In Season!

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It's peach season! Summer is quickly slipping away, and soon it will be apple picking time, but for now, be sure to enjoy some fresh, juicy peaches from a local farm.

The Pennsylvania peach harvest peak is July, August and September, so now is the time to pick up a few pounds or a few baskets of fresh peaches. You'll be glad to know peaches are available in 23 states... Here are a few stats from the Agricultural Marketing Resource Center, just for fun:

As of 2012, peaches are commercially produced in 23 states. The top four states in peach production are California, South Carolina, Georgia and New Jersey. California is a significant producer of both fresh and processed peaches, while South Carolina and Georgia mainly produce fresh peaches.  (NASS 2013)
In 2012 California continued to be the dominant peach-producing state, accounting for nearly 74 percent of peach production and supplying nearly 51 percent of the fresh peach crop and more than 97 percent of processing peaches... 

So while Georgia has a great reputation as the Peach State, it is really California which should get all the peach-glory for their exorbitant production rates.

Don't let summer pass you by without enjoying all of what the fruit harvest has to offer. Fresh, local fruits and veggies are a key asset to a power pantry, so be sure to find a great farmer's market soon to enhance you shopping choices.

By the Way

Peaches come in numerous varieties, with the most common distinctions being yellow-flesh and white-flesh peaches... and keep an eye on those pits when you're biting in. The cling stones are the messier ones (because the peach doesn't separate from the pit); the free stone peaches come right off and are much easier to clean, cook with and eat as is. Enjoy!