Peaches are classified as clingstone or freestone based on how easy it is to dislodge the pit from the flesh. Most fresh peaches are freestones. The fruits also come in two main colors: white and yellow.

In Season: Peaches are in season during July and August.

What to Look For: Choose fruit with a fragrant aroma and flesh that yields a bit when pressed gently. If a peach has cuts or tan spots, or if it's rock-hard or mushy, don't buy it. Peaches that are tinged with green are usually underripe.

How to Store: You can refrigerate peaches for three to five days.

In this rustic free-form tart, buttery pate brisee is folded around juicy peak-season peaches, apricots, or nectarines.

Why choose between peach or blueberry cobbler when you can have both? Toss fresh blueberries and sliced peaches with grated fresh ginger, sugar, and cornstarch, then top the fruit with vanilla-cream biscuits before baking.

Preserve summer's bounty in jars of chunky peach jam. Store the jam in the refrigerator for up to one month, or process it in sterilized jars so it will last for up to a year.

Roast peach halves with butter, lemon juice, sugar, and a vanilla bean, and serve warm or at room temperature with vanilla ice cream and fresh raspberries. This easy dessert takes just 10 minutes to assemble and another 15 to 25 minutes to bake.

To make this slushy summer treat, simply puree ripe peaches with sugar, water, and a little lemon juice. Freeze the mixture in a square baking dish, scraping with a fork every hour to keep it fluffy, and stir in fresh basil before serving, if you like.

Replace the traditional tomatoes with sweet, ripe peaches in this cool summer soup. Blend the peaches in a coarse puree with cucumber, garlic, Champagne vinegar, and olive oil, and serve with a garnish of fresh parsley or cilantro, chopped red bell pepper, and avocado.

Stuff boneless pork loin with dried peaches made by baking peach slices at 150 degrees for three hours. Make a glaze from peach jam and brown sugar to brush on the pork while it roasts.

Simmer your choice of ripe stone fruit -- peaches, nectarines, plums, or a combination -- with honey and spices to make this fruit compote that's wonderful on yogurt, ice cream, or grilled meats. Choose one of two flavor combinations -- star anise and allspice, or lemon zest and cinnamon -- to complement the fruit.

Ground almonds, sugar, and egg whites make the chewy, macaroonlike layers of this lovely cake. The layers are brushed with peach schnapps and spread with a mascarpone and whipped cream mixture, followed by peach puree. Refrigerate the assembled cake for at least an hour before topping with caramel-peach sauce.

Muddle together peach slices and blackberries with mint, honey, and lemon juice before adding bourbon and seltzer water. This recipe makes one cocktail but can easily be multiplied to make a full pitcher for your next summer get-together.

Zabaglione, a traditional custardlike Italian dessert, is made by cooking egg yolks with sugar and Marsala wine. Fill peeled peach halves with raspberries and spoon the zabaglione over them just before serving.

Brush peach halves with olive oil and grill them until charred and juicy. Drizzle honey over farmer cheese -- a soft, mild, unripened cheese -- and serve it with fresh basil and the grilled peaches for a light and easy dessert.

Roasting peaches, nectarines, and plums with butter, sugar, rosemary, and lime juice enhances the sweetness of the fruit and creates a delicious sauce at the same time. Serve the warm fruit with a dollop of rich mascarpone cheese or enjoy it with vanilla ice cream.

These flaky pastry pockets hold a filling of sweet summer stone fruit. Use your choice of peaches, nectarines, or plums -- or a combination.

Blackberries and diced peaches are baked into vanilla sponge cake to create the base of this summer trifle. Pieces of the cake are then layered with whipped cream and more fresh blackberries and peach slices in a trifle bowl or compote to create this stunning dessert.

Toss peach halves with a little bit of lemon juice, brown sugar, and vanilla extract and put them in a foil packet on the grill to become caramelized and tender. Serve the warm peaches with vanilla ice cream, and enjoy any leftovers with yogurt for breakfast.

White doughnut peaches take on a sweet, fragrant blush when poached in rose wine with lemon zest and lemon verbena. Once the peaches are done, reduce the poaching liquid to a syrup and spoon it over the fruit before serving.

Cook peach slices with butter and sugar in a cast-iron skillet before pouring in the cake batter. The cornmeal batter is enriched with cream and scented with lavender.

Make a sweet, aromatic syrup by simmering sliced peaches and rosemary with sugar and water. Use the cooled syrup to make spritzers with white or rose wine and club soda.

This peach pie gains a custardlike texture due to the addition of rich and tangy creme fraiche in the filling. The pate sucree crust and streusel topping add the perfect amount of sweetness to this summer favorite.

Grill peaches and white onion until they are caramelized and tender, then dice and toss with smoky chipotles in adobo and a splash of white vinegar. This relish is excellent with grilled or roasted pork, chicken, or duck.

Macerate fresh peaches with lemon juice, sugar, and sprigs of fresh rosemary for at least four hours before cooking this jam. Store in the refrigerator for up to a month, or process it in sterilized four-ounce jars to keep it for up to a year.

Macerate crushed peaches with sugar, lemon juice, and your choice of fresh lavender, peppermint, or basil. Mix in cream and a splash of vodka (which keeps the sherbet smooth and scoopable) and freeze in an ice cream maker.

