Local Peach Epiphany

It was some three years ago that I had my first Frog Hollow Farm peach--those revered globes of sweetness that are the darlings of Bay Area farmer's markets at this time of year.  It was the first time that I had ever had a peach that I had to eat over the sink.  It was incredible.  So incredible that when I brought some to my office staff meeting and passed them around, it changed the whole tenor of the meeting.  A few days later, one of the Vice Presidents closed the office and we all went peach picking.  Staff morale when up greatly.  Great peaches gave us a better work environment and bounty of peach dishes--peach mini tarts, peach ice cream, peach cobbler, and the simplicity of a peach in the hand.

When we moved to Syracuse I knew those days would be over.  I spent all last summer looking for good peaches--NOT from California.  I'd learned that when you pick peaches before they've fully ripened (they get all their sugar while on the tree) and ship them to ripen en route, you may get a soft peach, but you won't get a sweet peach.  And, I'm sorry, if isn't sweet, what's the point? 

Despite what marketers would have you believe, GREAT peaches can be had in the northeast.  A colleague told me recently of her grandmother's six peach trees that grew in her backyard--in East Syraucse!  I could hardly stand another summer without peaches so I went looking.

Now, my good friend Stephanie has also been looking for peaches.  She lives in Boston and found people giving her odd looks when she asked where she might find a peach pie.  Steph is from Pennsylvania.  She grew up on great peaches too.  And she misses them.  I spoke to Steph on my cell phone as I drove to Ithaca on Saturday to pick up chickens, basil, and....peaches.  From Pennsylvania.  Just barely outside of my 100 mile Eat Local Challenge radius. 

I knew these peaches were good when I passed one to my husband and he went running to the sink.  They were sweet, juicy, and full of the flavor you'd expect a peach to have this time of year.  I know it sounds silly, but living in Syracuse just became that much more lovely.  Leaves are already falling, temps are dropping, autumn is coming, but hey, we've got great peaches.

I went to work quickly yesterday peeling, poaching, and slicing most of a peck of peaches.  I stored some in their own syrup a la Elise's nectarines (Thanks Elise--it was SO easy, and your 2 1/2 pounds per quart was spot on.)  Other peaches are going into some great mini peach tarts that I discovered a few years ago from the Martha Stewart website.  The rest are for snacking. 

And Steph--these photos are for you.  As soon as I can get to Boston, I'll bring some up.

                                   

Freshly peeled peaches                           Peaches and ice cream

Comments

[shuna fish lydon]

Yes, it was sad for me to be on the east coast this past July because I was missing a lot of my favorite stonefruit in Ca. But as a new york city kid I remember some good peaches. There was a lone peach tree in the empty lot next to my grandfather's boatyard in Long Island and although the fruits were small they were tasty.

But I am confused about something. Why cook and peel fresh peaches that it took you so long to find?

[Jennifer]

Shuna,

I know it seems odd to cook so many--but I had about 4 1/2 pounds, way more than two of us could eat before they went bad. I really wanted to get some at the height of the season to preserve for the winter. After putting up three quarts and making the tarts we still had 9 peaches to just enjoy. We hope to share a half peck with some friends for the rest of the season now that we have a source.