Peaches seem like such a special fruit. They’re the jewels of the summer: sweet, tangy, juicy, and satiating. In an era of season-less fruits and vegetables where it is common to find tropical, exotic fruits in winter or perfect produce specimens without a blemish in sight, peaches serve as a reminder of how certain things in nature are still resistant to human control. Their short growing season and sensitivity to climate, as well as to human handling and transport make them truly a summer fruit to be enjoyed in the moment.

Peaches are classified as Prunus persica and are part of the Rosaceae family. They originated in China, and are still a very popular fruit in Asia. Peaches slowly traveled westward as travelers and traders brought them home from their visits to the East. Europeans incorrectly understood them to be originally from Persia, thus the classification “persica” which evolved into the English word “peach”. Spanish explorers brought peaches to the Americas, which then slowly became common in the American South. Part of the reason that peach trees flourished in the southern U.S, as opposed to the North, is because peach trees are actually quite sensitive to environmental factors, which limits their ability to produce fruit. Peaches can only grow in climates where it is hot during the day and cool at night. Unfortunately, peach trees are very susceptible to disease and insects, which means that conventional farmers need to use a significant amount of chemicals and pesticides to protect their peach trees. This makes finding organic peaches that much more important, so that we don’t in turn unknowingly ingest these chemicals.

The important thing to remember is to enjoy these delicious fruits while in season. They don’t provide a great deal of important vitamins or nutrients, but they do provide a great deal of momentary joy. For those who want a little taste of summer in the midst of winter, you can blanche some ripe peaches, remove their skin, slice, and mix with a bit of lemon juice, water, and honey. Freeze these peach slices in a Ziploc bag, and then defrost for a delicious, juicy dessert.