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Yellow Peaches versus White Peaches

Can white peaches be used interchangeably with yellow peaches?

Yellow peaches, with red-orange skin and golden flesh, and white peaches, with rosy-yellow skin and pale, butter-colored flesh, are the most common options in grocery stores and fruit markets. We wondered whether the two could be used interchangeably, so we sampled them plain; baked into a rustic, cobbler-like dessert called sonker; and in a fresh salsa. We found that their differences were more than skin-deep. Yellow peaches had a brighter, slightly more acidic taste that balanced the sweetness of the sonker, and their sturdier flesh held up better to baking than that of the white peaches. We also liked the brightness the yellow peaches brought to the salsa. The white peaches, meanwhile, had virtually no acidity, making the sonker taste overly sweet. Their softer flesh turned mushy in the oven, and their delicate floral taste was overwhelmed in salsa.

THE BOTTOM LINE: We'll stick with yellow peaches for baking and cooking and enjoy the mild, floral flavor of white peaches for eating them out of hand. But if you do cook or bake with white peaches, know that their softer, smoother texture may affect the dish's consistency and you might need to add a bit of acid for balance.

Yellow Peach: Great for baking

White Peach: Save for snacking

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