The Donut Peach: History of this Heirloom Peach and Varieties to Grow at Home

The donut peach has really caught on lately, but that doesn’t mean it's a new fruit.

This peach is most noted for its unusual shape. Rather flat and hollow it certainly doesn’t look like the other varieties.

History and Nutrition of the Donut Peach

Flat peaches originated in China, and were first grown in the U.S. in the 1800’s. Somehow it fell out of favor, perhaps due to its white flesh. Earlier American consumers preferred yellow fleshed varieties.

Originally the flat varieties had no special names. They were called Chinese flat peaches, Chinese saucer peaches, or peento peaches. Today, they are called “donut peaches” and are grown commercially in Central California and Washington.

Donut peaches are tender and low in acid. You can use them as you would any other peach, but they do generally cost more. Flat peaches are high in Vitamins A and C like other peaches. For the best flavor, allow them to ripen at room temperature, then refrigerate. In a garden, peach trees will even tolerate black walnut.

Varieties of Donut Peaches to Grow at Home

Stark Saturn, sold by Stark Brothers and other mail-order nurseriesis, is one variety to grow at home. Stark Saturn is self-fruitful, and by the third year it will produce loads of peaches. The sweet, juicy fruit is round and flat with a sunken center. According to some reports, the flavor has a hint of almond.

'Sweet Bagel,' the first flat, yellow-fleshed peach, was introduced for 2002 by Dave Wilson. It has a classic peach flavor. The tree is very productive, and fruit tends to be larger than traditional flat peaches. This low chill variety only needs 500 hours, and does very well in locations where the summers are hot.

The University of Florida has released its own variety of the flat peach, called the UFO. This new variety has several advantages over others. For those who want tree ripened fruit this is the one. It is even good for commercial growers because the flesh is firm enough to withstand shipping conditions.

The researchers inserted a gene to create extra-firm flesh into an Australian saucer peach. This resulted in very sweet fruits with extra-firm flesh. The name 'UFO' would seem to describe the shape, but it actually describes the flesh. The scientists are using the UF prefix for all firm-fleshed peaches and nectarines. The UFO peach is specially adapted to the warm, subtropical conditions of Central Florida from Tampa north to Gainesville.