How to Cut a Peach

Georgia Peach season is here! A ripe, juicy peach is one of the joys of summer. Not only can fresh peaches be enjoyed when eaten out of hand, peaches are can be used in both sweet (in cobblers and other baked goods) and savory (in salsas, sides and main dishes) recipes. Peach health benefits include fiber, potassium and vitamins A and C. Sweet peaches can also be beneficial for weight loss as they’re low in calories (just 60 per cup) and satisfying to your sweet tooth. The only bad thing about peaches is how short their season is!

Stone Fruits

Also known as drupes, stone fruits are just what they sound like – a fruit whose flesh surrounds a large (relative to the fruit), seed-encasing pit, like plums, cherries, and – of course – peaches. There are two types of stone fruits – “freestone” and “clingstone.” A clingstone fruit’s pit tends to “cling” to the fruit, making it difficult to remove, while a freestone fruit’s pit separates from the fruit more easily. Clingstone peaches (like the June Gold and Ruby Prince varieties) or mostly used for canning, while freestone peaches (like fresh Georgia Peaches from Hale Groves) are good for eating fresh, grilling and slicing to add to recipes.

How to Cut up a Peach

Here’s a simple method for slicing and removing the stone or pit from a freestone peach:

1. A peach has a natural, vertical “seam” along its side that runs from the bottom to the stem end of the fruit. Holding the peach with the stem end facing upwards, use a sharp knife to cut into the peach along the seam, pressing deeply enough to touch the stone within the fruit.
2. Once you’ve hit the pit, roll the peach around the knife blade, keeping the pit in contact with the blade the whole time, until you have returned to the beginning of the cut.
3. Set the knife down and take the peach in both hands, twisting the two halves in opposite directions to separate the two segments. The pit will remain in one of the halves.
4. Use your fingers to pop the pit out of the peach half or use a melon baller or spoon to pry it out.

You can now slice the remaining peach halves to your desired thickness! (Tip: slice in the same directions in which the peach was halved.)

Where to Buy Georgia Peaches

You can buy Sweet Georgia Peaches online from Hale Groves! Available for a short time in mid-summer, our Georgia peaches for sale are famed for their sweetness. Hale Groves also offers Orchard Fresh Peaches for sale later in the summer, so you can look forward to a delicious peach delivery even after the Georgian variety are no longer available. Hale Groves is expert at shipping peaches and other fruits. When you buy peaches from us, you know they’re still on the tree at the time you place your order. We then choose the freshest and best to ship straight to you and your gift recipients.

Keeping Fresh-Sliced Peaches

We can’t imagine you’ll have much trouble using up your delicious, sliced peaches, but if you do want to ensure they keep a bit longer, we have a few tips:

• Splash fresh peach slices with lemon or orange juice. The vitamin C in the juice will help keep your peach slices from browning. This also works for apples and even bananas.
• Store fresh peach slices in the refrigerator. If you wrap your fresh peach slices up tightly in plastic wrap, they should be good for at least two or three days.
• How long do cut peaches last in the refrigerator?
• Store fresh peach slices in the freezer. Freezing is a great way to preserve peach slices! Brush them with lemon juice first, then lay the slices on cookie sheets and freeze them. After they’re frozen, transfer the slices to freezer-safe storage containers, and later in the winter you can treat yourself to a taste of summer by making peach cobbler!

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Hale Groves of Vero Beach, Florida, offers the best citrus and fruit gifts money can buy. Order some for your friends, family or yourself.

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