Peaches are a stone fruit with a fuzzy peel and a delicate, floral sweet taste and smell that’s unmistakable. Not only are peaches delicious, but they’re also high in nutrients and antioxidants. They also provide both types of fiber (soluble and insoluble) that help move food through your gut and add in beneficial bacteria to your intestines to help aid in digestion. Peaches have also been shown to lower risk factors for heart disease, such as high blood pressure and cholesterol levels.
Peaches are great for eating out of hand, but may also be cut into cubes or slices for a variety of uses. Cutting a peach may seem complicated due to the presence of the stone or pit at the center of the fruit, which you can’t eat. Luckily, it isn’t too complicated to remove the fruit. And, like most fresh fruits, you’ll end up with a delicious and healthy snack to enjoy. Here’s how to cut a peach:
How to Tell if a Peach is Ripe
Before you cut into your peach, you’ll first need to check and make sure it’s ripe. If the peach is firm to the touch, it’s not ready. A ripe peach has some “give” when you gently squeeze it. You’ll also want to take a sniff. When a peach gives off a sweet aroma, it means that it’s ripe enough.
If your peach isn’t ripe enough, you can leave them on your counter away from direct sunlight. You can check them periodically to see if they have softened. If you have ripe peaches but aren’t ready to eat them yet, you can place them in the fridge for up to five days to slow the ripening process.
For more delicious fruit treats, check out our Slice Of Sweet Fruit Platter. It includes a variety of fresh-cut fruit, including pineapple, honeydew, cantaloupe, grapes, and pineapple daisies. Or, check out our Blooming Daisies® arrangement. It’s bursting with fresh strawberries, pineapple daisies, and cantaloupe.
Top 2 Ways to Cut a Peach
Peaches are great to eat right out of hand, but you can also cut them into halves, quarters, wedges, or cubes to add to salads, fruit salsa, yogurt, oatmeal, pies, and more. Here are the best ways to cut a peach:
1. Peel the Peach
The method is best for making wedges or cubes. It’s especially useful for preparing peaches for pies, as peach pie requires that the peel is removed. First, you’ll need to remove the peel of the peach. If your peach isn’t ripe you may use a vegetable peeler to remove the skin. If this method doesn’t work, you can blanch the peach in boiling water for 15 seconds. Then, plunge the peach into an ice-water bath to stop the peach from cooking. Then, you can carefully remove the skin with a knife.
Hold the peach with the stem side facing up. Use a knife to cut lengthwise into the fruit in angled pieces. You may need to cut the flesh away from the pit to remove it. You’ll end up with slices. You can stop here or dice it into smaller chunks. If desired, you can cut each wedge into cubes to add them to a bowl of yogurt or oatmeal, or a fruit salad.
2. Keep the Peel On
Keeping the peel on allows you to quickly and easily make quarters, wedges, or cubes. Not only is it easier to prepare than the first method, but keeping the peel on is even more nutritious because the skin contains extra antioxidants and fiber. Hold the peach on its side on a cutting board. Use a sharp knife to cut down into the flesh until it hits the pit. Continue to cut around the peach until you reach the other side. Use a small knife to cut away each piece from the pit. You can then chop these wedges into smaller cubes.
How to Store a Peach After It is Cut
After you cut a peach, you can store them in the refrigerator for up to five days. Wrap the pieces tightly in plastic wrap or place them in an airtight container. The cold air of the air conditioner keeps the peach from ripening. Additionally, the airtight container keeps the peach from turning brown.
Peaches may seem intimidating to cut, but they’re actually easier to cut than you might imagine. You might need a little practice at first, but after a few tries, you’ll have the technique down to a science. With these tips, you can use cut peaches for a variety of different purposes with ease. You can enjoy this fresh and delicious fruit in a variety of ways, using the cut slices in yogurt, desserts, and more!
