Access Atlanta > The Newcomer > Archives > 2008 > May > 07 > Entry
Newcomers’ Guide to Georgia Peaches
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
OK, so I’ve had my fill of unintentional ITP-OTP name-calling for the week!
What do you say we just calm down and talk about peaches today?
RIP Peachtree, 2008
A story this week shared that the last peach tree on Peachtree Road is gone. (Awwww…)
We’ve got plenty more, if not on Atlanta’s best-known road. There are 1.6 million on farms in South and Central Georgia — prime peach picking points — and plenty more in U-Pick farms and area back yards, too.
The demise of Peachtree Road’s last tree isn’t a sign that they can’t grow in North Georgia, Al Pearson, chairman of the Georgia Peach Commission tells me. They’d be a bit more susceptible to frost, but mostly fine. It’s just that land in this area is otherwise occupied by, you know, cities, and a freshly planted tree will take a good three seasons before it bears fruit.
Here are five more things you ought to know about peaches if you’re going to live in a state that splashes them on the license plates and billboards.
We’re not the top peach producer. And haven’t been for a long while. We’re behind California, and usually South Carolina. “California took the lead a long time ago. I think they can grow anything out there,” Pearson says. But something in that process of growing, chilling and shipping means, “they don’t taste quite as good.” (Peach pride, we’ll call that.)
We’re swiftly approaching peach season: mid-May to early August. A late frost will probably mean fewer peaches until early June, when there should be a normal-sized crop. If you want to pick your own, keep an eye on the Department of Agriculture’s Farmers and Consumers Market Bulletin. It posts periodic lists of U-Pick farms.
Dry weather, like what we had last year, means smaller peaches with sweeter flavor. A relatively wet winter and clay soil that clings to moisture means they probably won’t shrink so much. (For peach-shopping tips, try the Peach Commission, which recommends a creamy “gold to yellow” under color and ripening at room temperature.)
Customers only like the big peaches. So, instead of letting each tree grow the 2,000-3,000 peaches it could yield, they hand-pick it down to 300-400, and let the energy go into those. “That makes them grow to a marketable size, versus a bunch of marbles,” Pearson says.
It’s tough to grow peaches organically here. It’s not impossible, but the humidity and bugs do a number on the trees and relatively fragile fruit. Farmers can reduce pesticides, he says, but going organic would make it tough to stay profitable. (He’s quick to add that buying locally grown produce is important, even if it’s not organic.)
Peaches! In Locust Grove!
P.S. If you’ve got questions for Friday’s Q&A, remember to leave them in the comments or email me by the end of the day. I’ll answer as many as possible.
Comments
By Steven
May 8, 2008 9:41 AM | Link to this
Jamie-
Welcome to Atlanta. Sorry you got into the ITP-OTP thing. Much ado about nothing.
However, if you want to sound like one of us (Georgia natives, not people from Chicago who have been here for years), you need to refer to the area in between South Georgia and North Georgia as “Middle Georgia”. There is no such place as Central Georgia. I don’t know why. It’s just how we’ve always said it.
By One
May 8, 2008 9:51 AM | Link to this
Jamie, I agree with Steven……..pay that ITPvsOTP crap no mind, it really means nothing to us natives!!!! And remember, Atlanta has become quite the “melting pot”, which means there are tons of “crazies” in the pot (ITP, OTP, and all the surrounding areas), and no amount of money, education or status can change that……
By new mom
May 8, 2008 11:25 AM | Link to this
Ahhh… peaches. Yum.
As a GA native (going back to my great-great-grandparents and possibly further) I grew up loving peaches. My grandparents had a peach tree in their garden out in the county (norcross!) and now, that was a good peach. My granny would make them into a homeade peach cobbler that, when hot with vanilla ice cream, you would want to just stick your entire head in and breathe. ahhhh
To us, it doesn’t matter how many peaches other states grow or all those other details, other than when they are in season. Walking through the produce aisle during peach season, when you get that unexpected smell….what a great sensation.
One other tip for newcomers—go ahead and at least try the peach pie at the varsity. My husband is the only georgia native I know who doesn’t like peaches and orders the apple pie there. It’s kinda embarassing….
By Lissa
May 8, 2008 11:36 AM | Link to this
Actually, while the area around Macon is most often referred to as “Middle Georgia,” it is also called “Central Georgia” on occasion. The medical center and a tech school in Macon both use the phrase “Central Georgia” in their names. “Middle Georgia” is the term most often used and spoken by natives, but “Central Georgia” is indeed acceptable.
I was born & raised in Warner Robins (smack dab in the middle of Middle Georgia), where peach orchards have been replaced by homes and shopping centers. There aren’t as many orchards in all of Middle Georgia these days.
If you want to get your fill of peaches (and peach ice cream!), visit Lane Packing in Ft. Valley.
By Carole
May 8, 2008 3:09 PM | Link to this
A most evocative subject: I shut my eyes and I’m eleven years old again, sitting belly-button deep in a chilly little branch near Flippen. I am eating a softball-size Elberta peach, still warm from the tree, and the juice is running down my chin and chest. I hope heaven has Georgia peaches.
By BC
June 27, 2008 2:58 PM | Link to this
NEED TO KNOW WHERE ARE PEACH ORCHARDS NEAR AUGUSTA - I would love to hand pick peaches near Augusta, GA.