How to pick the perfect peach + an easy cobbler recipe!

A Visual Branding Shoot for Lifestyle Blogger, Pretty Petals | Bellevue, WA

Did you know that August and September is peach season here in Washington State? Right now if you visit your local farmers market or grocery store you will notice that there is a variety of fresh peaches that aren't always available year round such as my favorite, the doughnut peach!

Peaches are probably my fave fruit to nosh on next to the apple, so when lifestyle blogger, Leslie, of Pretty Petals, came to me with the idea of helping her capture her beautiful Peach Cobbler recipe I couldn't resist. Leslie and I met up on a beautiful sunny Saturday morning in her gorgeous and dreamy white kitchen to put this delicious dish together. Not only did I get to capture all the fun and ease of making this quick and easy dish as part of a visual branding session for Pretty Petal, I got to indulge in a bite of the final product. It. was. drool worthy! (Says the 7mo along pregnant lady. Haha!) I could easily eat this as sweet Sunday morning breakfast dish or as Leslie mentions in her blog post, served with a scoop of vanilla ice cream for dessert.

Below are pics from our visual branding shoot and since I want you to have the best peaches possible when you try this recipe yourself, here are some tips on how to pick the perfect peach when you head to the farmer's market this weekend. :)

LOOK

Ripe yellow-fleshed peaches should have a golden hue behind their reddish blush (that blush is actually not a sign of ripeness!). This coloration is easiest to see at the stem end since little sun hits the peach in this spot.
A lighter yellow color means a less-ripe peach.
Avoid peaches that still have a green tinge to their color.
And check peaches for bruises, scratches, flat areas, and wrinkly skin - you want none of those!

SMELL

Most peaches should smell like what you want them to taste like. -No smell usually means no taste (yet) and an under-ripe peach.
Know that some varieties can have great flavor without that knock-you-out peach smell.
If you're shopping at a farmers market, ask the farmer for guidance about the variety you're inspecting.

FEEL

Hold the peach in the palm of your hand and gently squeeze with your whole fingers to gauge how hard or soft the peach is:

Baseball-hard peaches should be left behind; they were picked before being ready and most likely will never ripen properly.
Tennis ball-like peaches are not ready to eat but are excellent candidates for taking home for ripening to eat later in the week.
Real "give" when you squeeze means the peach can be happily eaten or left out on the counter for a day or two first. These peaches are great for baking since they hold their shape better that softer ripe specimens.
Soft peaches will bruise slightly when you squeeze. These are ready to eat right now.
Super-soft peaches are already bruised, just from sitting there. They are a tad over-ripe but can make for tasty, if exceedingly juicy and messy, eating.
If you somehow end up with a mealy peach, know that they are almost always the result of peaches being picked either very green or very ripe and then chilled, then brought to room temperature. Avoid whoever sold it to you in the future!