Trader Joe's Saturn Peaches

I don't care which naysayers are saying the pumpkin is coming...keep it real about the PEACHES. Can we talk about the fact that the sun is still shining and that the peaches are still sweet? I have resisted getting donut peaches for years because they're kinda small, and I'm American. Asian-American. Which makes me American by the way. And in America, bigger is better. Big juicy peaches. Ginormous pies. So I have looked down on these peaches for the size to price ratio, which by the way isn't actually that bad because we're talking peaches and not...yachts and vacation houses. 

Interesting fact (thanks BA for the research, I hope you start paying your valuable BIPOC employees fairly for their work)- donut peaches actually originated in China but the plant was too tender to grow in other places outside of its natural habitat. During the '60s and '70s, the Rutgers New Jersey Agricultural engineered a donut peach - Saturn they called it cuz the shape sort of resembles the rings of Saturn - that was frost-resistant and produced sweeter fruit. Then they sold the rights to the peach to Stark Bros' Nurseries and Orchards, who held the exclusive license to grow and sell these peaches until the license expired in the early 2000s. And fast forward to today - somebody or several somebodies are growing these Saturn peaches for good 'ol Trader Joe's. 

1) Points off for the plastic packaging. Not only because TJ's says they are "committed to reducing the amount of plastic waste" used in their packaging but because the plastic traps the fragrant peach fragrance. Does the plastic keep the peaches from ripening too quickly? Idk. 

1a) Speaking of fragrance - its sweetness is the closest thing I've gotten to an orchard brimming of fresh peaches. 

2) The flesh is a little velvety. Not the kind of fuzz that's a plot point in Parasite. :P

3) The flesh tastes of something between a white peach and a white nectarine. It's incredibly sweet. Not at all acidic or tart. Very juicy. I savored each and every last bite of this batch. 

4) The TJ's cashier suggested slicing these into rings and putting them on the grill. Also a great application, but I'm reluctant to do so since the fruit is so small. I'm okay with eating them as is. 

5) Four Saturn peaches for $3.79. Seems reasonable - I've seen these run $2.99 or $3.99/lb at other stores. Definitely sweet enough for a repurchase. 

TL;DR: Trader Joe's Saturn Peaches. Pint-sized, sweet seasonal peaches. 9 out of 10.