Peach Facts

People always ask us what variety of peach is the best – our answer is that they are all great! And we honestly mean that!

Unlike apples, yellow peaches do not have as large of a difference in flavor. The biggest difference in our peaches is when they are ready to be picked.  We have a number of varieties so that we can offer you peaches from mid-July into early-September.

We feel confident that you will enjoy any of these delicious varieties:

  • Autumnglo – Very good quality, large, firm-fleshed, yellow freestone.  Picked close to Labor day.
  • Coral Star – Large, all-purpose mid-season peach.  Picked early to mid August.
  • Crest Haven – Medium to large fruit, firm, very round.  Little fuzz.  Flesh is yellow, nonbrowning, juicy, and sweet with a good flavor.  Freestone.
  • Loring – Very good quality.  Picked mid-August.
  • Red Haven – Medium sized, round, yellow peach.  Very firm, smooth texture, good flavor.  Highly versatile – use for canning, freezing, snacking.  Early peach: ripens around Aug. 1.
  • Rich May – Early cling peach. Available in early July.
  • Sentry – Large semi-freestone peach.  Available mid to late July.
  • Sun High – Large, smooth, yellow freestone of high quality.  Firm, juicy, sweet.  Excellent for canning and freezing.  Picked around Aug. 10th.

Common Peach Questions:

  1. What makes a peach flavorful? 
    It really isn’t so much a question of variety, the same variety can taste different year to year.  It is more a question of the weather.  A hot and dry season will lead to a sweet and flavorful peach.
  2. Should I use yellow or white peaches for canning? 
    Definitely yellow.  White peaches have a pH above 4.6 making them low acid and hot water bath canning will not destroy harmful bacteria. There is also no low-acid pressure canning process available for white peaches. If you wish to preserve white peaches, they should be frozen. Learn more here.
  3. What is the difference between a yellow and a white peach? 
    The flesh of the peach is either yellow or white.  The whiter peaches are less acidic and have a sweeter flavor than the yellow.  Some people prefer yellow, others white.
  4. What is a doughnut peach? 
    This is a peach that is not spherical, but instead has more of a “doughnut” shape with the pit being the hole of the doughnut.  We grow white flesh doughnut peaches. They are extra sweet.
  5. Can I use my peaches the same day that I buy them?
    Most of the peaches that you get from us will need about 3-4 days to soften.  Peaches are a very soft fruit.  Because of this, we need to pick them a little harder to prevent them from being bruised and smashed.  We recommend that you spread your peaches out on your countertop after purchase so that they will be at room temperature and not piled on top of each other.  It’s not likely that they will all soften at the same time, so you can use them as they soften.  For smaller quantities, you can put them in a paper bag at room temperature to speed this up.
  6. How many peaches do I need for canning? 
    A half-bushel will make 10-12 quarts.
  7. What is a freestone peach?
    A freestone peach means that it comes off the pit easily.  The earliest varieties of peaches are clingstone. All of our August and September peaches are freestone.