I’m feeling a little fuzzy. It MUST be peach season.
Oh yes, people… it’s here!
You know you’re in the height of summer when those little wooden boxes that are filled to the brim with juicy, ripe peaches arrive at the market. And does anything taste more like summer than a homemade peach pie? Especially one with a hint of brown butter, a touch of maple syrup and a couple glugs of bourbon.
This boozy peach pie is definitely not the pits!
While searching for some fun twists on the classic peach pie, I learned a few fun tidbits about peaches that I didn’t know about.
Like, did you guys know that peaches are in the same family as almonds? Crazy. While most nuts are a form of dry, hard-shelled fruit, almonds are actually hard-shelled seeds of the peach tree. They, along with plums and apricots, are members of the genus Prunus, which belongs to the Rose family (another one I didn’t know).
The beloved peach originated in China where it was (is) viewed as a symbol of immortality and unity. The fuzzy fruit eventually made its way west (via the silk roads) to Persia (hence their botanical name ‘Prunus persica’) where it was commonly called the ‘Persian Apple’. When the French got a hold of this juicy, succulent fruit they called it ‘le pêche’—which translates to ‘peach’ in English.
Later on, Spanish explorers took the peach to the New World and eventually America discovered their love for PEACH PIE. Especially in Georgia, which is known as ‘The Peach State’.
But what I discovered recently is that Georgia ain’t all that peachy after all. California and South Carolina are actually the largest producers of peaches (in the US) these days. Instead of peaches, blueberries have taken over fruit production in Georgia–giving Maine a run for it’s money, apparently. But I’m pretty sure if you ask Mainers about blueberry pie in Georgia, you’ll get some ‘interesting’ responses (ha ha). We all know Mainers take their wild blueberry pie very seriously (as well they should—it’s legendary).
Ooops– I digress, let’s get back to peaches….
Another thing I didn’t know is that the only difference between a peach and a nectarine is their skins. Peaches have fuzzy skins, of course, but the skin on a nectarine is fairly smooth. So, if you run out of peaches (or they’re too ripe or under ripe when you’re ready to use them) why not give nectarines a try? The poor little nectarine often gets overshadowed by his almost-twin sister so it’s about time they get some time in the spotlight, right? I think I’m going to try a nectarine pie soon. And I should do it sooner rather than later since we’re approaching mid-August already. I’ll keep ya guys posted.
Before I share my peach pie recipe, I thought I’d share a couple of updates and also a few of the pies I’ve made recently. …
