Peaches are a delight – there’s no denying that. Whether you want to enjoy them as-is or use them in cooking, they are wonderfully versatile and easy to use.
Anyone who is familiar with peaches can probably reminisce about the days of sitting in the sun and enjoying one of these delights – especially if you’re from Georgia!
The thing is, if you are not a peach connoisseur, there is probably a lot that you don’t know about peaches yet!
One of the things you may be unfamiliar with is that there are two broad categories of this fruit: freestone and clingstone.
If you would like to learn the differences between these peaches and find out what a freestone peach really is, keep reading! I’m going to cover everything you need to know right here.
Types Of Peaches
As I mentioned above, there are two broad categories of peaches that you should be aware of. These two peach types have distinctive characteristics that I’ll tell you about.
As soon as you are aware of these differences, you will know exactly how to tell these varieties apart and know how to work with them.
I’ll give you a hint: it’s all in the stone!
What Are Freestone Peaches?
Freestone peaches have stones (or pits) that can easily be removed.
In fact, if you were to cut a freestone peach in half, the stone could very well just fall out. No battling against the fruit requires – it’s that easy.
These kinds of peaches are fantastic for eating out of hand simply because you can easily work around the stone.
The most common varieties of freestone peaches are yellow and white. Even between these two peaches, there are some distinct differences to be aware of if you wanted to seek them out!
Yellow peaches usually have beautiful gold-colored skin with pink or red marks. They are slightly more acidic compared to white peaches and have a more intense flavor.
White peaches have pale pink skin and a more delicate, floral flavor. These peaches are also very sweet, even if they are not fully ripe!
What Are Clingstone Peaches?
As the name suggests, clingstone peaches refer to the type of peaches that are more attached to the stones in the middle of the fruit.
The flesh from these fruits will “cling” to the stone, making the two very difficult to separate (but not impossible). This makes this variety of peaches notoriously difficult (and even unpleasant) to eat out of hand.
These kinds of peaches are also available in yellow and white varieties.
However, these are actually less common than freestone peaches, likely because they are simply not as popular for the aforementioned reason.
Clingstone peaches are usually smaller and juicer than freestone peaches. They are also typically a little sweeter, too!
When combined, these characteristics mean that they are the perfect option for preserving and canning.
In fact, most (if not all) canned peaches that are sold commercially will be a clingstone variety!
The Difference Between Freestone and Clingstone Peaches – Summarized
To summarize, freestone peaches have flesh that is not securely attached to the stones or pits. This makes the stones super easy to remove, and they may even just fall out if you were to cut the fruit in half.
Clingstones are the opposite, with flesh that clings to the stone and makes it very difficult to eat out the hand. These kinds of peaches are typically used in canning.
Which Type Of Peach Is Better?
That depends on what you would like to use the peaches for! If you want to do a lot of preserving or canning, clingstones are an excellent option as they are sweet and juicy.
However, freestone peaches are generally seen as being the better option as they are much easier to work with. They may not be as sweet as clingstones, but they still have plenty of flavor.
Which Peach Do You Normally Find In The Grocery Store?
Freestone peaches are usually the ones you will find at any grocery store. This is probably because they are the more popular option due to how much easier they are to work with.
Where To Get Clingstone Peaches
If you want to get your hands on clingstone peaches, you will probably need to head to the farmer’s market.
Since these peaches are usually only used for preserving and canning, it is understandable to assume that most of the population will have little to no use for them.
However, if you stop by your local farmer’s market, there will probably be all kinds of varieties there to choose from.
What’s more, you know that the peaches you get at the farmer’s market are going to be good, so there is really no way to lose!
Semi-Freestone Peaches – The Third Option
If you really wanted to go the step further and find that metaphorical sweet spot, you could seek out this divine hybrid: semi-freestone peaches!
As you might imagine, these peaches are a wonderful blend between the two – but which characteristics?
Well, semi-freestone peaches have pits that are easy to remove, but they also have that sweet, juicy goodness that clingstone peaches are known for.
You get the best of both worlds, and these peaches can be used for anything you like.
You might be able to find semi-freestone peaches at a farmer’s market or the grocery store, it depends on where you live.
These peaches are newer, so you might need to do some digging around to find out where you can get your hands on them!
Final Thoughts
Freestone peaches are peaches that have pits that can easily be removed with little to no effort. In some cases, the stones of these fruits might simply fall out when you cut the fruit in half!
Clingstone peaches are the opposite, with flesh that sticks to the pit like there’s no tomorrow.
Luckily, most peaches you purchase at the grocery store will be freestone peaches.
However, if you want clingstones for canning, you will probably need to head to your local farmer’s market.
Hello, my name is Valentina and I am the founder or ‘grower’ as I like to call myself of BonitaFruitTrees.com.
Cultivating my own fruit trees is definitely my passion, and has been for such a long time.
That’s what made me want to make this website. I wanted to create a place where I could share my experiences with others, teach more people how to grow fruit trees, and just help them have a little fun with it.
