History of the Peach
You didn’t know the peach had a history, did you? Because today August
24, is National Peach Pie Day (and who doesn’t love peach pie?), I thought I’d
find out all I could about the summertime favorite, the peach. Here’s what Wikipedia
says:
The peach (Prunus persica) is a deciduous tree native to the region of Northwest China between the Tarim Basin and the north slopes of the Kunlun Shan mountains,
where it was first domesticated and cultivated. It bears an edible juicy fruit called
a peach or a nectarine.
The People’s Republic of China is
the world’s largest producer of peaches. (I sure didn’t know the peach
originated in China, and I thought the largest peach producer was the state of
Georgia).
Peach and nectarines are the same species, even though they
are regarded commercially as different fruits. In contrast to peaches, whose
fruits present the characteristic fuzz on the skin, nectarines are
characterized by the absence of fruit-skin trichomes (fuzz-less fruit); genetic
studies suggest nectarines are produced due to a recessive allele,
whereas peaches are produced from a dominant allele for fuzzy skin. Source: Wikipedia.
The peach was brought to India and Western Asia in ancient
times. Peach cultivation also went from China, through Persia, and reached
Greece by 300 BC. Alexander the Great introduced the fruit into Europe
after he conquered the Persians. Peaches were well known to the Romans in first
century AD, and were cultivated widely in Emilia-Romagna. Peach
trees are portrayed in the wall paintings of the towns destroyed by the Vesuvius eruption
of 79 AD, while the oldest known artistic representations of the fruit are in
the two fragments of wall paintings, dated back to the 1st century AD, in Herculaneum, now
preserved in the National Archaeological Museum in Naples. Source: Wikipedia
Spanish explorers in the 16th century brought the peach to the
Americas, and the fruit eventually made it to England and France in the 17th
century, where it was a prized and expensive treat. During Queen Victoria’s
reign, peaches were served in fancy cotton napkins at the end of meals.
Spanish settlers brought peaches to Florida, where the Cherokee
and Iroquois learned to grow them. Cherokee and Iroquois traders sold peach
seeds farther west, and peach seeds crossed the North American continent to
meet up with peach trees planted by Spanish settlers in Arizona and California.
The horticulturist George
Minifie supposedly brought the first peaches from England to its North American
colonies in the early 17th century, planting them at his Estate of Buckland in
Virginia. Although Thomas Jefferson had peach trees at Monticello, United
States farmers did not begin commercial production until the 19th century in
Maryland, Delaware, Georgia and finally Virginia.
There you have it. If your mouth is watering as you consider
eating a sweet, juicy peach, here’s an easy peach recipe I love to make. I
don’t make pies because I’m a lousy baker, and pies are above my skill set.
However, this recipe is so easy, even I don’t mess it up.
Peach Crostata
Preheat oven to 425F. In a large bowl, toss 1 pound peaches,
peeled and thinly sliced, with 3 Tbsp. brown sugar, 1 Tbsp. cornstarch, 1/8
tsp. ground ginger, and a pinch of salt. Unroll 1 refrigerated ready-to-use
piecrust (for 9-in. pie) on cookie sheet. Arrange peach mixture on crust,
leaving 2-in. border; fold border over filling. Bake 25-30 minutes or until
crust is golden. Serves 4. Enjoy!
For something peachy keen to read while you’re enjoying your
Peach Crostata, I recommend Hot Fun In the Summertime: A Limited Edition
Romance Books 4 Us Collection.
The weather is heating up, but it's not just the sun and the
sand which will keep you hot.
This summer anthology brought to you by the authors of
Romance Books 4 Us will bring temperatures to your eReader that will set
unheard of heat records. Burning the tips of your fingers while you turn the
pages.
Sultry temperatures.
Passionate couples.
Unbelievable desire.
This is your ticket to... Hot Fun in the Summer Time.
Including:
Just Tell Me What You Want by Tina Donahue
Second Chance at Love by Marianne Stephens
Curating Love by Cara Marsi
Pleasure Quest by Tina Donahue
Ripped at the Seams by Deelylah Mullin
Building Up To Love by Joanne Jaytanie
Nailed by Cindy Spencer Pape
More Than Friends (Friends to Lovers Book 1) by Krista Ames
Cowgirls Don't Cry by Janice Seagraves
Dare to Feel by Nicole Morgan
Firecracker by Desiree Holt
Sultry temperatures.
Passionate couples.
Unbelievable desire.
This is your ticket to... Hot Fun in the Summer Time.
Including:
Just Tell Me What You Want by Tina Donahue
Second Chance at Love by Marianne Stephens
Curating Love by Cara Marsi
Pleasure Quest by Tina Donahue
Ripped at the Seams by Deelylah Mullin
Building Up To Love by Joanne Jaytanie
Nailed by Cindy Spencer Pape
More Than Friends (Friends to Lovers Book 1) by Krista Ames
Cowgirls Don't Cry by Janice Seagraves
Dare to Feel by Nicole Morgan
Firecracker by Desiree Holt
