The History of the Peach

The peach originated in China where it has been cultivated since at least the 10th century B.C. Soon it found its way to Persia and from there journeyed to Europe and all around the world.

In the southern states, peaches are ready to pick late June through July, and July and August in the North. Growers count on a cool spring, no late frosts, and a warm summer to produce good peaches.

Peaches not only taste great... they are also very healthy. There are approximately 35 calories in a medium-sized peach. They are also considered to be a good source of fiber and contain small amouts of vitamins A, C, and E.

Tips for Picking Peaches Properly

When you purchase peaches in your local store, you pick out the ones that are soft and ready to eat. However, when you pick peaches from the tree they will still be firm. This way they will not bruise easily.

Once ripened, a peach is softer than most fruit, so remember to pick a peach gently. Using your fingertips rather than the length of your fingers will increase the chances of bruised friut. Place the peaches gently into your baskets.

Super deep buckets do not make a good picking basket. It isn't wise to use really deep buckets, because too much pressure will be applied to the peaches on the bottom, causing them to bruise.

How Do You Know When Peaches are Ripe??

Paying close attention to the color of a peach will help you to pick the best ones in the orchard. A common mistake that people make is, judging ripeness by the amount of red coloring. There are many varieties of peaches, many of which have different red coloring. Instead of looking at the red, look at the background color. If the background color is yellow rather than green, you have a good peach.

Softness: The peaches are not going to be extremely soft to the touch. Picking them firm on the tree is what you are supposed to do. It will just take them several days to ripen up fully and get soft.

Leaving your peaches out on the counter, rather than putting them in the fridge will help them to soften up faster.

PYO Peaches at Weaver's Orchard

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