly delightful, may I suggest that you
rekindle your affection for this flavorful fruit with this delicious
recipe— a favorite of mine passed along by family and friends topped
with Cool Whip whipped cream.
Fiona's Peach
Delight
6 cups of water
2 cups of sugar
6 ripe peaches, peeled, halved and pitted
4 teaspoons of vanilla
1 cup marion berries or blackberries
¼ cup of sugar
1 tablespoon of raspberry brandy (optional)
Cool Whip whipped cream
In a Dutch oven, combine water and 2 cups sugar; heat to boiling. Boil
gently, uncovered, for 3 minutes. Add peach halves. Return to boiling;
reduce heat and simmer, uncovered, for 10 minutes or until peaches are
tender. Stir in vanilla. Carefully transfer peaches and cooking liquid
to a very large bowl; cover and chill. Meanwhile, press berries through
a sieve; discard seeds. In a small bowl, stir together berry puree, 1/4
cup sugar and brandy, if desired. Cover and chill. To serve, use a
slotted spoon to transfer 2 peach halves to each dessert dish. Spoon
berry mixture over peaches. Pipe Cool Whip with a spoon around edges of
dishes so peaches show through in center. Makes 6 servings. UB
Fiona Hutchison is
perhaps best known for her critically acclaimed roles on the popular
daytime serials, 'As the World Turns' and 'One Life To Live', and her
Emmy-nominated portrayal of jewel thief turned good, Jenna Bradshaw, on
the longest running CBS daytime serial, Guiding Light. She can currently
be seen as the scheming vixen Gabrielle Medina on 'One Life To Live'.
Feel free to e-mail Fiona Hutchison with any/all questions you may have
at: UPBEATmag@aol.com
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