Peaches and Vitamin C: A Sweet Boost for Your Immune Health
The Vitamin C Powerhouse: Peaches and Immune Support
Vitamin C became a very popular supplement during the COVID pandemic, but it’s not just good for COVID. Luckily, vitamin C has many benefits for our body and can help with many functions. Vitamin C is a powerful antioxidant that helps protect our bodies against cell damage by neutralizing free radicals. When free radicals build up, it can lead to diseases like cancer, heart disease, and arthritis. It also helps growing and developing tissues, heals wounds, and helps to fight infections by keeping our immune system strong.
Vitamin C is an essential nutrient, meaning the body cannot produce it and must obtain it through the diet. Luckily, many foods contain vitamin C, so supplementation is not always necessary. Some foods rich in vitamin C include strawberries, oranges, kiwis, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, red peppers, tomatoes, and peaches. For this article, we will focus on peaches!
Enjoying Peaches: Fresh, Frozen, or Dried
Choosing the Ripe Peach: Tips for Selection
I love peaches, but maybe it’s because I was born in Georgia, aka the peach state! There is nothing worse than being really excited to bite into a peach, anticipating how good and refreshing it will taste, only to be utterly disappointed to find out it’s not ripe yet. That’s why knowing how to pick ripe peaches while shopping at the grocery store or farmers market is really important. One of my favorite Food Network chefs, The Pioneer Woman, has some great tips on how to tell if a peach is ripe enough. Peaches are in season from around May to September, so you will likely have the best luck getting ripe peaches during that time frame.
A few tips The Pioneer Woman suggested when selecting peaches are to look at the color, skin, firmness, and smell of the peaches. When picking peaches at the grocery store, look for ones that are vibrant in color, with shades of yellow, red, and pink, and have skin that is not wrinkled, bruised, or shriveled. If the peach is really firm to the touch, it’s probably not ripe enough yet. Peaches with a little give when you touch them are what you want. Lastly, ripe peaches should have a sweet, fragrant scent.
Creative Ways to Enjoy Peaches
Fortunately, peaches are a versatile fruit, and the options for recipes are endless. You can enjoy them not only with breakfast, lunch, and dinner, but also with snacks and dessert. One of my favorite ways to savor the taste of summer peaches is by grilling them. I just halve the peaches, take the pit out, and rub each one with avocado oil. After that, I place them on a medium-high grill and cook them until they are soft, usually 5-10 minutes, flipping at least once. I typically enjoy these grilled peaches as a side dish with chicken or fish, and also as a dessert (once grilled, sprinkle them with cinnamon and honey, and top with vanilla ice cream). If grilling peaches peaks your interest, a quick Google search will give you a ton of ways to incorporate grilled peaches into your recipes. Other great ways to enjoy peaches include The Pioneer Woman's peach salsa recipe or a spinach salad with peaches and pecans.
What are some of your favorite ways to enjoy peaches? We’d love to hear, so drop a comment below!
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Drummond, R. (2015, October 28). Peach salsa. Food Network. https://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/ree-drummond/peach-salsa-3064135
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Durawa, R. (2023, May 23). Spinach salad with peaches and pecans. Allrecipes. https://www.allrecipes.com/recipe/20517/spinach-salad-with-peaches-and-pecans/
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Professional, C. C. medical. (2023, April 5). 5 ways Vitamin C keeps you healthy. Cleveland Clinic. https://health.clevelandclinic.org/vitamin-c
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Zauberman, K. (2024, June 13). It’s peach season! here’s how to tell if the stone fruit is ripe. The Pioneer Woman. https://www.thepioneerwoman.com/food-cooking/cooking-tips-tutorials/a61098611/how-to-pick-ripe-peach/
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