Know this
Where a yellow peach hits you with bright acidity, the white peach is pure floral sweetness, delicate and perfumed with barely any tartness to balance it. The chef secret: that low acidity makes it fragile, so it bruises if you look at it wrong and it goes over fast, buy it fragrant and eat it within a day or two. Ripe means a soft give at the shoulder and a scent you can smell across the kitchen.
Cook
Eat it raw and cold when it is at its peak, this is a fruit that needs no help. If you cook it, keep it gentle, a quick warm through in syrup so you do not cook out that delicate perfume.
Season
High summer, July into early September.
Best pairings
cream · mascarpone · honey · almond · raspberry · basil
Also worth trying: prosciutto, vanilla, elderflower, mint, pistachio, lime, burrata, thyme, rosewater, brown sugar.
Recommended wine
A sparkling or lightly sweet white. Prosecco, Moscato d'Asti, or an aromatic Riesling. Around $15 to $30.
See the full pairing guide