North American Fruit Explorers mailing list at ibiblio

["Stephen Sadler" <Docshiva@Docshiva.org>]

Peaches for processing are firm and, yes, rubbery, compared to what most of
us would grow, can, or eat.  Not that they're bad!  Flavor is certainly
important to processors.  

Peaches are loaded in the processing line stem down, fold (suture) forward.
They are cut, twisted apart, and the pits mechanically removed.  A soft,
meltingly ripe clingstone would be reduced to mush by this process, thus the
need for very firm peaches.  The peels are then removed by an aqueous
solution that cascades over the skin-side-up halves.  

Not all clingstones are 'rubbery'.  In tasting many freestone and clingstone
varieties, the only common difference is that, well, some are clingstone and
some are freestone.  I think when commercial canning operations began that
clings canned better and were cheaper to grow.

Stephen 

-----Original Message-----
From: nafex-bounces@lists.ibiblio.org
[mailto:nafex-bounces@lists.ibiblio.org] On Behalf Of Diane Whitehead
Sent: Wednesday, August 17, 2005 1:39 PM
To: North American Fruit Explorers
Subject: Re: [NAFEX] how to prepare clingstone fruit

>Jelly's the obvious suggestion for a clingstone, of course; and juice

Tinned peaches are mostly clings, so there must be some way the 
processors manage to remove the stone and get those perfect rubbery 
peach halves.

I don't know whether rubberiness is normal for clingstones, as I've 
always made sure to buy freestones.

We used to have one local brand of tinned freestones,delicious 
raggedy halves which was the only kind we would buy when our 
home-bottled peaches ran out.

                Diane Whitehead  Victoria B.C., Canada
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