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Local peaches: Poach them please 煮熟桃子


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Local peaches have come in. 10 Yuan per kilo for small, slightly irregular ones; 15 Yuan for the larger, prettier specimens. The seller I visited at the farmer's market 农贸市场 was from Chenggong 呈贡,Kunming’s university and government suburb an hour or so to the south. The fruit orchards there aren't ancient, but they still long predate these relatively recent encroachments of civilization.

 

This part of China has several kinds of peaches; friends tell me there are four main ones. The ones I got today were 水蜜桃 (“honey water peaches.”) Here’s what they looked like in the market. The peaches to the friendly lady's right are the big ones, the one to her left front are the small ones. Not a whole lot of difference to the casual eye. 

 

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Most of my Chinese friends turn up their noses at soft peaches. A peach is supposed to have every bit as much crunch as an apple. I disagree but am unable to buy fully ripe ones unless I drive out to the fruit farm, which is a lot of trouble for a family of one.

 

As you probably know, now is the time to be eating peaches 桃子, apricots 杏儿, plums 梅子 and nectarines 油桃。These are the so-called “stone fruits of summer” and all can be poached to excellent effect. I will show you how. 

 

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These are the “small” peaches I bought this morning. Eight of them made a kilogram and cost me 10 Kuai. I bought a kilo of the larger ones last weekend. Six of those made a kilo. Wanted to see if there was much if any difference beyond the size. I think the big ones were a little riper, maybe slightly sweeter, but I wouldn’t swear to it.

 

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Don’t just rinse them off, scrub them well several times with a clean dishcloth or peel them. Most of my Chinese friends recommend the latter. If I were feeding growing children, I would follow suit, but since I’m not, I usually don’t take that extra step. This weekend I made them with the skins on; today I peeled them. Difference in time spent was minimal.

 

Chop the flesh off the stone. Don’t fuss around playing surgeon and trying to get every last little bit. Leave them rough cut and nibble them afterwards like a squirrel. 不要浪费。Assemble some condiments and half a lemon. Today I used cloves 丁香 and cinnamon 桂皮。Last weekend I used ginger 老姜。Carefully strip the zest off half a lemon (avoid as much of the white part as you can.) You will put this in with the fruit along with the juice of half a lemon.

 

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I used brown sugar 红糖 both times because I happen to have a large supply of top-notch brown sugar, hand made in a small town in Zhaotong Prefecture 昭通州。It was a gift. One could equally well use rock sugar 冰糖。Whatever you use as a sweetener, start with a about a tablespoon and add more if you like things sugary; less if your tastes run in the tart direction.  

 

Put a little water in a saucepan, a cup or so, and dissolve the sugar over low to medium heat. Put in the other spices. Add the cut peaches and enough additional water to almost, but not quite, cover them.

 

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Simmer uncovered over low heat for about 10 minutes. Check the tenderness of the peaches with a fork. If you like them softer, cook them a little longer. If you are left with too much liquid, turn up the flame briefly and boil it off.  

 

I had some poached peaches in the fridge leftover from this weekend and I mixed them together with this new batch at the last minute, letting them all come to a rolling boil in the interest of food safety. Didn't want to risk their going bad. Pour the fruit into a pan or bowl and let it cool. I usually can’t resist having a helping or two while they’re warm and aromatic.  

 

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I store them in a re-purposed quart jar that I’ve sterilized with boiling water. You can buy new quart jars for very little at the nearest supermarket, 沃尔玛 or 家乐福。The fruit will keep refrigerated in its juice for 4 or 5 days. If you make a real big batch, it’s best to freeze some. These poached peaches are tasty mixed with yogurt. I sometimes also put them on oatmeal in the morning. 

 

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Now is the time to act on this project, ladies and gentlemen. At first peaches are nowhere to be found. Bingo, they miraculously appear and suddenly are everywhere, cheap and good; then poof, they vanish for another year. Seize the moment. If you snooze, you loose. 

 

 

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I think Beijing apricots are the best I've ever had. Last year about this time I stopped at a roadside stand coming back from taking friends out to see the Great Wall at Mutianyu. We loaded up on them and had fresh fruit in our hotel for the rest of the trip. 

 

 

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