Hundreds of Varieties

© Margarett Skinner / Aprifel

Primerose, Alexandra, Maycrest…there are over 400 kinds of peach, of which we regularly eat around a hundred as they ripen.  

Peaches and nectarines are kissing cousins. Peaches may have a downy skin, but are usually called nectarines when the skin is smooth. The stone of a nectarine can be removed from the flesh more easily, but some smaller, more bitter varieties may have stones which are more closely attached to the skin.  Despite what you might think, nectarines are really varieties of peach which lose their fuzzy skin during the ripening process.  

The two most popular types of peach have white and yellow flesh:
- White peaches are juicy and fragrant, but quite fragile and difficult to transport.  They are generally slightly more expensive and are excellent in fruit salads.
- Yellow peaches tend to be larger, sweeter and more perfumed.  They are more hardy and easier to handle and transport without bruising. They're ideal for baking in tarts, roasting and poaching.