7 Types of Peaches: A Guide to Popular Peach Varieties

Peaches (Prunus persica) are succulent fruits that grow on deciduous trees originally native to many Asian countries. Peaches are stone fruits with red, orange, or pink skin covering white or yellow flesh. Many varieties of peaches have fuzz that grows on their skin. Peaches grow in the summertime and continue to ripen after they’re picked.

In the 1500s, Spanish and Portuguese explorers carried peaches around the world, which ignited the growth of peach trees in temperate climates in the Americas. Today, Georgia is famed for growing many different types of peaches and is nicknamed “The Peach State.” The fruit is common at grocery stores and farmers’ markets.

Peaches have low acidity and high sugar content, making them a great ingredient in pies, cobblers, and jams. Consider the three main kinds of peaches:

1. 1. Clingstone: The flesh of clingstone peaches clings tightly to the fruit’s center stone. Sweeter and juicier, these peaches are best for canning and making desserts. Clingstone peaches tend to have bright yellow flesh with flecks of red nearer the stone. This softer kind of peach may be hard to find in grocery stores, as they are only picked mid-season (the height of summer). Find these sweeter peaches at local farmers’ markets in regions where these fruit trees commonly grow.
2. 2. Freestone: Freestone peaches have a stone that easily comes apart from the fruit’s flesh, making them a perfect peach for baking and snacking. This variety has firm flesh and is the most common kind found in grocery stores because they have the most extended harvest, which ranges from the early season in late May to the late season in October.
3. 3. Semi-freestone: Also known as semi-clingstone, the semi-freestone peach is a hybrid of the clingstone and freestone varieties. The stone will stay partially attached to the inner flesh. Semi-freestone peaches are useful for various dishes.

Distinguish peach flavors and types by learning about these seven popular varieties and cultivars:

1. 1. Babcock: Babcock peaches are small to medium in size, white-fleshed peaches. Semi-freestone peaches, the Babcock is on the tarter side. These peaches require additional sugar for sweetening for baking recipes.
2. 2. Donut peaches: Donut peaches are flatter and shaped like saucers, giving them their name. They are freestone peaches, medium in size but, despite what their name may suggest, are not significantly sweeter than other varieties.
   
3. 3. Early Amber: These freestone peaches have orange-yellow flesh and are picked early in the season, hence their name.
4. 4. Arctic Supreme: These larger clingstone self-pollination peaches have white flesh and red skin and are famed for their excellent taste.
5. 5. Elberta: Elberta peaches are self-fertile and omnipresent in Georgia. These freestone peaches are large and have golden yellow skin.
6. 6. Belle of Georgia: A freestone, white-fleshed peach, the Belle of Georgia is a highly prized cultivar because of its large fruit size and juicy taste. A contender at major peach festivals, this heirloom variety’s skin is a red blush.
7. 7. Nectarines: Nectarines are a genetic mutation of peaches that do not have fuzz. They are yellow flesh peaches known for their sweet flavor and smooth skin. They come in several cultivars, including the 'Nectar Babe,' 'Harko,' 'Arctic Rose,' and 'Panamint.'

Check your peaches for firmness and aroma regardless of the variety—from yellow Cresthaven to ruby Red Globe peaches. Hold the fruit in your hand and give it a gentle squeeze; if it is still firm, it will take a few days to ripen. If it has some give, it will be ripe and juicy, and you should eat it right away. If it’s too soft or mushy, it’s already on its way to rotting.

You can also smell your peaches; they should have a slightly sweet, fruity aroma. Make sure they are free of bruises and don’t have any holes. Some hardy cultivars, such as Polly and Reliance peaches, will be suitable to pick and purchase in the winter.

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