‘Saturn’ Peaches

By William Woys Weaver
Published on October 1, 2006
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‘Saturn’ peaches have white flesh and are far better-tasting than other peach varieties.
‘Saturn’ peaches have white flesh and are far better-tasting than other peach varieties.
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The best way to eat a fresh ‘Saturn’ peach surely is out of hand—as soon as you pick it. But you also can take your cue from Chinese royalty and transform delicious peaches into a tasty soup that can be served hot or cold.
The best way to eat a fresh ‘Saturn’ peach surely is out of hand—as soon as you pick it. But you also can take your cue from Chinese royalty and transform delicious peaches into a tasty soup that can be served hot or cold.
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Because of their flat shape, ‘Saturn’ peaches have been given a variety of interesting appellations: ‘Doughnut,’ ‘Saucer,’ ‘Flat’ and ‘Bagel’ are a few.
Because of their flat shape, ‘Saturn’ peaches have been given a variety of interesting appellations: ‘Doughnut,’ ‘Saucer,’ ‘Flat’ and ‘Bagel’ are a few.
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‘Saturn’ peach trees provide a spectacular show of blossoms and an abundant harvest of terrific-tasting peaches.
‘Saturn’ peach trees provide a spectacular show of blossoms and an abundant harvest of terrific-tasting peaches.

<p>Old-time Chinese orchardists treated peaches with such reverence that they could be planted only within the royal precincts of the emperor. Their peaches were classified in one of two ways: golden (yellow flesh) or silver (white flesh). To the tribe of rare silver peaches belongs the mouthwatering peento (originally pan tao), the intensely flavored and odd-shaped peach we now know in the United States as the &lsquo;Saturn&rsquo; peach. (Most U.S. peaches are yellow-fleshed varieties.) Low in acidity, much sweeter than yellow peaches and with almond overtones, &lsquo;Saturn&rsquo; peaches simply taste better than other varieties. Plus, they&rsquo;re easier to eat out of hand. The tiny pit doesn&rsquo;t cling to the white flesh &mdash; you can pop it out with your thumb. Furthermore, &lsquo;Saturn&rsquo; peach trees produce an abundant harvest, and the fruit&rsquo;s thin red skin has little or no fuzz so it doesn&rsquo;t have to be peeled.</p>
<p>Because of its unusual flattened shape, this peach is sometimes called the &lsquo;Doughnut&rsquo; peach. Many supermarkets package the flat peaches in long boxes like those used for doughnuts, and market them as a good-for-you snack food.</p>
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<strong>The Frost-Hardy Peach</strong>
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<p>This peach emerged in south China at least 200 years ago, and the tree was so tender that it could be grown only in a few places outside of its original habitat. However, the Rutgers Tree Fruit Research &amp; Extension Center at Cream Ridge, N.J., changed that. The original Chinese peach was not cold-hardy enough to grow in New Jersey, not even in the counties well known for peach culture. So the breeders at Rutgers, through a long process of trial and error, selected out a strain of peento with frost-resistant buds. This is critical because the tree blooms early &mdash; even before many cherry trees &mdash; and the masses of fluffy pink flowers make a spectacular show that rivals the most ornamental cherry trees.</p>

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