Seven Irresistible Recipes for Fresh Peaches

Did you know peaches were once known as the Persian apple? Fresh peaches are a summer staple we just can't get enough of. We love swinging by the farmers' market and picking up a basket of fresh peaches to use in all sorts of sweet and savory concoctions.

Below you'll find some of our favorite fresh peach recipes you can make all summer long. On the odd chance you have extra peaches lying around you can follow our tips for preserving this sweet summer fruit.

Peach smoothie

Wake up to this peach and papaya smoothie and you'll get your day off to a sweet start. Not only will you enjoy a taste of the tropics but your body will appreciate the boost of antioxidants and vitamins.

Ingredients

Rolled oats - 2 tbsp
Milk - 500 ml, semi skimmed
Peaches - 4, pitted, peeled, diced
Papaya - 1, small, peeled, seeded, diced
Limes - 1, juiced
Bananas - 1, small, chopped
Honey - 1 tbsp
Ice - 225 g, crushed

How to make it

Combine the oats and milk in a blender. Leave to soak for 5 minutes.
Add the peaches, papaya, lime juice, banana, and honey. Blend on high for 2 minutes until smooth.
Add the ice and blend again for a further minute.
Pour into glasses and serve.

Raspberry-peach crisp

One bite of this crumble and you'll be hooked. The bite-sized pieces of peach and juicy raspberries pair beautifully with nuts, oats and honey in this fruity dessert.

Ingredients

Peaches - 4-5
Raspberries - 300 g
Lemon Juice - 1
Vanilla Extract - 1 tsp (extract)
Sugar - Almonds - 50 g, flaked
Hazelnuts - 2 tbsp, finely chopped
Oat Flour - 3-4 tbsp, fine rolled
Honey - 100 ml
Butter - 1 tbsp
Oil - for the cookie sheet

How to make it

Put the honey and butter into a small pan and bring to a boil, stirring occasionally.
Boil for 5-7 minutes.
Meanwhile spread the nuts out on a cookie sheet lined with baking parchment and toast in the oven at 200°C for a few minutes.
Then add the nuts and rolled oats to the caramelized honey, mix well and spread on an oiled cookie sheet.
Leave to set.
Wash and halve the peaches, remove the stones and cut into bite-size pieces.
Heat the raspberries in a pan with the lemon juice.
Stir in the sugar and vanilla extract.
Puree half of the raspberries and push through a sieve.
Mix with the peaches and the rest of the raspberries and divide between the glasses.
Break up the set caramel and chop roughly in a food processor.
Scatter over the peach and raspberry mixture and serve.
Tips: Will not freeze

Red sangria

Hot summer days call for a refreshing beverage and sangria is the perfect way to use up any fresh peaches you have on hand.

Ingredients

Lemons - 3, untreated
Oranges - 3, untreated
Peaches - 2
Red Wine - 2 bottles, Spanish, (each 0,7l)
Sugar Syrup - 4 cl
Orange Juice - 16 cl, fresh
Brandy - 8 cl
Curaçao - 8 cl

How to make it

Wash the oranges and lemons and slice or cut into rough pieces.
Drop the peaches into boiling water for a few seconds, then skin, halve, remove the stones and dice the flesh.
Put the fruit into a carafe, add the red wine and sweeten with the sugar syrup.
Add the orange juice, brandy and Curaçao, stir and chill for 2-3 hours.

Homemade frozen yogurt pops

Frozen yogurt gets a little oomph from fresh summer peaches in this quick and easy recipe for ice pops. It's a good idea to test the sweetness of the peaches before adding honey to the recipe.

Ingredients

Peaches - 4 large, ripe
Honey - 2 tbsp
Yogurt - 250 ml, greek
Cream - 100 ml, lightly whipped
Icing sugar - 2 tbsp

How to make it

Score the skin of the peaches and drop them into boiling water for 1 minute.
Peel off the skins, remove the stone and roughly chop the flesh.
Put the peach flesh in a pan with the honey and about 2 tablespoons of water and simmer gently for 10 minutes or until the peach is soft.
Add a little more water if necessary.
Blend to a coarse puree and pour into 6-8 disposable plastic cups.
Fold the yoghurt into the whipped cream with the sugar and spoon on top of the peach.
Place in the freezer for about 1 hour then insert lolly sticks into the middle of the cups.
Return to the freezer and freeze for 4 hours or until solid.
Dip the cups in hot water and remove the lollies.

Brandy and maple syrup-infused peaches

It's impossible to eat just one serving of these irresistible brandy and maple syrup-infused peaches. This compote is great on its own, served over ice cream and as a cobbler or pie filling.

Ingredients

Peaches - 4
Champagne Vinegar - 250 ml / 160 ml
Maple Syrup - 80 ml
Salt - 7 g
Calcium Lactate - 1 g
Lemon Juice - 1/2
Brandy
Star anise
Black Pepper

How to make it

Wash peaches and cut into ¼” wide slices.
Place in a bowl of cold water with a few drops of ascorbic or citric acid or the juice of half a lemon to prevent discolouring.
 Bring vinegar, brandy, maple syrup, salt, star anise, black pepper and water to a boil.
Stir to dissolve salt then remove from heat. Place the peaches in a large food-grade plastic bag.
Pour brandy mixture over peaches.

