What a great question! When I first moved to Northern California, I remember reading an article in Sunset Magzzine ( 
) about a great peach, I think OāHenry, and driving about 30 miles to Esparto to get them at a particular farm every year, for years.
Iām not sure I am remembering it correctly, and while trying to find that story, found several others.
I might put this one; āIn Search of the Perfect Peach; Why flavour holds the answer to fixing our food systemā on my reading list.
Wow, that is SO helpful to a peach n00b like myself! Iāve been avoiding them for many years bc they almost inevitably were letdowns.
I already waxed poetic about the incredibly juicy & sweet donut / satellite peaches we get here locally, and of which I grabbed two more quarts today 
They also had Star Fire peaches that the woman working the store compared to Red Havens. I was too ānervousā to branch outā¦
Iāve been working overtime to use up my bruised peach haul. Last night we made this salsa served with pork chops. I used whole serranos rather then seeded so my version was muy picante:
In Japan just about the only peaches sold are white ones (Iām not including canned peaches which are generally imported yellow ones). Theyāre extremely one dimensionalā¦just sweet (too sweet, if you ask me). In my nearly 20 years of living in Japan (Osaka, Tokyo, Tokushima & Shizuoka), I found yellow peaches fewer times than I can count on one hand.
In general, Japanese people are only interested in sweet fruit (grapefruit being the exception). Thereās really only 1 or 2 types of green apples and they arenāt popular. Iāve found nectarines there about as many times as Iāve found yellow peaches (I got lucky last year in Shizuoka when I asked a green grocer about them and the next week he had ordered some just for me!)
So Iām VERY happy that I can now find fresh yellow peaches AND nectarines in every store here in Las Vegas! Plums arenāt too popular in Japan either and here in Las Vegas I can often get very good ones for 3 lbs for $1.00. YEAH!
BTW, Japanese peaches can be and usually are quite expensiveā¦another reason Iām not a fan of them.
Iām not a big fan of white peaches or white nectarines, which I also find more sweet than particularly flavorful.
Exactly!
A dissent.
I find white peaches have a floral note, which I like.
I also like yellow peaches.
I like both.
I like most peaches if they have had enough heat units, arenāt over watered, and arenāt mealy.
RED GLOBE for the win. I always look for those (Yakima, WA) in August. Heading over in a few days to see if we get lucky.
One of my favorite Varieties is a very late one called āIndian Freeā It ripens rather late and can be a shocking Blood red Color.
A truly unique and delicious Flavor, Freestone to boot!
If it would stopping raining, my fav peach farm pickings would be in the truck!
I agree about the white peaches- too sweet, no underlying tartness or other sign of personality. Blah.
Iām going to have to seek out those little flat peaches, you gave them such a good review.
When donut peaches first appeared in my life, I bought a pint at a farmers market and had my mind blown. It was literally YEARS before I had another donut peach that was worth paying for. Yet I tried and tried, because the memory of that first taste was so positive.
Just a few weeks ago I bought some, in fact, and finally was rewarded with a big experience. They happened to be white, which surprised me bec normally white is less delicious. But these were CRAZY good; floral and complex and just an utterly perfect three bites of local, seasonal perfection.
The week following, I bought a different variety from my favorite local peach farmer - a provider beloved for like 80 years in this area, a local legend, a farmer who folks drive very far to buy peaches from for 6 weeks a year . And the donut peaches were meh. 
Local white and local donut make all the difference.
Agree. They can be fantastic or very meh. I gravitate to yellow peaches because I find they are the most reliable but maybe Iāll check out the donuts today at the FM.
I always use the sniff test. No aroma, no go.
Shrub made with fleshy peach skins. Mixed with fizzed water and some muddled lemon verbena.
Gosh this is good.
Finally got our stone fruit.
Red Globe peaches. I purchased a small case of 24. Price was $3.99 a pound, but we had to drive 10 hours (round trip) to get them, inclusive of two ferry transfers. Worth it!
Wow! Now I have to have them!
Lol. It helps that the drive is through some of the most scenic parts of the state. We try to make the distance every summer at peach time, and I never regret doing it.
