Lots of folks other than Justin Bieber “get their peaches down in Georgia.” Georgia has long been known as the Peach State and produces over 130 million pounds of peaches a year. However, contrary to our snappy nickname and inclusion in pop songs, South Carolina and California produce more peaches than Georgia growers.
Those states may grow more of this pitted fruit today, but peaches do have a long history in Georgia. Franciscan monks introduced peaches to St. Simons and Cumberland islands along the coast in 1571. However, the efforts of Samuel Rumph, a farmer in Marshallville, Georgia, who bred an Elberta peach from the seed of a Chinese cling peach in the late 1800s, transformed growing peaches into agribusiness. His cross-breeding produced a large, beautiful peach that shipped well. Elberta peaches found their fame and he, his fortune in New York City.
One hundred years later, I attended high school in the same Marshallville, where spring break was dictated by peach season. Our state moniker may not be completely accurate, but peaches are big business in South Georgia and a huge contributor to the state economy. My schoolmate Howard Brown is now the second-generation owner of William L. Brown Farm. He grows a variety of old-fashioned peaches — Red Globes, O’Henry, and the illustrious Elberta. He says, “The crop is down about 60% this year due to a late frost, but the quality of the produce is very good.”
I grew up in the heart of peach country, and every summer the women of my family would “put up” peaches. We’d can peaches, freeze peaches, and make peach jelly. The absolute best, however, was eating fresh peaches, not straight off the tree, as you might think, but standing over a sink in an air-conditioned kitchen.
Why do Georgia peaches taste so good? It’s all about the heat. Peak peach season is mid-July when temps are touching triple digits. Although it makes life miserable during the summer, these blazing hot days and nights accompanied by intense high humidity allow Georgia peaches to produce natural sugars 24/7.
When purchasing peaches, use your nose. Choose peaches with a slightly sweet and flowery scent. When peaches are cut, look for creamy gold to yellow flesh. The red or blush color on the skin is actually a characteristic of the variety, not ripeness. Avoid green or shriveled peaches. Never squeeze peaches, as they will bruise. If your peach purchase needs ripening, set them in a single layer on the counter, not stacked, and allow them to ripen for a day or so at room temperature. Once ripe, refrigerate them and use within a week.
There are two kinds of peaches: clingstone and freestone. With clingstone peaches, the flesh clings to the stone, no matter how ripe it is, while freestone peaches can be loosened from the pit with relative ease, especially when they’re ripe. Clingstone peaches typically ripen earlier in the season; freestone come in late June and early July in Georgia.
Typically, Southern recipes quickly turn the healthful peach into delicious indulgences like cobbler and ice cream. I’m a huge fan of these sweets, but peaches are incredible in savory dishes as well. Check out these quick and easy recipes celebrating the sweet Georgia peach.
RECIPES
Get in and out of a hot kitchen with quick and easy peach recipes bold with summer flavor and lean on fat. Green Beans with Buttery Peaches, Grilled Pork Chops with Ginger Peach Barbecue Sauce, Peach Gazpacho, and Dreamy Peach Ice Pops are certain to become hot weather favorites.
Green Beans with Buttery Peaches
Green beans and peaches might seem like an odd combination, but considering that peaches and green beans are harvested at the same time, there’s much truth to the food philosophy “What grows together, goes together.” The combination of the brightly flavored crisp tender green beans with the silky sweetness of the peaches is a winning one!
- 12 ounces green beans, ends trimmed
- 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
- 3 peaches, pitted and sliced
- Coarse kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 1 clove garlic, crushed to a paste
- 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 1/2 cup fresh basil leaves, for serving
- Make an ice-water bath by filling a large bowl with ice and water. Line a plate with paper towels.
- To cook the beans, bring a large pot of salted water to a rolling boil over high heat. Add the beans and cook until crisp-tender, about 3 minutes. Alternatively, place the beans in a microwave-safe bowl, add 1/4 cup water, cover and microwave about 3 minutes or according to package instructions.
- Drain cooked beans well in a colander, then set the colander with beans in the ice-water bath (to set the color and stop the cooking), making sure the beans are submerged. Once chilled, remove the beans to the prepared plate.
- In a skillet or the same pot used to cook the beans, melt the butter over medium-high heat. Add the peaches and season with salt and pepper. Cook, turning once, until browned on both sides, about 4 minutes, depending on the tenderness of the peaches. Add the garlic and red pepper flakes; cook until fragrant, 45-60 seconds. Add the reserved green beans and toss to coat. Taste and adjust for seasoning with salt and pepper. Garnish with basil leaves. Serve hot, warm, or at room temperature. Serves 4-6.
Nutritional information
Per serving: Per serving, based on 6: 111 calories (percent of calories from fat, 24), 3 grams protein, 18 grams carbohydrates, 4 grams fiber, 3 grams total fat (2 grams saturated), 8 milligrams cholesterol, 42 milligrams sodium.
Grilled Pork Chops with Ginger Peach Barbecue Sauce
It’s important to wait until the chops have cooked quite a bit before basting with the barbecue sauce. If you start saucing too soon, the sauce will burn.
