LCBO Food & Drink Summer 2021

Pick of the crop Sitting pretty, with juicy, fragrant flesh and a blush that rivals the most pictur- esque sunset, fresh Ontario peaches are a local summer staple to celebrate and savour. Yellow flesh peaches have a sweet, slightly tart flavour that’s perfect for both sugary and savoury applications, while white peaches are honey-like in sweet- ness, making them well-suited to break- fast and dessert. Of the yellow flesh varieties, the most established cultivars include (in order of ripening) Harrow Diamond, Redhaven and Vivid, with some promising newcom- ers entering the game, including Spring- crest, Starfire and Harbrite. Also starting to crop up are locally grown white flesh peaches, such as White Lady and Blush- ingstar, and flat (a.k.a. doughnut) peaches, which are sweet, low in acid, and come in yellow or white.

The name “peach” stems from the Latin words malum persicum , literally meaning “Persian fruit.”

The nose knows Picking the perfect peach is as simple as fol- lowing your nose. A peach that smells fragrant and, well, peachy is the peach to buy. Next, look for smooth skin without a tinge of green: Any signs of wrinkling indicate an overripe peach, whereas green undertones point to an underripe one. I know you’ll want to, but try to avoid pressing the flesh of the peach—that road only leads to bruised fruit.

DID YOU KNOW? The temperate climate of the Niagara Fruit Belt serves as the perfect place for peach trees to flourish. This prolific peach- producing area yields over 80% of Canada’s summer supply.

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FOOD & DRINK SUMMER 2021