Interesting facts about peaches

Peaches are very tasty and fragrant fruits. There is a large stone with distinctive cutouts inside the peach. And today we decided to take a closer look at this amazing fruit. We have collected interesting facts about peaches in this article.

• 1. In Chinese mythology, this fruit is the emblem of married life and a symbol of spring and immortality. There is a legend according to which the peach tree of the Gods, one of which grew in the gardens of Si-wang-mu, bloomed once every 3000 years, and the fruit of eternal life ripened over the next 3000 years.

  The deity of longevity in Chinese mythology, Shou-sin, is often depicted holding a peach.

• 2. Small and medium peach trees rarely grow over 6.5 meters in height. However, in commercial cultivation, trees are rarely allowed to grow above 3-4 meters (they are pruned).

• 3. Peach is a very healthy fruit. It contains vitamins such as A, C, B1, B2, B6. In addition to vitamins, it is rich in minerals such as potassium, phosphorus, magnesium, calcium, sulfur, chlorine, manganese, copper and iron.

• 4. Do you like peaches? What about nectarines? In fact, they are both the same fruit, but they are sold on the market as two completely different fruits. The nectarine really looks more like a plum, but in fact it is a subspecies of the ordinary peach. Their difference is due to a genetic mutation, due to which nectarines are devoid of fluffiness, while peaches are covered with fluff.

  Nectarines are more resistant to diseases and pests than ordinary peaches.

• 5. The peach most likely originated in China and then spread westward through Asia to the Mediterranean countries and then to other parts of Europe. Spanish explorers brought it to the New World, and as early as 1600 it began to be grown in Mexico.

  For centuries, the peach was considered a symbol of the nobility. It was grown mainly in the gardens of wealthy people, and commercial distribution did not begin until the 19th century in the United States. It is worth noting, however, that early commercial gardens were often of very poor quality. The practice of grafting the best varieties onto hardy seedling rootstocks, flourishing in the 19th century, led to the development of more sustainable and better commercial orchards.

• 6. Peach trees are rather short lived compared to some other fruit trees. In some regions, orchards with these fruits bear fruit for only 8-10 years, while other fruit trees in similar conditions bear fruit for 20-25 years or more.

  Their trees do not tolerate extreme cold and cannot be grown in regions with very low temperatures (where it drops below -26 degrees Celsius in winter). On the other hand, peaches also do not grow well in regions with relatively mild winters, since most varieties need winter cooling to stimulate increased growth in the spring.

  As for the soil, it grows well in a variety of soils, but drained sandy or gravel loams are best suited.

• 7. Many famous artists painted still-lifes, on which these fruits were the main characters. Such artists include Michelangelo Merisi da Caravaggio, Vincenzo Campi, Pierre Auguste Renoir, Claude Monet, Edouard Manet, Van Gogh and others.

• 8. The heaviest peach ever grown belongs to the Autumn Star variety (refers to Jim Friday's star peach series from the USA). The mass of the amazing fruit of this variety, presented on September 12, 2016, was 810 grams.

• 9. Today, the largest producers of peach fruit are China, Spain and the United States of America. Moreover, China is the undisputed leader. It accounts for about 50% of all peaches produced for sale in the world.

• 10. The ancient Romans called it "malum persicum", which translated as "Persian apple". Later, this fruit received the French name "peach". From this word came the English "peach".

• 11. Research shows that eating peaches reduces the risk of heart disease and many types of cancer, two of the most common health problems in the world today. This is largely due to the antioxidants contained in these fruits.

• 12. The Japanese associate peaches with purity and the expulsion of evil, according to the motives of their famous fairy tale Momotaro - or "Peach Boy". This ancient legend tells of a boy who was born from this fruit and grew up to be a brave hero who fought against evil demons. Today, Momotaro is one of the most famous characters in Japan and is considered a role model for children due to his kind heart and bravery.

• 13. The peach pulp comes in different colors - yellow, pink, orange and white. White peach pulp is considered the tenderest. Varieties with white pulp have low acid content, are aromatic, and their structure is very fibrous, which is why the stone does not separate well from the pulp. Such varieties are most common in Asian countries. Fruits with yellow pulp are very juicy, fragrant, but at the same time have high acid content in the composition. Such varieties are very popular in Europe and America.

• 14. Peaches are 89% water. They also have virtually no sugar and hence have a glycemic index of only 5, making this fruit an ideal choice for diabetics.

• 15. Peach trees are self-pollinating, so all trees of the same variety can be planted next to each other, making harvesting much easier.

• 16. If you bought these fruits hard, they can be left at room temperature for 2-3 days so that they soften and become sweeter. If ripening needs to be accelerated, then it is enough to put them next to the apples. The fact is that apples release the hormone ethylene into the environment. It speeds up the ripening of fruits and vegetables.