Check Out the Flavour of Peaches

The peach belongs to the genus Prunus and is native to China and is popular for its juicy fruit. The peach tree is deciduous attaining a height of 4-10 m and is placed in the subfamily Prunoidae under the family Rosaceae. It has been classified with the almond in the genus Amygdalus but can be differentiated from other members by the corrugated seed shell. Leaves of peach tree are lanceolate, 7-16 cm long and 2-3 cm broad and pinnately veined. Flowers are produced in spring much before the leaves are born. They may be solitary or paired, 2.5-3 cm, pink in colour and are provided with five petals. The fruit may be with yellow or whitish flesh, with a delicate aroma, with a velvety or smooth skin as found in different varieties.

Flesh of the fruit is very delicate and is of high commercial value when green. The fruit bears a single seed which may be red or brown, large, oval shaped, measuring 1.3-2 cm long with a hard woody shell. Peaches, plums, apricots and cherries together constitute the category of stone fruits.

The botanical name of peach is Prunus persica which suggests that it might be native to Persia but the truth is something else and it was originated in China many years back. They have specific chilling requirements in order to grow well. They fail to survive in the tropical areas as they lack specific cold weather. They are able to tolerate winter temperatures to about -26?C to -30?C but this range of temperature may kill the flowers resulting in no fruits during the approaching summers. Certain cultivated species are very tender and delicate and can tolerate very little fluctuations in temperature. They require extreme heat also during the summer months for fruit ripening. The optimum temperature required for fruit ripening is 20?C-30?C.

The flowers generally bloom in the early spring but if the temperature gets lower than -4?C the flowers may wither. However, if the flowers remain closed they can tolerate certain degrees of cold.

Important peach producing areas are China, Iran, France, and the Mediterranean countries like Italy, Spain and Greece. The harvesting of plant is generally done in the months of May to August. The trees are susceptible to leaf curl, brown rot or a dark-reddish spot. They require constant supply of water which can be increased shortly before harvesting. Drip irrigation is generally considered ideal. A quarter of root being water is sufficient for the whole tree. They have a high requirement of nitrogen as compared to other plants. NPK fertilizer must be supplied and in addition to it poultry manure can also be added right after the harvest. Blood meal and bone meal, 3-5 kilograms per mature tree, or calcium ammonium nitrate, 0.5-1 kilogram are suitable fertilizers. If the whole farm of the peach tree is left without water the size, falvour as well as the sugar content of fruits get affected.

Peaches must be stored at room temperature and refrigeration must be avoided as it can reduce the taste of the fruit. They are good sources of carbohydrates, vitamin C, protein and potassium. Peach seeds contain cyanogenic glycosides, including amygdalin which decomposes into sugar and hydrogen cyanide gas. Peach allergy has also been noticed in some hypersensitive individuals and the symptoms may range from local symptoms to systemic symptoms including anaphylaxis.