Let peaches ripen to perfection. Overripe
peaches can be puréed for sauce, turned
into peach ice cream or peach smoothie.
Photo by Gerhard Taatgen, Jr. | SXC.

While the fruits taste the same, the pits in clingstone peaches cling to the flesh; the freestone pits pop right out.

What difference does it make to you? As a hand fruit there’s not much difference, although freestones tend to have softer, juicier flesh. For freezing, cooking or drying, they hold their shape better than freestone peaches.

But for preparation, freestone peaches are a bit easier to work with since you don’t have to work to free the pit from the flesh. They’re easier to slice for fruit salads and have a clean edge if you’re slicing them for a beautiful presentation—plated or on a tart or cake. And because they’re easier to work with, they’re preferred for pickling and canning.

A tip to peel peaches: While some people use the technique of dropping the fruit into boiling water to loosen the skin, this does slightly alter the delicate flavor and texture. Instead, use a sharp potato peeler and peel the skin in narrow strips—this produce is more tender than a potato!

• There’s nothing like fresh peach ice cream. Be sure to make some! Here’s a recipe that uses honey instead of sugar.
• Peaches originated in China and have been cultivated at least since 1,000 B.C.E. Learn the history of the peach.

Memorial Day grew from the Civil War: Before the end of the War, Southern woman began honoring their fallen soldiers by decorating their graves with flags and flowers. An official Decoration Day was first observed on May 30, 1868, when flowers were placed on the graves of the Union and Confederate soldiers at Arlington National Cemetery. The holiday was celebrated by the Northern states; Southern states did not participate, honoring the Confederate dead on other days.

After World War I, the holiday evolved to honoring Americans who died fighting in any war. It is now celebrated in almost every State on the last Monday in May, declared by the National Holiday Act of 1971. Passed by Congress to ensure a three-day weekend for Federal holidays, the National Holiday Act also formally changed the name of the celebration to Memorial Day.

Now that you understand the history (and you can find layers of detail online), share it with your guests as you toast those who have fallen in battle.

Serve red, white and blue drinks for
Memorial Day. Photo courtesy Bacardi USA.

• Check out our selection of red, white and blue cocktails.

Melted or “drawn” butter, at top, compared to clarified butter (photo by Emily Chang | THE NIBBLE).

Clarified butter has had the milk solids removed, so that it is clear in its liquid state. You may have had it without knowing it:

In a proper service, the melted butter served with lobster is clarified butter—clear, with no cloudy milk proteins. In the case of lobster, clarified butter is served for aesthetic reasons.

Some restaurants don’t spend the time and money on clarified butter and serve “drawn butter”—melted butter—instead. See the comparison in photo #1.

It is never used in baking, since the milk solids in regular butter provide a richer flavor to baked goods, and the oven heating dynamic is different so there’s no scorching.

Clarified butter is shelf stable. You can make it or buy a purchase and keep it in the pantry until its needed.
 
GHEE, AN ALTERNATIVE

Or, you can buy a jar of ghee (photo #2), a similar product from India that has become much more available in the U.S. There are even “gourmet” brands that sell original ghee plus ghee flavored with green chili, pink Himalayan sea salt and vanilla bean.

The difference between ghee and clarified butter is that, after the solids are removed, the liquid portion is simmered, which makes it aromatic and nutty-tasting.

We may not be able to post until the move is complete. We’ll try our best.

If you check in and there’s nothing new, wait another day for the virtual moving van to deliver our blog to its new home.

In the interim, TheNibble.com website isn’t going anywhere—check it out!

If you’re looking for a particular type of food or recipe, start in our Main Nibbles section.

Bear with us while we move. Photo by
Garann Rose Means | SXC.

How cool is Avocado Jell-O? Photo
courtesy Avocados From Mexico.

We like them so much, we eat a half at breakfast or lunch, straight from the skin. Sometimes we’ll sprinkle on some balsamic vinegar. But just like any fruit, avocados are delicious as is.

But limiting our intake to guacamole and salads, we weren’t taking full advantage of the fruit.

So we browsed through the recipe section of AvocadosFromMexico.com and discovered scores of recipe ideas—from Avocado Jell-O to Avocado Caprese Salad.

As good as a regular Caprese salad may be—slices of tomato and mozzarella plus fresh basil—it’s even better with slices of avocado added to the recipe.

Tonight, we’re making the Layered Guacamole Dip with roasted garlic hummus, sour cream and chopped cherry tomatoes. Maybe we’ll try the Avocado Margarita with it.

Expand your repertoire of avocado dishes. Check out the appetizers, beverages, breakfast recipes, desserts, dips, mains, salads, sandwiches and wraps and soups.

• Find more recipes on the Avocados From Mexico website.
• Check out our selection of avocado recipes, which includes the health benefits of avocado and shopping tips.