Glassboro, NJ – Take heart, peach lovers, no need to grieve for the end of peach season yet. New Jersey peaches are still abundantly available, juicy and flavorful. The season that began late and is running late will continue to have available peaches, through mid/late September, according to growers and packers.
“We have the best flavor and size in our late peaches,” says Santo John Maccherone, chair of New Jersey Peach Promotion Council. “Peaches only produce sugar on the tree, so the longer they hang there, the more sugar they develop. That’s one reason why our local peaches are so sweet; they don’t get picked and shipped before they’re thoroughly ripe.”
Alstede farm in Chester expects to have peaches through the end of September. “We still have a crop of wonderful peaches,” says Kurt Alstede. “You can go into the orchard and pick your own – and enjoy many farm activities, from petting pens to wine tasting.”
Larchmont Farms in Elmer has a good stock of peaches as well. While locally grown nectarines are finished, yellow peach varieties, such as Flame Prince, Encore, Autumn Star, Flamin Fury PF 35-007 and Laurol, and white-fleshed varieties Snow Giant and Lady Nancy are all in good supply at farm stands, farmers markets and many supermarkets, including ShopRite and Fairway.
For further information, go to www.jerseypeahes.com
The New Jersey Peach Promotion Council is a non-profit voluntary organization of growers, shippers, wholesalers and associated industries dedicated to maintaining a viable peach industry in the Garden State, preserving farmers and farmland; and providing the highest quality and best tasting fresh peaches for consumers. New Jersey is the third largest peach producing state in the country, with approximately 80 orchards on 4,700 acres.
Source: The New Jersey Peach Promotion Council
