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Eat a Perfect Peach Today!

YumSugar — Wed, 22 Aug 2007 03:41:41 -0700

Believe it or not, today is Eat a Peach Day - if you don't believe me, maybe the fact that you can send ecards celebrating it might persuade you. In honor of the day, I say you go out and have yourself a lovely unadulterated peach. First, you'll have to pick yourself a good one, here are a few tips on how to do that:

Peaches are very delicate, so pick them up gently to avoid bruising.
Select peaches that are slightly soft to firm when pressed, avoid ones with soft spots.
Be sure to smell for fragrant peaches. The more fragrant the smell, the sweeter it should be.
Look for evenly shaped peaches and avoid ones with blemishes.
Stay away from ones with green tints as they will not ripen fully.
Although they continue to ripen after picked, the sugar production ceases. So even though they will soften, if they are not sweet when hard, they won't become sweeter when soft.
You can soften peaches faster by placing them in a loosely sealed brown paper bag.
Yellow peaches are the most common, but white is also widely available and has a slightly more delicate flavor.

Do you have any great peach picking tips? Let us know in the comments below!

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Make Eating Fruit Fun With a Taste Test

partysugar — Tue, 07 Jul 2009 10:15:49 -0700

The other day I got a call from a family friend. "Would you be interested in a peach taste test?" she asked. My answer was an enthusiastic yes! She purchased four types of stone fruit from the farmers market and thought it would be entertaining to taste them all. While she's researching what kind of peach to plant in her garden, I thought the taste test would be a great way to get my dad excited about eating fruit! Normally when I offer him a slice of peach, he politely declines, but when I told him it was a taste test, he was eager to try all four fruits. Conducting a taste test is also a great way to encourage kids to eat more fruit and vegetables. With the farmers markets over flowing with in-season produce, it's an opportune time to purchase several varieties of one item and taste the differences. Here's what we did:

Use all your senses. Before you slice open the peach (or whatever fruit), touch and smell it.
Cut the peaches in half and look at the flesh. Compare and contrast the colors of each fruit.
Slice into pieces and taste. Note how the flavors of one can affect the taste of another. For example, the white nectarine, when paired with the other peaches, tasted horribly bitter. Later, when I went back and took another taste of it, not after eating the others, it tasted sweet and juicy.

Have you ever performed a taste test? What are your tips for getting nonfruit eaters to consume more fresh produce?

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52 Weeks of Baking: Ginger Peach Upside-Down Cake

YumSugar — Wed, 08 Aug 2007 07:57:31 -0700

Last Friday our very own peach-pie eating contest winner 7bits brought in a flat of super ripe peaches. At the end of the day there were eight peaches left and no one here to eat them. Instead of letting them go to waste, I decided to take them home and turn them into something tasty. I thought about making jam or ice cream, but really wanted something I could bring in to share with everyone. So after a quick search online I found a recipe that inspired me. Doesn't the name Ginger Peach Upside Down Cake inspire you too? To check out the recipe I used, read more

Note: This recipe uses white sugar in the topping, if I was to make it again, I would definitely try brown sugar for a more caramely effect. Also, most of my coworkers thought the cake was moist, but I thought it was a little on the dry side - next time I'll add a tiny bit more butter.

Ginger Peach Upside-Down Cake
From Wild Oats Marketplace via Kitchen Crafts 'N' More

1 1/2 lbs ripe peaches, peeled, pitted and sliced (1/2-inch thick)*
1/4 cup chopped crystallized ginger
1 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp nutmeg
3 tbsp unsalted butter
1/3 cup sugar

2 1/2 cup unbleached flour
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp dried ginger
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1 stick unsalted butter, softened
1 cup raw cane sugar
1/4 cup brown sugar
2 large eggs
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 cup milk

