Why Your Peaches Should Be Slightly Unripe When Cooking Them With Pork Chops

Peach season is nearing a close — so now is the time to make the most of it while you still can. That means making cobblers, pies, and preserves, but don't limit the succulent stone fruit to deserts. Peaches work with savory dishes, too. A grilled peach and plum flatbread makes an elegant summertime dinner party appetizer, and pork chops with peaches are a classic main course combo.

Some recipes call for topping the pork chops with a peach chutney or sauce. But keeping the slices whole is a popular option, too. It's one of those things that comes down to personal taste. Slices add a little extra texture and variety to your pork dish, while a sauce lets the meat take center stage.

But peach slices can quickly turn to peach sauce if you're not careful. Whether you're roasting, pan-frying, or grilling your pork and peaches, the fruit will inevitably break down from the heat. A little bit of tenderness is a good thing — the softness complements the tough meat and lets the juices mingle. It's easy to overdo it, though, and mush can be downright disastrous. The solution? Slightly underripe peaches. The fruit will hold its shape during the entire cooking process, while still providing that delectable summer flavor to your pork.

Don't worry, the peaches in your pork won't taste tart. Heat helps balance the bitterness and bring out the sweeter notes. It'll soften the peaches, too, but just enough to maintain the texture. Using unripe fruit is a common technique for dishes where you want to cook the fruit without letting it fall apart. Unripe peaches are also ideal for poached peach cocktails or galettes, and a paper bag will help ripen leftovers.

When shopping for peaches to use, make sure they still have a little softness. Avoid rock-hard fruit — there's only so much that heat can do. Peaches that you wouldn't eat today but might eat the day after tomorrow are ideal.

No underripe peaches? Overripe peaches have plenty of uses, too. They taste just as good as ripe ones in summer treats like smoothies and homemade ice cream. If you're still craving meat, just make them into a sauce. You can always experiment with whole peaches next season.