August 13, 2015

Peaches – August 2015

A Peachy Keen Time of the Year

The sweet aroma of peaches in the Bella Viva dry yard is extra special this time of year. Although the peaches we harvest in June and July are tasty, the best ones come in August! We’re in the middle of harvest and the dry yard is bursting with a montage of beautiful, White and Yellow Peaches. With the California drought persisting, we were only able to provide half the water we normally distribute to our peach orchards. Typically, our peach trees need about 32 to 36 inches of water (per year) to yield a great crop. However, this year we were only allotted 16 to 18 inches of water, resulting in a lighter crop, and an early harvest. Although our peach crop was a bit on the light side this year, the fruit is much larger, sweeter, and packed with flavor. If you’re looking for that sweet and tangy flavor, we recommend trying our Dried Yellow Peaches. Those looking to satisfy their sweet tooth without the tanginess, give our Dried White Peaches a try. This month, we are excited to offer our Organic Dried Peach Fingers as the August web special. Enjoy!

How to Pick a Great Peach!

August is a great time of the year to pick the perfect peach in California. We’ve got a few tips to help you find those delectable, hidden gems. First, look for mature fruit that is at least three inches in diameter. Next, look for peaches that have beautifully colored sunspots. The sunspots you see aren’t just cute little freckles; they are the mark of sweet flavor. The biggest give away for ripe fruit is the color; it should be radiantly red, orange, and yellow. What you might not know is the area around the stem is the last to change color, a sign of peak ripeness. With a soft squeeze, the fruit should give slightly; a hard fruit is it not ready. To check firmness we use a penetrometer, but you can use your hands. Treat the peach gently, like an egg, so as not to damage it. Finally, if your peach has passed all the above tests, smell it, it should be emitting a slight floral aroma. If the sweet, peachy, aroma is present, it’s ready to eat. We hope these simple tips will help you pick the perfect peach in your backyard orchard!

Matthew Muller
Bella Viva Copywriter