Peach

Let a peach tell you when it's ready. Don't squeeze it hard; you'll only bruise the flesh — press it gently at the stem end with your thumb. A ripe peach gives, just a little. Smell it too. A good peach smells like a peach, sweet and warm, even through the skin. A faint smell isn't a bad sign on its own, especially on a cold peach, but a peach with no smell at all rarely rewards you.

Some people say a red blush is the sign of ripeness. No! That red comes from sun exposure on the tree, and it also depends on the variety — some peaches blush deeply no matter what. A green-shouldered peach with a deep blush can still be hard as a stone inside, while a pale yellow one, fragrant and slightly soft, is ready to eat right now. This mistake sends people home with beautiful peaches picked too early. Left on the counter, they'll soften, but they stay bland, never gaining the sweetness they were meant to have.

One peach, average size, weighs about 150 grams. It carries around 42 kilocalories per 100 grams — light, mostly water and gentle sweetness. Keep peaches at room temperature until they yield to touch, then move them to the fridge, and eat them soon. Ripeness in a peach doesn't wait for you.