Peach Melba – Why should it be problematic?

Peach season actually starts in Georgia around March to April and works its way up the Northeast coast through July.  On the west coast, it’s pretty much the same except there are some late varieties that are enjoyed through the fall.   

Classic Peach Melba can be a long, drawn out difficult process which is why most people just order it in a restaurant rather then deal with the complexity at home.  When created by the astounded chef Escoffier, the poaching of the peaches was a must and the cooking and straining of raspberries to create the delicate sauce is messy at best. In the last couple of decades variations of Peach Melba have blossomed. 

The peaches can be poached, baked, broiled, frozen or canned.  The peaches have been joined by blueberries, strawberries, gooseberries, huckleberries, mulberries and loganberries which aren’t berries at all.

The ice cream, originally vanilla, can be chocolate, strawberry, coffee or not ice cream at all.  I’ve seen ice cream replaced by custards and puddings—baked, cooked and instant.

And now the sauce!  Fruit sauces are difficult—they burn easily, have to be strained, have a short shelf life, and never produce an amount of sauce compared to the fruit required for the project.

Choice is good.  Just because you aren’t a raspberry fan, doesn’t mean you can’t have it your way.  Let Redi-Base help keep the choices coming. Use our Mousse and Bavarian Mixes to make pies, layered parfaits, or fillings for cup cakes, tart shells, mini cream horns and cream puffs. Top everything—ice cream, pies, cake and fruits with our line of Coulis.  

—The Redi-Base Chef