WHITE PEACHES, such as Babcock and White Lady, have white rather than yellow flesh. White peaches have a less robust flavor than yellow varieties but sweeter. While certainly delicious for eating, when pureed at peak ripeness their white flesh yields an incomparably sweet nectar. I peel them (a minute or so in boiling water and the skins will slip right off), slice them up, whiz the flesh in a blender or food processor along with 1 tablespoon of freshly squeezed lemon juice for every 4 peaches (to prevent browning), place the juicy pulp in a double fold of cheesecloth, and finally wring the juice out into a bowl. The juice can be frozen in an ice cube tray, and the cubes put in an airtight freezer bag.

With the fresh juice, I make a Bellini—one of the world’s great cocktails. In a champagne flute I put 1 ounce of white peach juice, 1 teaspoon of simple syrup (equal parts of sugar and water, heated until the sugar dissolves, then cooled), and fill the flute with 3 to 4 ounces of ice-cold Prosecco, the Italian sparkling wine. It’s about as yummy as a drink can be. And with the frozen cubes of peach juice, I can make Bellinis anytime.