GUELPH, ON – There’s nothing like peaches in season; fresh, local peaches are truly one of summer’s greatest, most delicious gifts.
Sweet and juicy peaches not only taste great but, with their beautiful golden blush colour, look fantastic sitting in your kitchen’s fruit bowl.
From Ontario orchards, there are two types of peaches available this season: semi-freestone and freestone. The flesh of the semi-freestone variety partially clings to the pit while the flesh of a freestone peach separates easily from the pit. But both are perfect for eating out-of hand and for all your preserving needs.
The Ontario Federation of Agriculture (OFA) encourages all Ontarians to continue supporting local farming and food communities by sourcing local products throughout the season. As a dynamic farmer-led organization, OFA offers some quick and easy recipes to incorporate this season from our local peach farmers to your dining table (all recipes are courtesy of the Ontario Tender Fruit Growers):
- Grilled Ontario Peach Breakfast Parfait sounds delicious and is actually pretty healthy too: Crunchy granola layered with honey, whipped yogurt and caramelized Ontario grilled peaches. Take this to work in a little mason jar and you’ll feel way more energized than wolfing down a piece of buttered toast as you run out the door.
- Cheers to summer! Nothing is quite as refreshing as a cold drink on a sunny day. Here is a signature summer beverage that is great for every patio party or backyard barbeque: Ontario Peach Mijotos
- The sweet surprise of peaches complement a tender, savory meat. The aromatic roast pairs the salty taste of pork with the sweetness of Ontario peaches. Adding leeks and walnuts results in an unforgettable stuffing that makes any pork loin amazing. This recipe is grilled on a barbecue to seal in all the wonderful flavours: BBQ Roasted Pork Loin with Peach, Leek and Walnut Stuffing.
- Peach Fritters scream summertime; they are made with a cakey batter incorporated with peaches and topped off with powdered sugar.
- If the occasion calls for something a little fancy, then try the Ontario Peach Créme Brulée. This is a super quick and easy dessert recipe that uses just five simple ingredients and makes great use of juicy summer peaches. Be careful to not overheat the cream.
For any Ontario peach aficionado, check out the Winona Peach Festival. This free family event promotes community spirit and showcases all the ‘peachy’ items you desire. It is scheduled to take place the weekend of August 26th to 28th, 2022, at Winona Park just east of Hamilton. It is a great opportunity for bonding time with the family, while supporting local farmers and the community.
The OFA’s Home Grown campaign aims to raise awareness of the importance of preserving Ontario farmland for the production of food, fuel, flowers and fibre. It’s a key issue for the province; based on data from the last Census of Agriculture, Ontario is losing an average of 319 acres of productive farmland every day. This is a worrisome decline for what is arguably the province’s most essential natural resource — the arable land with which we feed people across Ontario, Canada and the world.
Join the conversation on Twitter @OntarioFarms and Facebook /ontariofarms. For more information, please visit homegrown.ofa.on.ca.
If in question about a local food — where to find it, how to cook it — check Foodland Ontario’s availability guide for a full list of Ontario produce.
Source : OFA