How to celebrate National Peach Day in Atlanta

Georgia may grow more blueberries than peaches these days, but nobody is rushing to rename Peachtree Street. The peach still belongs to us. It’s on our license plates, in our cocktails and all over Atlanta restaurant menus for a few glorious months every summer.

Though National Peach Day is Thursday, peach season is already winding down. Here’s where you can still find some of Atlanta’s best peach dishes and desserts, plus a few recipes for putting those peaches on your counter to work.

Picking out the perfect peach like this one at Lane Southern Orchards' market in Peach County is part art, part luck of the draw. (Joe Kovac Jr./AJC)

Learn how to pick a ripe Georgia peach

A peach’s red blush may be pretty, but it isn’t the best way to judge ripeness. Tyler Wainwright of Lane Southern Orchards told the AJC to look at the fruit’s background color near the stem. Yellow is fine, but dark green can mean the peach was picked too early.

A ripe peach should also have a little give without feeling mushy. If it’s still hard, let it soften on the counter or outside in the shade, never in direct sun. Refrigerate it once ripe to buy yourself a little more time.

Read an expert’s advice for choosing the perfect Georgia peach.

The seasonal hamachi at Tio Lucho's is paired with local peaches. (Courtesy of MJT & Co.)

Find a great peach dish in Atlanta

Atlanta chefs aren’t limiting peaches to cobblers and pies. They’re serving them with hamachi, shrimp, prosciutto, smoked mascarpone and plenty of other savory ingredients.

Our guide to 10 Atlanta restaurants serving peak-season peaches includes dishes, desserts and drinks from restaurants such as Staplehouse, Tio Lucho’s, Ecco and Lazy Betty.

The availability of these dishes depends on the peaches available at the market, so call ahead before making a special trip.

Peach pavlova from pastry chef Charmain Ware-Jason. (Courtesy of Charmain Ware-Jason)

Save room for peach dessert

If you prefer your peaches wrapped in pastry or parked next to a scoop of ice cream, we have you covered.

Our guide to the best peach desserts in Atlanta includes peach empanadas made with Pearson Farm fruit at La Semilla, Little Tart’s seasonal peach galette and peach brioche buns from At Heart Panadería.

Get them while you can. Peach season does not linger.

Breakfast, but make it dessert. Sweet peach curd over a creamy yogurt granola bowl. (Monti Carlo/AJC)

Turn ripe peaches into peach curd

Peach curd is what happens when peaches get the lemon-curd treatment. Eggs and butter turn peach puree into a silky spread that lands somewhere between a custard and a jam.

Our easy peach curd recipe includes 12 ways to use it. Spoon it over ice cream, spread it on biscuits, layer it into a cake or serve it with pork or grilled chicken.

Roasted pork tenderloin and peaches. (Aaliyah Man for the AJC/food styling by Kate Williams)

Roast the peaches that refuse to ripen

Those stubbornly firm peaches on your counter are not a lost cause. They’re actually better for roasting because they soften in the oven without turning to mush.

This 30-minute pork tenderloin with roasted peaches balances the fruit with sherry vinegar and fresh tarragon. It’s a quick dinner and a good use for peaches that aren’t ready to eat over the sink.

The Peach on the Pitch might just be Atlanta's next signature cocktail. The drink features a peach syrup made with Pearson Farm peaches. (Courtesy of Pearson Farm)

Drink your peaches

Atlanta is still looking for a signature cocktail, and the Peach on the Pitch would like to be considered.