This Is The Absolute Best Peach Variety For Baking

From flaky croissants to cream cheese-filled danishes and towering cakes, baked goods are one of cooking's great treasures. Although frosting, sprinkles, and drizzles of honey are decadent embellishments, fruit is one of the freshest and most uplifting ingredients to introduce to a baked treat. Whether it's a sweet or savory recipe, peaches are a tried and true fruit favorite for bakers. But like many fruits, peaches come in different shapes, sizes, and flavors. So, which cultivar is a baker's best friend? Enter the freestone peach.

Peaches are stone fruits – a type of fruit that has a large, hard pit or "stone" inside. Freestone peaches are aptly named varietals with a pit independent from their flesh, making it less cumbersome to remove in contrast to clingstone peaches, where the pit and flesh are connected like a muscle to a bone. Once removed, the pit won't pull on the tasty peach's flesh to disrupt its smooth, succulent texture. The ease of removing the sizable seed from freestone peaches makes them beneficial for baking, where quick and clean preparation is essential. Plus, freestone peaches are larger than clingstones, giving you more juicy sweetness to work with. Whether it's an old-fashioned peach cobbler or a peachy prosciutto galette, freestones are your best bet.

Adding to their convenience, freestone peaches are the most commonly available varieties at grocery stores – although they might not be labeled as such — eliminating the need to visit specialty stores and farmers' markets to purchase them. However, abundance necessitates discernment: The more peaches there are, there more important it is to know which ones are freshest. By memorizing the most important details to look for when buying peaches, you'll always have the highest-quality fruit in your baked goods.

Ripe fruit has developed its full flavor and boasts a juicy, succulent texture that's ideal for baked delicacies. A ripe peach is characterized by a sweet aroma, a vibrant color that ranges from deep yellow to reddish-orange, and a slight give when gently pressed, indicating that the flesh is tender and ready for baking. Watch out for semi-freestone peaches, whose pits are loosely attached to the flesh. Although they're still easier to work with compared to clingstones, true freestones are always better for baking.

Freestone peaches are best enjoyed in the summer, beginning in mid-June. They have the longest-spanning season of peaches, with a peak that lasts through August. As a summer treat, freestones are perfect for light, zippy, and refreshing baked goods.

Freestone peaches and a dash of sugar are enough to make a delicious baked provision. However, there are plenty of complementary ingredients to jazz up and enhance the flavor of these easy-to-use summer fruits.

Freestone peaches are not quite as sweet as clingstones, so introducing additional ingredients can make baked desserts all the more dulcet. If you want to avoid excessive amounts of refined sugar, look to other summer seasonal fruits that match the spirit of freestones. A peach cherry pie is a honeyed, nectarous, and tasteful baked luxury that anyone can enjoy. The rich, boldly sweet flavor of cherries is the perfect match for the milder taste of freestone peaches. A strawberry peach crumble is an elegant, timeless baked dessert that balances the sugary sweetness of strawberries with the delicate, floral essence of peaches. Consider also using blueberries, blackberries, and apples.

Not all baked goods are sweet. A savory tart featuring a combination of peaches and tangy goat cheese accented by caramelized onions is a savory blend of well-rounded flavors — perfect for breakfast, lunch, or a light dinner. For a downhome Southern treat, a freestone peach-kissed bacon cornbread brings together sweet, savory, and smoky flavors with each bite. Don't forget a peach iced tea to wash it all down.

Whether you keep it simple or snazzy, if you're baking peachy goods, always stick with freestones. Because in the kitchen, convenience is key.