How to choose the right peaches?

Peaches can vary in size, skin color, or texture. Fruits are smooth and shaggy. They can be round, flat or slightly elongated in shape. Most often, a ripe peach has a rather large size, a yellow-burgundy skin and characteristic villi.

Sometimes smooth peaches are mistaken for nectarines and are considered to be hybrids of peaches and plums. In fact, the smooth fruit is a real peach, grown without the involvement of plums or other types of fruit.… Shaggy and smooth peaches have some differences in taste. When buying this or that variety, you need to know in advance what taste is typical for it. Most often, shaggy and smooth peaches grow on the same tree, and the differences arise from the pollination process.

How to choose peaches

The sweetness of a peach can be identified by its aroma. The richer the smell of the fruit, the sweeter and juicier it will be. The nuance in this case is the presence of extraneous odors. If rot or dampness is felt, then the fruit is spoiled.

What peaches should you buy:

• firmness and velvety are the main features of a ripe peach;
• the peach skin should be even, without spots, wrinkles or depressions;
• the color of the peach skin should be as natural as possible (too bright fruits can be the result of chemical processing, and yellow-red fruits are considered the most delicious peaches);
• flat varieties of peaches are most often less juicy than classic ones (they are not inferior in taste to each other, but they have some differences);
• the flesh of a peach can be not only yellow, but also white with pinkish veins (and the second option will be much sweeter than the first).

If peaches are sold packaged in containers or wrapped in cling film, then it is better to give preference to fruits by weight. Peaches don’t store well in polyethylene, they need oxygen. If there is condensation on the film, then it is better to refuse the purchase. In addition, packaged peaches are almost impossible to smell or touch.

What peaches are not worth buying:

• hard peaches will be unripe;
• soft peaches are most often overripe or bruised as a result of improper transportation;
• peaches with green spots do not ripen at home (such signs indicate that the ripening process has not been brought to the desired period);
• dark spots on the peach appear at the beginning of the decay process;
• the peach must be clean (no dirt, sticky spots or other foreign matter);
• peaches with dents and damage will not be stored for a long time, and their taste will be changed;
• foliage or other components may adhere to the peach villi, however, there should be no dust, particles resembling mold or shavings on the surface of the fruit (these are signs of diseases, improper storage or the beginning of the decay process);
• a peach without a characteristic aroma will be either unripe or overly processed with chemicals;
• purple streaks on the skin or pulp of a peach are considered the most dangerous sign of the presence of chemicals or a consequence of disease (and eating such fruits can be harmful to health and even poisonous);
• peaches with wrinkled skin are not worth buying (these fruits were stored incorrectly and lost their taste);
• if the peach seed is too wrinkled or has cracks on its surface, then the fruit was treated with a lot of chemicals.

If peaches are bought in the summer at the market or other open trade outlets, then the ripeness and juiciness of the fruit will help to determine the bees. These insects will never show interest in unripe fruits, they are attracted only by ripe fruits with rich flavor characteristics.