With a vacuum sealer that can seal liquids

Place in sealer elevated so that the bag opening can stretch evenly across the sealing line above and the liquid doesn’t spill.
Close lid and vacuum seal, watching carefully to make sure you reduce the pressure before the liquid overflows.
The pickles may be eaten immediately or kept in the fridge for up to three months.
Cut open a corner to serve. Reseal with the vacuum sealer after opening.

With a vacuum sealer that can’t seal liquids

Place bag in a bowl of ice until cool. Transfer open bag to the freezer.
Freeze minimum 4 hours. Remove from freezer and place open end in vacuum sealer, like a three-hole punch.
Press down on both sides until sealer locks (you will hear two clicks – one on each side).
Press button to vacuum-seal. Press buttons on both sides to release once machine stops.
Store in fridge for minimum one day (the infusing process requires less time in the oxygen void) and up to 3 months.
Cut open to serve. Don’t bother resealing in plastic as you’ll need to refreeze first.
Instead, transfer to a clean glass container and store in fridge up to 1 month.

Mackerel, peach, almond and beurre noisette

This gourmet main course features peaches in a brand new way. A sweet peach puree is paired with an almond crumble, citrus-marinated mackerel and a brown butter gel. It's an exciting recipe from Hong Kong-based chef Shaun Anthony.

Ingredients

Mackerel - 1 piece 200-300g
Lemons - 1 piece
Limes - 1 piece
Oranges - 1 piece
Salt - 150 g
Sugar - 150 g
Peaches - 1 kg
Sugar - 150 g
Ginger Root - 100 g
White Wine - 100 ml
Xanthan Gum - 10 g (Xantana, Texturas Brand)
Egg Whites - 15 g (Louis Francois Brand)
Almond Powder - 175 g
Almonds - 175 g, white blanched
Butter - 175 g, softened
All Purpose Flour - 175 g
Nutmeg - 2 g
Sugar - 90 g
Water - 500 ml
Beurre Noisette - 200 ml
Sugar - 100 g
Glucose - 100 g
Sherry vinegar - 5 ml
Mustard - 5 g
Cream - 100 g
Xanthan Gum - 15 g
Gellan - 10 g
White Wine - 500 g
Vanilla Extract - 250 g
Thyme - 2 sprigs
Salt - To taste
Black Peppercorns - 10 pieces
Peaches - 10
Mackerel - 1 portion
Peach Mousse – 20 g
Almonds - 20 g
Beurre Noisette - 5 g
Peaches - ½
Affilla Cress - 3 sprigs

How to make it

Step01

For mackerel

Fillet the mackerel and remove bones.
Mix the salt and sugar together.
Zest citrus fruits and slice fruits in 5mm slices.
Lay half of the salt/sugar on a tray.
Lay the mackerel skin side down on the salt/sugar.
Sprinkle the zest onto the fish.
Cover the fish with the remaining salt/sugar.
Lay the sliced fruits on top.
Refrigerate for 2hrs.
Remove from salt/sugar.
Rinse under cold running water.
Dry on paper towel.

Step02

For peach purée

Remove pits from peaches and cut flesh into medium dice.
Cook slowly in a large pot with the sugar, ginger, and white wine.
Cover with a parchment paper cartouche.
Simmer 10 min until tender.
Puree until fine in a blender.
Pass through a tamis and chill completely.
Return puree to blender and add egg white powder.
Blend on high speed to volumize.
Add xantana and reduce speed to medium.
Blend for a further 2min.
Pass through a tamis.
Put mixture into an isi Siphon and charge with 2 capsules of n2O.
Reserve.

Step03

For almond crumble

Mix all ingredients together until combined.
Form mixture into 5g balls.
Bake in a convection oven on a silpat lined tray at 180°C for 20min.
Cool.
Break up with hands.

Step04

Beurre noisette gel

Combine all ingredients.
Bring up to 90°C and maintain temperature for 3 minutes, whisking constantly.
Chill to 25°C and continue whisking.
Blend with a Ba-Mix.
Reserve in a squeeze bottle.

Step05

For marinated peaches

Combine all ingredients.
Simmer to infuse.
Strain and chill.
Vaccum pack with ½ peaches.
Step06

To assemble

Pan sear mackerel on the skin side to crisp skin.
Dry on paper towel.
Place on plate.
Siphon peach mousse in 3 mounds around the mackerel.
Place marinated peach segments on mounds of peach mousse.
Crumble almond crumble around plate.
Squeeze drops of buerre noisette gel around plate.
Garnish with affila cress.

Peach Melba

Cool off on a hot summer day with a classic Peach Melba, a dessert invented by Auguste Escoffier, the godfather of modern French cooking. The raspberry-peach-vanilla combo is to die for.

Ingredients

Raspberries
Sugar
Kirsch
Peaches - A tin, poached
Vanilla Ice Cream

How to make it

To prepare an authentic peach melba recipe, over a low flame, cook the mashed raspberries and sugar for around five minutes.
Let cool, then add a spoonful of kirsch, and stir gently.
Put a layer of vanilla ice cream in dessert glasses, then cover with half a peach in syrup (having drained it first), add another ball of ice cream, then cover with the raspberry sauce.

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