July · San Diego
Peaches
Southern California stone fruit peaks through July. The combination of warm days and cool nights produces fruit with real sugar and real fragrance. This is the short window.
How to choose it
- Fragrant at the stem end — this is the most reliable test
- Gives slightly near the top when gently pressed
- Deep color, though variety varies
- Avoid hard or refrigerated peaches
Buy this much: 4–5 peaches for one person for the week. They do not all need to be eaten at once.
Stone fruit is most abundant and affordable in July. Peak season tends to bring prices down across most grocery stores, and peaches are often featured on sale.
During the week
- Charred in the hot pan beside shrimp or steak
- Sliced into shrimp tacos with lime
- On Greek yogurt with honey
- Eaten ripe, as dessert
On a weekend
Sliced with mint and honey after the salmon.
One thing worth learning
A peach ripens from the inside out. A soft shoulder near the stem means it is ready. A hard peach left on the counter will soften but will not improve the way tree-ripened fruit does.