Products : Fruits : Peach

The peach tree is a stone-fruited, deciduous fruit tree belonging to the genus Prumni and the family Rhodidae. It originated in China, where it still exists today as a native species. Its cultivation was then extended to the Mediterranean countries and later to America and Australia. Today it is the most cultivated fruit tree in the world after the apple tree.

In Greece it is systematically cultivated in Imathia, Pella, Pieria, Kozani, Larissa and recently in Corinth. The prefecture of Imathia is a pioneer in peach cultivation, as the Greek peach production started from the plain of Naoussa in the 1960s. Naoussa peaches are even a Product of Designation of Origin (PDO) and are widely known throughout Europe.

The peach is the fruit of the peach tree. It has a spherical or oval shape, a seam on the spine and a fuzzy or smooth skin depending on the variety in various shades of yellow, pink, red and even yellow-white (white-fleshed peach).

The flesh is juicy, aromatic with a sweet and sour taste. The core of the peach (pit) is large and red with many grooves and sticks to the flesh or is easily detached. There are several types of peaches that vary in shape, colour and taste. Thus we have nectarines with hard flesh, white-fleshed peaches with white hard flesh and more bitter taste than peaches, yarmulkes with soft very aromatic flesh and the pit easily removed.

Apart from fresh peaches, they are also eaten as compote, made into jams, used in confectionery, liqueurs, soft drinks and juices. The peach canning industry is very well developed and canned peaches are consumed in large quantities in many regions. Peaches contain a good amount of vitamin C, sugars and proteins.

According to FAO (Food and Agriculture Organization) data for 2012, China is the world's leading producer of peaches, followed by Italy, the United States with major crops in Texas and Virginia, Greece, Spain, Turkey and Iran.

Period during which First Fruit Stand markets the peach: May - September