The benefits of peach
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What peaches do
What this vegetable does
It replenishes qi and generates body fluids, keeping dryness at bay.
How to eat it
As well as eating it as it is, smoothies, compotes and desserts are worth trying.
A yakuzen note
It is held to nourish the yin fluids and to moisten the body.
Peach is sweet and sour and is held to replenish qi and generate body fluids. It is looked to in particular for easing dryness of the Lung and throat, and is also said to suit constipation and tiredness. It is held as well to nourish the yin fluids and to help moisten the body as a whole, which makes it an ingredient for dry seasons and for when tiredness has built up. It can be enjoyed many ways, in smoothies, compotes and desserts.
TOC
When peaches are in season, their types, and how to choose them
If you want to enjoy what peach does, it helps to know its season, its types, how to choose it and how to tell when it is ready. It is the fruit of the Japanese summer, with juicy flesh and a melting sweetness.
In season in summer, from early to late varieties
Peaches are in season from late June to around September, at their peak in July and August. The main growing areas are Yamanashi, Fukushima, Nagano, Okayama and Yamagata, and Yamanashi is known as the largest producer in Japan. The season starts with Hikawa Hakuho around late June, moves through Hakuho and Akatsuki in July, and on to Kawanakajima Hakuto from August, so the varieties change and the season runs long. The early fruit is cleaner in flavour and the height of summer richer in sweetness, so the taste changes with the time of year.
How white peaches, Hakuho and yellow peaches differ
Peaches differ in flavour and texture according to the colour of the flesh and the variety.
| Group | Leading varieties | What stands out |
|---|---|---|
| White-fleshed | Hakuho, Akatsuki, Kawanakajima Hakuto | Soft and juicy, with a refined sweetness |
| Yellow-fleshed | Ogon To and others | Yellow flesh, with a deep sweetness and scent |
| Nectarine | — | No down on the skin, sweet-sour, with firm flesh |
White-fleshed if you like a melting softness, yellow-fleshed if you want a sweetness with body: you can choose by taste and by use. Nectarines, which can be eaten skin and all, have the convenience of being washed and eaten on the spot.
How to choose them, and how to tell when they are ripe
When picking out good peaches, these are the things to look for if you want a sweet one.
- Evenly coloured all over, and close to symmetrical
- A strong sweet scent, with plenty of white specks on the surface
- No cuts or bruises, and the down still on the skin
Peaches are very delicate and press marks spoil them, so handle them gently. A peach that is still firm will gain scent and turn soft and sweet if left at room temperature for two or three days. This is called ripening off the tree. Chilled too hard the sweetness is harder to taste, so put it in the fridge an hour or two before you eat it.
How to eat peaches
Peaches are usually eaten well chilled and as they are, but a little work opens up more ways to enjoy them. Here is how to use that juicy sweetness.
Chilled, and peeled
The flesh of a peach is soft, and cutting and peeling it takes a little know-how. The steps are these.
- Cut all the way round lengthways, then twist with both hands to part it in two
- Run the knife along the stone and take the stone out
- Peel by hand, or, if it will not come away, dip it briefly in boiling water and slip the skin off
Chilled well and eaten straight from the hand, a peach gives you all of its juicy sweetness. Cut peach discolours easily, so a little lemon juice over it keeps the colour good.
In compotes, smoothies and desserts
When a peach is firm, or when you have a lot of them, simmering them with sugar or wine into a compote gives you a soft, refined sweetness. Frozen and then blended, they make a smooth smoothie or sorbet, just the thing on a hot day. They go well with yoghurt, and as an ingredient for tarts, parfaits and jellies. With prosciutto as a starter, or in a chilled soup, peach makes a dish in its own right. Dried peach is handy as a snack and as a topping for yoghurt, and a Japanese product such as Dried peach lets you enjoy the flavour of peach after the season has passed.
How to keep a delicate fruit
Peaches bruise easily, so lay them out without stacking when you get them home, and leave the firm ones at room temperature to ripen. Wrapped gently in newspaper and kept somewhere cool with air moving, they are protected from press marks. Once they are ready, move them to the vegetable drawer of the fridge so they do not soften further, and eat them soon. Chilled too hard the sweetness is harder to taste, so chill them an hour or two before eating. If you cannot finish them, peel and stone them, cut them into wedges, sprinkle them with lemon juice and freeze them in a bag, ready for smoothies and sorbet.
Alongside this, one likewise held to moisten the body, The benefits of pear and one in season in early summer, The benefits of loquat as a guide when building a seasonal table.
In season in summer, peach is a fruit to enjoy well chilled and as it is, and in compotes, smoothies and dried peach besides. Judge when it is ready as it ripens, mind the timing of the chilling, and you get that melting sweetness in full. Bring the juicy taste of summer to the table in its season.
