Welcome back to the Cooking with Mom’s Choice kitchen. As parents we always want our kids to eat healthy and be open to trying new foods. Our family finds it fun to teach our kids about seasonal foods – what grows when and where, how it gets delivered, great ways to eat it, etc. There are many lessons to be learned and enjoyed (yummy!) as a family!

Did you know that August is National Peach Month? Let’s take some time to talk about the peachy subject of peaches! First some fun facts*:

• The fuzzy peach is a member of the rose family and originated in China. China is still the largest producer of peaches, followed by Italy.

• In China, the peach is a symbol of longevity and good luck.

• Peaches grow from a tree that is about 5-10 meters tall.

• Peaches are in season from mid-June through the end of August.

• A large peach has approximately 70 calories, 3 grams of fiber and is a good source of vitamins A and C.

• The “world’s largest peach cobbler” is made every year in Georgia, which is known as the “Peach State.” That cobbler measures 11 feet by 5 feet.

• Peaches are ripe when the flesh has a slight give (check with your whole hand – not a finger poke), and it has an even coloring of golden or creamy yellow.

• The saying, “You’re a real peach” came from the tradition of giving a peach to the friend you liked.

• California produces more than 50 percent of the peaches in the United States (and grows 175 different varieties!).

Now that we intrigued you with those peachy facts, we’d like to inspire you to try some new recipes using this delicious and in-season fruit. Some of the most popular peach dishes (which you should try to make while the peaches are in-season) are peaches & cream, peach cobbler, and peach pie; that said, peaches are even good mixed into entrees, salads and a variety of snacks that the entire family will love. Here are a few of our favorites we found online:

Fresh peach salsa with tortilla chips

Brown Sugar Peach Pancakes

Grilled pork chops with peach-tomato BBQ sauce

Peach potpie

Classic peach pie

White peach float

What’s your favorite way to eat a peach? Share with us your recipes and meal/snack ideas.

*Sources:

http://www.factmonster.com/ipka/A0781683.html

http://www.webmd.com/food-recipes/features/peach-10-healthy-facts

http://www.thenibble.com/reviews/main/fruits/peach-facts.asp

This post was originally posted on the now-defunct Mom’s Choice Matters blog on 8/23/2011.