Preheat oven to 350°F. Toss sliced peaches with ginger, cinnamon and nutmeg. Set aside.
Sift together flour with baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, ginger and nutmeg. Set aside.
In a mixing bowl beat sugar with butter until light and fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, mixing well after each. Add vanilla. Add flour mixture and milk, alternately. Mix until smooth. Set aside.
Heat a 10 to 12-inch cast iron skillet over medium heat. Add three tablespoons butter and a third-cup sugar. Cook until golden brown and bubbling, stirring occasionally. Arrange gingered peaches on the bottom of the pan. Pour batter over the peaches.
Bake 45 to 50 minutes, until golden brown and firm in the center.
Allow to cool for 20 minutes, run a knife around the cake and invert onto a serving plate. Serve warm topped with vanilla or cinnamon ice cream.

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Happy March!

partysugar — Thu, 01 Mar 2007 00:01:12 -0800

I can't believe it's March already: it seems like the holidays were yesterday. Today is not one national food related made up holiday (I've said it before and I'll say it again: if anybody knows who makes these days up please let me know!) but three. Woo-hoo! It's National Pig Day (appropriate for Chinese New Year), National Peanut Butter Lover's Day (not to be confused with National Peanut Butter Day, and National Fruit Compote Day. To celebrate all three all you have to do is pig out on peanut butter and fruit compote sandwiches. For those of you who don't eat pork, hate peanut butter, and don't know the difference between a compote and jelly here's a super fun fact involving March 1: each year the Shakers celebrate the birth of their founder with a special cake. The original recipe for the cake had the baker beating the batter with fresh cut twigs from a peach tree to impart a delicate peach flavor to the cake. Crazy to think of the techniques old-age cooks had to use!

All About Cherries

partysugar — Thu, 17 May 2007 08:21:32 -0700

Like strawberries, cherries are another of my favorite spring/early summer fruits. Since today is National Cherry Cobbler day, I thought I would take the time to let you know all about cherries. Cherries grow on trees and are a member of the stone fruit family - along with plums and peaches. When purchasing cherries avoid those with blemishes, mushy/light skin, or those that are shriveled. Cherries do not ripen after they have been picked, so choose those that appear plump, firm, smooth, dark/brightly colored with their stems pliable and attached (dry stems = old cherries). As they bruise easily, handle with care and thoroughly rinse and wash before consuming. Refrigerate to improve flavor and length of life, yet eat at room temperature for the best taste. Store cherries in a plastic bag in the refrigerator.

You should eat them in about three days. Generally speaking darker colored cherries are sweeter making them an excellent dessert. There are a wide variety of cherries on the market from Bing to Ranier to Queen Anne, and the peak cherry season is June/July. A sour variety is best for making pies, jams, and pastries - save the sweet ones for eating alone. To pit, slam with a knife as you would a clove of garlic to remove the skin or use a paper clip to slide in and stab the pit out.

What's Yummy This Week: YumSugar Weekly Recap

YumSugar — Sat, 01 Sep 2007 15:30:31 -0700

I was so happy to learn that so many people joined in our Show Us Your Cookbooks challenge. It was so fun to see them all!
The Big Mac is celebrating a birthday, do you think you know it well? Try taking our Big Mac quiz!
Even though there are a few weeks left in summer, we planned a big blow-out bbq marking its end. I personally love the posts about cute invites and seasonal peach margaritas.
Monday was National Banana Lover's Day. If you missed out, it's not too late to celebrate with banana cocktails, banana splits and banana cream pie!

Speaking of bananas, can you name this dish?
Top Chef was a repeat, but you can get your fix by reading the first part of our chat with judge Gail Simmons. If you think you hate her, think again, she's absolutely sweet!
A huge tomato food fight took place in Bunol, Spain. And by huge I mean 117 TONS of plum tomatoes.
I gotta know, do you like raisins in your cookies?
What do star-chefs feed their children?

Curb your chocolate craving with these ridiculously fudgy brownies, or better yet, add some ice cream and call it a brownie ice cream sandwich.
You might eat Necco wafers, but would you draw on them? Denise Tassin creates mini galleries on Necco wafers.