Peaches in Wine

Summer means peaches and if you’re a peach lover, this is one of your favorite times of the year.

There are 2 basic types of peach- a freestone and a clingstone. The flesh of a freestone peach comes away from the pit easily, whereas the flesh of the aptly named clingstone is hard to pry away from the pit. Because of that, freestone peaches are what you’ll generally find at the market or fruit stand.

Here’s what you want to look for when selecting peaches: a strong peachy fragrance and a peach that yields slightly to palm pressure. Slightly is the operative word here. Peaches bruise easily, so make sure to look them over for soft spots and pass on any that are too ripe.

If you need to speed up the ripening process, place the peaches in a paper bag with a few holes poked in it for circulation and then leave it on the counter for a day or two. Once the peaches are ripe, store them in the fridge for up to 5 days.

If you’re making a recipe that requires the peaches to be peeled, get a pot of boiling water going, and prepare a large bowl of ice water, too. Cut a small x in the base of each peach, then drop them into boiling water for about 30 seconds. Immediately dunk them in the ice water bath to stop the cooking process. Pat them dry, Now you can easily peel off their fuzzy skins.

This is the quintessential summer dinner party dessert. It’s nearly effortless and uses no heat- and it tastes so good even the peaches are grateful! Make sure to use a wine that you’d drink and enjoy. I’ve used red in this version but try a crisp white or Italian Proseco, too. Depending on the sweetness of the peaches, some people like to add a little sugar to the wine, too.