You’re enjoying a perfectly ripe, juicy peach—the kind that drips down your chin and tastes like summer itself. But as you pull the pit free, you notice it: a fuzzy, white, cotton-like patch clinging to the stone.
Your mind races:
Is it mold? Did the peach go bad? Is it safe to eat?
Take a breath.
That white stuff is not mold, rot, or contamination.
It’s something completely natural—called peach callus tissue—and it’s 100% safe to eat around (though you won’t be eating the pit itself!).
In fact, seeing callus tissue is a sign you’ve got a fresh, tree-ripened peach—not a cause for concern.
Let’s unpack exactly what it is, why it forms, and when you should (rarely) be cautious.
🔬 What Is Peach Callus Tissue? (Science Made Simple!)
Peach callus tissue is a cluster of undifferentiated cells that naturally form on the surface of the pit (endocarp) as the fruit matures.
Think of these cells like “stem cells” for the peach—they haven’t yet specialized into root, stem, or leaf tissue. In nature, if the pit were to fall to the ground and sprout, this tissue could help initiate root growth.
But in your kitchen? It’s just an innocent byproduct of the peach’s development—harmless, tasteless, and biologically fascinating.
🌱 Fun fact: Horticulturists actually use callus tissue in labs to propagate new peach trees through tissue culture!
🍑 Why Does Callus Tissue Appear on Some Peach Pits—But Not Others?
){kind=link}