Almond inside of a peach.

Question

I have 4 , 5 year old Almond trees in my yard. This is normally the first year they should produce. I didn't have much luck, plenty of blooms only 2-3 nuts on each tree. One tree had a softball size peach looking fruit. I wasn't real happy because I ordered Almonds not peaches. I took a couple bites out of the fruit and sure enough it was a peach. Same color same texture. I split the peach open and there was a perfect sized, perfect shaped almond. Bitter but that's expected. Not hard like a peach seed and no way resembled a peach seed.... What's up ?

Answer 1

Peach pits are composed of two parts - the putamen or endocarp, which is the hard outer part, and the kernel inside which looks like an almond. That kernel contains cyanide, so you don't want to eat too many of those, but for some reason, likely a genetic blip, the outer hard casing didn't form inside the peach. Sometimes, though, when a peach is fully ripe, the putamen splits open, so when you eat the fruit, you can see the kernel revealed within the two halves, but that's not what you're describing. You may find that's the only fruit you get with a pit like that, but it would be interesting to know if other fruits from the same tree are also missing the outer case on the pit.

It does sound as if the trees have been mixed up at the nursery and you've ended up with a peach tree along with the almonds.