Peach, please: 20 different ways to ap-peach-iate this summer fruit
July holds a special place in many of our hearts. To some, it means eating ice cream by the pint in celebration of National Ice Cream Month. To others, it means enjoying the summer heat in the form of running, surfing and hiking. But perhaps most importantly, July means the harvest of one particularly crisp, juicy and deliciously sweet fruit: peaches!
Last week, a friend of mine graciously gifted my family a massive box of white peaches, fresh from his backyard’s hardworking peach trees. With dozens upon dozens of the fragrant and delightful fruit, we were in peach heaven! However, with so many peaches, I began to wonder what we could do with all of them — other than eat them by the handful, of course. With that, here are 20 different ways that one can enjoy this summer fruit.
Drinks
Brighten up your lemonades and iced teas, or try making peach milk! For strawberry milk lovers, the cooking process is similar.
1. Peach lemonade
2. Peach iced tea
3. Peach milk
Frozen
Whether you’re vegan or lactose intolerant, peaches can be enjoyed in all frozen forms — as ice cream, frozen yogurt or even sherbet. Better yet, freeze a big batch of this wonderful fruit to add into your smoothies later on.
4. Peach ice cream
5. Peach frozen yogurt
6. Peach sherbet
7. Frozen peaches
Baked
Versatile and flexible, baked goods are a perfect way to use all those extra fruits. If you’re feeling extra summery, try the Clog’s vegan peach and blueberry crumble recipe!
8. Peach cake
9. Peach bread
10. Peaches and cream bars
11. Peach macarons
12. Peach cobbler
13. Peach pie
14. Peach cheesecake
Appetizers
Start your lunch with a tangy peach salad. Or, impress your family by whipping up some grilled peaches topped with cinnamon and sugar. If you’re a salsa lover, switch things up and make a tropical peach and mango salsa.
15. Peach salsa
16. Sweet and savory peach salad
17. Grilled peaches with cinnamon and sugar
Preserved
And finally, if you want a sound and delicious way to ensure long-term peach consumption, preserve them! Yummy and sweet, peach jam is a perfect addition to yogurt and wonderful on toast. If you’re feeling ambitious, try drying or even pickling your peaches.
18. Peach jam
19. Pickled peaches
20. Dried peaches
Sweet, juicy and packed with flavor, peaches are one of the finest hallmarks of summer. Whether you like them sweet or savory, baked into cake or simmered into jam, the possibilities for maximum peach satisfaction are endless. And while all my peaches disappeared before I could try any of these creations, there’s still a long way to go before peach season ends.
Contact Kristie Lin at kristielin@dailycal.org.