Peaches acquire a seductive fragrance when poached with vanilla bean, lemon zest, and fresh mint. Peel the peaches after they are cooked, when their skins will slip right off.

Mix peach preserves with minced garlic, soy sauce, dry mustard, and cayenne pepper to make an addictive sweet-savory glaze for grilled chicken. Serve the glazed chicken with grilled peach halves for a beautiful summer meal.

Peach slices sprinkled with cinnamon and sugar roast on top of tender yeasted cake. This recipe makes two 9-by-13-inch cakes, enough for 30 servings.

Simmer diced peaches with onion, garlic, red-pepper flakes, cider vinegar, sugar, and dried cherries to make this sweet and tangy chutney. Serve it with duck, pork, or chicken.

Give a rustic dessert an elegant twist by baking peach cobblers in individual custard cups. The biscuit topping is especially moist and tender from the addition of buttermilk.

Peaches become tender and fragrant when poached in sweetened white or rose wine with lemon zest, peppercorns, and a cinnamon stick. Fresh raspberries add a pleasingly tart balance to this light dessert.

Red, yellow, and cherry tomatoes combine with ripe peaches in this colorful salad. Diced celery adds a nice crunch, and mint-balsamic vinaigrette gives the salad a fragrant finish.

Fresh basil is a perfect complement to peaches in these fruit crumbles. Chopped almonds stand in for the more typical oats in the crumble topping.

The traditional Bellini gets a frosty twist with a slush made by blending frozen peaches with peach schnapps, sugar, and ice. Scoop the peach slush into glasses and top with Champagne.

Soak sliced red onion in ice water for 10 minutes to make it crisp and soften its bite. Toss the onion with sliced peaches, honey, lemon juice, and a tiny bit of cayenne pepper, and serve with grilled pork chops.

Poach peach halves in Lillet Blanc -- an aperitif with refreshing herbal notes -- before adding them to this custardlike French dessert. Reserve some of the peach poaching liquid to use in the clafouti batter.

This healthy fruit shake is made not with ice cream but with skim milk, nonfat dry milk powder, and ice cubes. Fresh ripe peaches and strawberries add all the luscious flavor you could want.

This great big pie, baked in a jelly roll pan, serves 16 people. Make the decorative top crust on this juicy peach and raspberry pie by cutting out holes using a 1/2-inch round pastry tip.

The sweetness of grilled peaches is a wonderful complement to peppery watercress and slightly bitter Belgian endive. Bocconcini (miniature balls of fresh mozzarella) add satisfying richness to this creative salad.

White wine, brandy, and seltzer water form the foundation of this lightly sweetened sangria. Sliced peaches and honeydew melon garnish each glass.

Macerate sliced fresh peaches in orange liqueur and sugar before pureeing them to make the base of these luscious peach margaritas. Stir in tequila and lemon juice, and serve these summery cocktails on the rocks.

Crushed amaretti cookies and sour cream sweetened with brown sugar make a sophisticated topping for grilled peach halves. This easy dessert takes just 15 minutes to prepare.

Ripe peach slices sauteed in butter and sugar taste like peach pie without the crust, and take just 10 minutes to make. Serve the warm peaches with vanilla ice cream and shortbread or sugar cookies.

Buttermilk adds a refreshing tang (and not much fat!) to this fresh peach sherbet. Using a little bit of corn syrup improves the texture.

In this quick and easy version of the classic dessert, peach halves are brushed with butter and brown sugar, and grilled until tender. Vanilla ice cream is mounded into each peach half and topped with a sauce made from fresh raspberries mashed with sugar.

Simmered peaches and a healthy dose of bourbon add sweetness and bite to homemade barbecue sauce. Serve the sauce with baby back ribs or grilled pork chops.

This buckle -- similar to a coffee cake -- is filled with chunks of fresh peaches and topped with cinnamon-and-sugar-coated sliced almonds. Bake the buckle in a cast-iron skillet to give it a deliciously browned crust.

Fold whipped cream into lemon-white wine curd to make the fluffy mousse for this trifle. Layer the mousse with cubes of purchased pound cake and roasted peaches or nectarines, and refrigerate for at least two hours -- or up to one day -- before serving.

Simmer chopped peaches with white-wine vinegar and honey to make this tangy-sweet condiment. This recipe is a perfect way to use up overripe fruit, and makes a beautiful hostess gift when presented in a decorative bottle.

Moist buttermilk cake comprises the bottom layer of this ice cream cake, followed by layers of peach sorbet. Mix diced ripe peaches into softened vanilla ice cream to create the top layer, and freeze the cake for at least two hours -- or up to four days -- before serving.

Sabayon is a dessert made by whisking egg yolks with sugar and wine (in this case, Champagne) over a hot water bath until the mixture is glossy and fluffy. To make this elegant dessert, fold whipped cream into the chilled sabayon and top each serving with a grilled peach half.

Diced fresh peaches and peach preserves add a double dose of sweet fruit to these buttery cookies. Sprinkle the top of each cookie with cinnamon sugar before baking.

Saute peach halves in butter and sugar until they are deliciously caramelized, and serve them with warm raspberry sauce over a sabayon made with Moscato d'Asti. If you're short on time, you can use vanilla ice cream in place of the homemade sabayon.

Brown sugar and lots of walnuts enrich this pound cake. While the cake bakes, make the sauce by simmering together maple syrup, brown sugar, butter, and cream, adding sliced peaches at the very end.