Can You Eat Peach Skin?

A perfectly ripe, sweet, and juicy peach is practically synonymous with summer. There's nothing like biting into a peach just plucked from the orchard that's so plump with juice that it run down your arm as you eat. But can you—and, more importantly, should you—eat a peach's uniquely fuzzy skin? Yes, peach skin is edible, but there are certain cases where you might want to avoid it. Here’s what you need to know before you bite into an unpeeled peach.

Why Is Peach Skin Fuzzy?

First things first: Why do peaches look different from other stone fruits like nectarines and plums? That signature peach fuzz is actually the fruit’s natural defense mechanism: Hundreds of tiny hairs protect the delicate flesh from insects and excess water. 

Is Peach Skin Edible? 

Just like peach flesh, the skin of a peach is edible and nontoxic. So yes, you can eat peach skin.

However, people with irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) may want to avoid high-fructose fruits like peaches, apples, and cherries because they can exacerbate gastrointestinal disorder symptoms. But peach skin is safe to eat for people without digestive issues.

Why Do Many Recipes Call for Peeled Peaches?

The reason is textural: Peeling peaches allows the delicate and silky flesh of the fruit to shine without the tough and fuzzy skin.

From classic desserts like peach pie and Fresh Peach Ice Cream to savory dishes like Tomato, Peach, and Corn Salad, there are a lot of popular peach recipes that call for the fruit to be peeled.

Are There Other Reasons To Avoid Eating Peach Skin? 

Peaches are on the Environmental Working Group's "Dirty Dozen" list of produce that generally contains the highest amount of pesticides. And when fruits and vegetables are treated with pesticides, the skins tend to have a higher concentration of those chemicals than the flesh. So there is an argument for avoiding eating the skin of conventionally-grown peaches. 

But that doesn’t mean you have to give up the fruit, or even peel it before you eat. You should always wash your produce under cool running water before eating. You also can buy USDA-certified organic peaches, which reduces the exposure to pesticide residue. While any nutritional differences are still under debate, some studies also have shown that organic farming practices result in higher concentrations of antioxidants when compared to conventional farming.

If buying organic produce isn’t in the budget, the next best thing is to visit farmers' markets to seek out vendors who might use organic practices, but who might not have gone through the USDA’s rigorous certification process.

Are There Benefits To Eating Peach Skin?

Peaches do have a lot of nutritional perks—including fiber and antioxidant compounds—and much of both are found in the skin. That means that when you peel a peach, you’re also stripping away some of the nutritional benefits. If you do want to maximize fruit’s natural health benefits, including fiber, vitamin A, and antioxidant compounds, it’s best to eat the skin in addition to the flesh.