- For the sauce:
- 1 onion, chopped
- 1 heaping tablespoon finely grated fresh ginger
- 4 peaches (about 1 1/4 pounds), halved, pitted and cubed
- 1 (20-ounce) bottle ketchup
- 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
- 1/4 cup honey
- Coarse kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
- For the chops:
- 1/4 cup coarse kosher salt, plus more for seasoning
- 4 center cut, bone-in pork chops (2 3/4-3 pounds total), about 1-inch thick, well-trimmed
- Freshly ground black pepper
- Spritz the bottom of a medium saucepan with nonstick cooking spray. Warm over medium-high heat. When the spray is shimmering, add the onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until golden brown, 5-7 minutes. Add the ginger and cook, stirring frequently, until fragrant, 45-60 seconds. Add the peaches, ketchup, vinegar and honey; season with salt and pepper. Bring the mixture to a boil over high heat, then decrease the heat to simmer. Cook until the mixture is reduced by half and thickened, about 20 minutes. If the peaches are still firm, mash with a potato masher. Taste and adjust the seasoning with salt and pepper. Reserve 1/4 cup sauce for basting the chops and keep the remaining sauce warm in the saucepan until ready to serve.
- Meanwhile, place 1/4 cup salt in a medium heatproof bowl. Add 2 cups boiling water and stir to dissolve. Add 3 cups ice cubes and stir to cool. Add the pork chops, cover the bowl with plastic wrap, and refrigerate to marinate, about 30 minutes. Remove the chops from the brine, rinse well, and thoroughly pat dry with paper towels. Set aside.
- Season the pork chops with pepper. Prepare a charcoal fire using about 6 pounds of charcoal and burn until the coals are completely covered with a thin coating of light gray ash, 20-30 minutes. Spread the coals evenly over the grill bottom, position the grill rack above the coals, and heat until medium-hot (when you can hold your hand 5 inches above the grill surface for no longer than 3-4 seconds). If using a gas grill, turn all burners to high, close the lid, and heat until very hot, 10-15 minutes. If cooking indoors, heat a grill pan over medium-high heat until hot.
- Place the pork chops on the grill or in the grill pan and grill 3-5 minutes per side or until the internal temperature reaches 145 degrees, basting with the reserved 1/4 cup peach barbecue sauce in the last few minutes. Remove to a plate and cover with aluminum foil to rest and let the juices redistribute, 3-5 minutes. Serve immediately with remaining warm sauce on the side. Store any leftover sauce in a sealed container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. Serves 4.
Nutritional information
Per serving: Per serving, with 1/4-cup sauce per serving: 553 calories (percent of calories from fat, 34), 69 grams protein, 20 grams carbohydrates, 1 gram fiber, 20 grams total fat (7 grams saturated), 172 milligrams cholesterol, 837 milligrams sodium.
Peach Gazpacho
Gazpacho is essentially a liquid salad. It’s best prepared at the height of summer, using fresh ingredients. The key is to use the proper amount of salt to draw out the moisture and flavor of the vegetables.
- 4 large peaches, pitted and quartered (about 2 cups)
- 2 large tomatoes, cored and quartered (about 4 cups)
- 1/2 sweet onion, coarsely chopped
- 3-inches English cucumber, peeled and coarsely chopped (about 1/2 cup)
- 1 garlic clove, very finely chopped
- 1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
- Coarse kosher salt and freshly ground white pepper
- 4 tablespoons sliced almonds, for garnish
- 2 tablespoons parsley leaves, for garnish
- High-quality extra-virgin olive oil, for garnish
- Combine the peaches, tomatoes, onion, cucumber, garlic and vinegar in the bowl of a food processor fitted with the metal blade or a blender. Season with salt and pepper. Puree until smooth. Transfer to a sealable container and place a piece of plastic wrap directly on the surface of the liquid. This will help inhibit browning. Refrigerate until cold, about 1 hour.
- When ready to serve, taste and adjust the soup for seasoning with salt and pepper. (Chilling dulls the seasoning, so it may need to be adjusted.) Garnish with a sprinkling of almonds and parsley leaves. Drizzle will olive oil. Serve immediately. Serves 4.
Nutritional information
Per serving: Per 1 1/2 cups serving: 200 calories (percent of calories from fat, 32), 5 grams protein, 29 grams carbohydrates, 6 grams fiber, 7 grams total fat (1 gram saturated), no cholesterol, 51 milligrams sodium.
Dreamy Peach Ice Pops
Homemade pureed fruit mixtures are so much tastier — and cheaper — than pre-made frozen pops filled with sugar and artificial colors and sweeteners. If you don’t have any molds, you can generally find them at a dollar store. The recipe calls for skyr, a type of Icelandic fresh cheese similar to Greek yogurt and readily available in national chains. The nutritional information is based on no-fat skyr. For more rich and indulgent frozen pops, use skyr or Greek yogurt with a higher percentage of fat.
- 2 peaches, pitted and cubed (about 2 cups)
- 1 tablespoon honey, or to taste
- 1 cup skyr or Greek yogurt
- 1/2 vanilla bean, seeds scraped
- 1 pinch fine sea salt
- Zest of 1 orange
- 1 tablespoon orange juice
- Place all ingredients in the jar of a blender. Puree until smooth. Pour into molds or ice trays. Top with reusable seals or insert wooden sticks, ice cream spoons, or small forks. Freeze until firm. Serve on the stick, ice cold.
- Makes 2 3/4 cups, enough for 11 (1.75-ounce) standard-sized ice pops.
Nutritional information
Per serving: Per 1/4-cup serving: 30 calories (percent of calories from fat, 10), 2 grams protein, 5 grams carbohydrates, trace fiber, trace total fat (no saturated fat), 2 milligrams cholesterol, 21 milligrams sodium.Virginia Willis is an Atlanta-based Food Network Kitchen chef, James Beard Award-winning food writer and cookbook author. Follow her at virginiawillis.com.
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