Saturday, July 24, 2010

Donut Peaches - Prunus persica ‘Saturn’ #GardenCuizine

Donut Peaches  
A real good-for-you Donut!

Yesterday an unusual peach variety caught my attention while visiting South Jersey Healthcare's  Jersey Fresh farmer's market located on the hospital grounds in Vineland, NJ. A.T. Buzby's Farm in Woodstown, NJ provided their weekly selection of fresh fruits and vegetables, which included the rare, strangely shaped, peach - Prunus persica 'Saturn'.  Strange indeed, the fruits were not round like regular shaped peaches, instead they were flatter. And with some imagination, these unusual peaches resemble the ring around Saturn, or a donut without the hole - hence their name, Saturn or Donut Peach

I don't seem to recall ever seeing them before, but according to Wikipedia, Donut peaches have been around for awhile. They were first introduced to the U.S. from China in 1869, and gained popularity in the 1990's. They seem to be making a comeback now; my family recently spotted them in our neighborhood grocery stores produce aisle too.

Grow your own
Peach trees are easy to grow in USDA zones 5-9. The large, showy double pink blooms are self-fertile (meaning they self-pollinate), with flowers that have both a stamen (the male part with anthers that carry the pollen) and a carpel (the female part that receives the pollen). Deciduous Saturn peach trees grow 10-15 feet tall and prefer full sun.

Health Benefits
Did you know there is no food on this planet besides whole fruit that contains as much as 80% water? Eating whole fruits each day provides your body with water in addition to fiber, vitamins and minerals. Eating a Saturn peach is a fun and delicious way to get more fruit in your diet, especially during the summertime.

Peaches are an excellent source of Vitamin C, and a good source of dietary Fiber, Vitamin A, and Potassium.  

GardenCuizine Donut Peach Nutrition Analysis: one large peach (175g): dietary Fiber: 2.6g (10%DV), Potassium: 332mg (10% DV), Vitamin C: 11.6mg (19% DV), Vitamin A: 570IU (11%DV)

Related Links
Top 10 Reasons to Try a Donut Peach Mother Earth News
 
Country Peach Tart Recipe Stark Bro's
Local produce at RMC's doorstep By Kristi Funderburk - The Daily Journal.com     
South Jersey Healthcare's Farmers Market Vineland, NJ: NJ Secretary of Agriculture - Douglass Fisher; Steve MorĂ© -manager of food and nutrition SJ Hospital-Elmer; Carolyn Heckman - Executive Director of the SJH Foundation; me (Diana Wind, dietetic intern); and employees of South Jersey Healthcare    
Photo and blog post Copyright © 2010 Wind. All rights reserved.