We are focusing on this delicious fuzzy fruit during August since It’s National Peach Month! Peaches are a summertime favorite throughout the nation, and they are a great source of vitamins C and A, and are low in calories.
There are two main types of peaches in our market, known as freestone and clingstone. The clingstone peach is used more in processing plants since it’s tough to manually remove the flesh from the pit. Freestone peaches are easier to eat fresh because the pit freely separates from the flesh when bitten into.
When selecting your peaches this summer, choose ones with firm, fuzzy skin that yield to gentle pressure when ripe and avoid ones with blemishes. If you do get unripe peaches, store them in a paper bag and then when they are ripe, it’s best to store at room temperature and eat within 1-2 days. Peaches peak in August, so make sure you grab a few next time you’re at the grocery store.
Georgia is known as the “Peach State” and grows about 130 million pounds of this fruit each year, however, South Carolina and California grow even more every year. Georgia does beat them in the peach cobbler competition where they make the world’s largest peach cobbler every year. This measures 11 feet by 5 feet and is 8 inches deep. The gigantic cobbler is presented at the Georgia Peach Festival and contains a whopping 90 pounds of butter and 75 pounds of peaches! Talk about satisfying your sweet tooth!
Exciting news! Our in-person Beneficial Bites education presentations are resuming in August. These are free 1 hour sessions that are scheduled at various dining sites and include taste-testing. No reservations needed. The schedule of times and locations of these presentations can be found in the monthly Barron County Review newspaper and on our website at www.adrcconnections.org. Please visit www.adrcconnections.org and click on the “Programs” tab, then the “Nutrition” tab to find the Beneficial Bites information at your fingertips. Previous Beneficial Bites information and recipes can also be found here. For additional questions or comments please call Darby at 715.537.6225