June is here! This is perhaps my favorite time of the growing season because peaches will be popping up soon at my local farmers’ market. They will be in full swing come July and August. Peaches are a special treat and have always been one of my favorite fruits. I just love everything peach from body care to candles. My mom always tells me how our family started out as peach growers in southern Illinois. The peach orchard is no longer in the family but I sometimes daydream what life would be like if it were…I presume just peachy!

Peaches are Nutritious and Delicious

• One raw medium peach provides 15% of daily vitamin C needs which is required for the building of connective tissue inside the human body. Consumption of foods that are rich in vitamin C can help develop resistance against infections and helps to eliminate harmful free radicals that cause certain cancers.
• The same peach also provides 6% of your daily vitamin A needs. Vitamin A is essential for the prevention of night vision issues and for maintaining healthy mucus membranes and healthy skin. Consumption of fruits like peaches that are rich in vitamin A, are known to offer protection from lung and oral cancers. 
• Peaches are low in calories (50 calories) and nutrient-dense. Eating fruit each day -- 1.5 cups for women and 2 cups for men, as recommended by the U.S. Dietary Guidelines, benefits your health.

Peach Preservation

If you have an abundance of peaches and want to preserve that summer flavor for later in the year, check out this video on freezing peaches from What’s Cooking with Mary Liz.

The National Center for Home Preservation has a collection of tested recipes such as peach spreads, salsa, puree, pie filling, fruit topping, and instructions for drying and canning peaches halved or sliced. It can be fun to get creative with flavor combinations, but when canning, it’s important to follow tested recipes to ensure a safe, quality product. I’m looking forward to trying the reduced-sugar peach and pineapple spread recipe this summer!

Peachy Recipes

Nectarine and Peach Fruit Salad

Layered Raspberry Peach Smoothie

Orange Peach Refresher

Quick and Easy Peach Crisp (scroll to the end of this post for the recipe)

Protein-Packed Smoothies (just sub the fruit listed for peaches)

Sources

Health benefits of peaches: a delicious summer fruit. New Jersey Agricultural Experiment Station. njaes.rutgers.edu

Dietary Guidelines for Americans