Peaches

Two years ago, I purchased a peach tree at Berkeley Horticultural Nursery during a summer weekend they were having a sale on in ground trees.  That means the tree was not in a pot, had to be bagged when the sale was complete, and then planted right away upon returning home.  I knew it would be a good deal because the tree already had blossoms on it, so I knew it would be bearing fruit the same year I planted it.  

This summer was my first official harvest of five peaches. Yes it is still small but mighty. Owning a peach tree is a good example of gaining insights on just one ingredient we as consumers may take for granted because it just appears at our grocery stores when they are in season.  

Peach trees are one of those trees that like to flower before the sprout leaves. And this variety makes bright pink flowers in March.  It covers all the branches.  It seems that even though there are that many flowers, maybe five percent will turn into fruit.  From flower, the fruit won’t be ready for another four months.  At that time, the fruit itself knows when it is ripe and then tend to ripen all at once. I woke up one morning and all five of my peaches dropped onto the ground.  

So my peaches were ready in July, but the peaches in the stores were arriving in June.  I asked my local farmers about that and the reason why some peaches arrive earlier is because the trees love hot climates. And when grown in hotter climates the fruit will mature earlier. So if you are going hyperlocal and have your own orchard, your time for fruit is going to vary compared to what you see in the stores.

I also find that even though the trees are the same variety grown, based on their location really changes their flavor and texture.  So one farm from the next will actually have a nuanced taste that is different and can affect how dishes are made.  I get excited about that because that means you may fall in love with a specific crop or farm and may continue to go back each year for their specific fruit and find a great recipe that works with their product.  

My peaches, being very ripe were soft and sweet. There was barely any acidity left. It could have been better to toss in a little lemon.  I only had a few so I ate them plain with breakfast, but I hope to try them in a pie next year.  The other thing about home fruit is their imperfections. They can easily be bruised when tree ripened or when they fall.  Pests may come and have a little treat before you get to eat them. But as grocery prices rise, the fact that you may have your own tree that quietly does it’s own thing while you are working away, helps show that planting now will give you some leeway in knowing at least some fruit will be around when perhaps money becomes a little tighter.