When most of us think about peaches we are thinking about a yellow peach. The kind you find at your grandparents house that are a delicious mess to eat.  There are also white flesh peach varieties out there that look similar the yellow flesh varieties we’re used to. People have complained that they bought peaches from the market, took them home and let them ripen only to find that they were still firm after a few days. Turns out they picked white flesh varieties and thought they were getting yellow flesh, which is a common mistake. There are differences in appearance, texture and taste that are important to know for the next time you’re at the market.

 Yellow peaches: These are the traditional peaches most of us are used to. They have deep yellow background color overlaid with pink or red blush color and deep yellow flesh inside. They are ready-to-eat when they give to a little bit of palm pressure and have a balance of sweet and tart flavors. These varieties are a little more tart when firm.

White peaches: These peaches have increased in popularity since the late 1980’s. They have a creamy yellow background color overlaid with pink or red blush color and creamy yellow flesh inside. They are naturally less tart and can be ready-to-eat when firm and crunchy. White peaches will ripen faster than yellow peaches and are sub-acid or less acidic. This means you can eat more of them without getting an upset stomach.