It’s finally here—that magical time that all lovers of fresh, seasonal eating long for. Tomatoes are ripening on the vine. The fresh basil that eluded us for months has grown to small shrub status, striving to bloom in spite of daily pinch-backs. And the stars of the summer fruit line-up are taking center stage.

I’ll admit, Fourth of July picnics just wouldn’t be the same without a Cool Whip flag cake, and I’ve never met a fried peach pie I didn’t like. But to me, peak-of-freshness fruits are best when they’re allowed to shine as the center of attention. Add in too much decadent creaminess, sweetness, or carby crunch and they kind of get lost in the shuffle. Better to save those treatments for the year-round imports.

That thinking led us to create our Gingered Blueberry and Peach Salad. It’s one of the highest-rated recipes we’ve ever tested, and now is the perfect time to try it. But first, let’s take a closer look at our leading ladies.

Blueberries

Blueberry Bloom

The silvery sheen on the surface of blueberries is called “bloom,” and it’s a very good thing. This coating is an epicuticular wax that protects them from bacteria, fungal spores, and moisture loss. Harvesting and packaging blueberries can damage or remove the bloom, so haziness is a sign that they’ve been handled with care. According to a 2017 study, “The removal of natural wax on the fruit was found to accelerate the postharvest water loss and decay, reduce the sensory and nutritional qualities, and shorten the shelf-life.”¹ 

Blueberry Color

Blueberries get their jewel-toned color from antioxidants called anthocyanins. These health-boosting pigments have been harnessed for use as folk remedies and colorants for centuries. They can also play a fun role in science class and the kitchen as pH indicators. The pH scale is used to specify the acidity or alkalinity of a substance. Anthocyanins change color based on their environment. In an acidic solution, they appear red. In a base (alkaline) solution, they display as blue. You can get a peek at how this works with this simple blueberry activity.

Blueberry pH Indicator

Materials:

• 2 small bowls

• Measuring spoons

• Sticky notes & pencil

• 4 tablespoons water, divided as instructed

• ¼ teaspoon baking soda

• ½ teaspoon lemon juice

• 2 medium white bowls (form bowls work well)

• ½ cup frozen blueberries (reserve for another use after activity)

• Food storage container

• 2 spoons

Procedure:

1. Add 2 tablespoons of water to each of the small bowls and place them on opposite sides of your work area. Use a sticky note to label one as “baking soda” and the other as “lemon juice”.

2. Add ¼ teaspoon of baking soda to one of these bowls and stir to combine. Put the bowl in the proper section, thoroughly rinse the measuring spoon, and repeat the process with the lemon juice.

3. Add the blueberries to a medium white bowl, then invert the other bowl on top to make a lid. Shake the berries up and down for several seconds to release their juices. Transfer the berries to another container for later use.

4. Before you add the solutions to the bowls, make a prediction about what color each sample will turn.

5. Using a different spoon for each sample, drizzle two spoonfuls of the baking soda solution in one berry juice sample and two spoonfuls of the lemon juice solution in the other.

6. Observe the color of each sample. What does this tell you about the pH of baking soda and lemon juice? Was your prediction correct?

Peaches

Peach Fuzz

Grocery store peaches are clothed in a touch of velvet, but peaches fresh from the orchard are really, really fuzzy. As if they’ve been hanging out with the dust bunnies for a while. It’s easy enough to remove the fuzz, but have you ever thought about why it’s there in the first place?

Peach fuzz is all about moisture. On one hand, it keeps moisture off the surface of the fruit. Raindrops that land on fuzz quickly bead up and run off, keeping the fruit from rotting. On the other hand, the fuzz keeps moisture inside, preventing the fruit from drying out. (What do you call a peach without fuzz? A nectarine!)

Peach Parts

The rounded curves at the stem end of a peach are called the shoulders. The indentation running from the stem end to the blossom end is called the suture. The pit is also known as a stone, which makes it part of the stone fruit family (aka drupes.) Freestone peach varieties have pits that readily release from the flesh. Clingstone peaches have pits that hang on for dear life, so removing them requires more work.

Peach Coloring

The red coloring on peaches is called “blush.” It results from the fruit being exposed to sunlight—like a suntan. Blush isn’t an indication of ripeness. If you look at the top of the fruit, you can see the golden base color that was shielded from the sun by leaves and the branch to which it was attached. If the stem end is green, the fruit was picked before it was mature.

Peach Ripening

Peaches are climacteric fruits, which means they continue to ripen after harvest. Store them shoulders-down in a single layer at room temperature with some space between them, and they’ll continue to grow softer and sweeter. If you need to slow the process down, you can move them to the refrigerator for a few days. To hasten ripening, close them up in a paper bag with an apple or banana. The ethylene gas released by these companion fruits puts peaches on the fast track to perfection.

Now for the recipe.

Gingered Blueberry & Peach Salad

Ingredients:

• 4 ripe peaches, pitted and cut into bite-sized pieces

• 2 cups fresh blueberries, washed

• ½ cup ginger syrup (recipe follows)

• 1 tablespoon lime zest

Instructions:

1. Toss all ingredients together in a large bowl and serve.

Ginger Syrup

Ingredients:

• 1 cup water

• 1 cup sugar

• 1/3 cup finely chopped ginger (unpeeled is fine)

Instructions:

1. Combine all ingredients in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil, stirring occasionally.

2. Remove from heat and allow to cool.

3. Strain through a small sieve to remove ginger.

Yield: 1 ½ cups.

https://www.researchgate.net/publication/317395046_Effects_of_cuticular_wax_on_the_postharvest_quality_of_blueberry_fruit