Why You Need To Stop Throwing Out Peach Pits

Not to state the obvious, but peaches are great. Baked into pies, layered onto crostini, tossed into salads, or blended into a cocktail, the delicate sweetness of a peach makes it a flexible ingredient for all sorts of recipes. However, while the flesh is often the most prized part of the stone fruit, there are a couple of creative ways you can incorporate peach pits into cuisine.

In the last two years, Capgemini reports that consumer consciousness surrounding food waste has doubled as a result of sustainability concerns, in addition to rising food costs, and of course, the effects of the pandemic. With many looking to make their own kitchens more sustainable, there are simple solutions like buying less, rethinking how we use our ingredients, and repurposing our scraps to avoid waste — starting with peach pits.

Despite the fact that composting is king when it comes to food scraps, there are often a few more steps in between eating a peach and tossing it into the bin to decompose. Rather than throw away perfectly good pits, use them in your next peach-inspired recipe — peach pit milk, anyone?

You may have heard that the pits in stone fruit can be poisonous, but it's a bit more complex than that. While they can contain trace levels of amygdalin (a form of cyanide), Good Housekeeping explains that heat eliminates cyanide compounds — not to mention that you'd likely have to consume many pits for them to be deemed dangerous.

So how can you add peach pits into recipes? In one of two ways, either as is or you can crack the pits to reveal the internal kernel. Also known as a noyaux, Serious Eats notes that post-roast, the core is often used to flavor marzipan and almond extract given its floral and nutty fragrance. However, a peach pit that still has some fruity flesh clinging onto it can also add a taste of almond, along with some color.

According to Bon Appétit, the best way to introduce peach pits is to infuse them into dairy, liqueurs, or even vinegar for a subtle nutty aroma and slight peachy flavor. Whether you want to add another dimension to whip cream, gelato, almond milk, or brewed tea, peach pits are the clear answer.