Ontario Peaches: Now in Season

Enjoy Ontario Peaches now available in the Hamilton Farmers’ Market. These fruits are a tasty treat for your taste buds. They are often available in late July to early August.

Early Ontario peach varieties, such as Early Redhaven, are best eaten fresh. Mid-season and late varieties are used most often for cooking or preserving. However, they are still delicious to be eaten fresh.

Nutrition

One medium-sized peach contains 37 calories and is an excellent source of Vitamin C.

Buying Tips:

When shopping, look for peaches that are moderately firm, with a smooth exterior skin and sweet aroma. Try to avoid wrinkled skin or a greenish tinge at the end, or extremely soft, bruised or blemished fruit.

Storing Tips:

• Keep peaches that are still solid to touch, at room temperature out of the direct sun.
• Ripe peaches should be kept refrigerated in a single layer for no longer than five days.
• Overripe (extremely soft) peaches should be used, fresh or in cooking, at once.

Preparing

• Before eating or cooking, gently rinse under running water.
• TIP: To make peeling easier, first briefly immerse in hot/boiling water for 30 to 60 seconds.
• If you are planning on serving peaches on a fruit tray an easy way to keep sliced peaches from browning, is to toss lightly in lemon juice. Sliced peaches can also be frozen.

Serving Peaches:

The sweet taste of peaches is popular in the following dishes:

• Freshly sliced peaches paired with vanilla ice cream
• Peaches are often used in cobblers, crisps, or gently cooked with brown sugar.
• They also can be preserved and made into jam
• Peaches are delightful in your dinner main course as part of a fruit salads
• They also make a great topping for breakfast cereals, pancakes or waffles.

You can grab a basket of Ontario Peaches today from the Hamilton Farmers’ Market. We are located in the heart of downtown Hamilton (35 York Blvd). Open Tuesday, Thursday & Friday (8:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.) & Saturday (7:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.) Plan your trip today!