How do you know when it’s summer in Texas? Easy! Sunshine, increased positive moods, and peaches galore! You start to see those wonderful roadside tents advertising “PEACHES!” everywhere you look. Sometimes Fredericksburg or Stonewall peaches are the most highly sought after, while some people have specific orchards they seek out every year. Some wait for the produce to hit the supermarkets, but many won’t settle for anything short of a sun-ripened peach picked straight off the tree. Admittedly, few things hit the spot quite like that first summer peach of the year.
Now that we’ve worked up your craving for a juicy peach, let us walk you through the best strategy for obtaining the best peaches, when to seek them out, and ideas for how you might prepare them. Sit back, this story is about to get juicy!
Where to Find the Best Peaches
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You might immediately think of Georgia when the topic of peaches comes up, but Texas is home to some of the best peach growers and peach-picking locations thanks in part to our soil and climate. Whether you have a faithful producer in your own backyard or faithfully frequent the dozens of regional growers that are highly acclaimed, you know a good peach when you taste one.
You’ve heard of stonewall peaches, right? Welcome to the city called the “Peach Capital of Texas.” The little community of Stonewall lives up to its name with some of the best variety of peaches around. Not only that, but June hosts a full festival of peachy events. This year participants can enjoy the 58th Annual Stonewall Peach JAMboree, an event taking place from June 20 and running through June 22. Complete with a parade, music, vendors, and peach baking competitions, this is one stop peach-lovers won’t want to miss! Find out more here!
If you can’t make it that weekend, not to worry. Stonewall and the surrounding region, including Fredericksburg and Gillespie County, is home to several wonderful orchards including Gold Orchards, Vogel Orchard, Jenschke Orchards, and Burg’s Corner Texas Hill Country Peaches. Check in with each regarding daily operations to make sure you hit them at the peak of picking time!
If going directly to the orchard is not your bag, just hit the road! The highway between Dripping Springs and Fredericksburg is dotted with those wonderful tents selling peaches and produce. While US 290 and US 281 are notorious for these ripe vendors, you can find sellers in virtually any city or farmers market in the hill country this time of year.
When to Go
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As you might expect, some peach orchards (among other fruit picking operations) can get busy with eager buyers ready for fresh produce. Showing up early during picking hours can provide you better odds of getting the best of the bunch. Supply can sometimes run out even before picking hours are over, so be prepared for this if arriving later. You might also plan to call ahead, if making a drive, and check in to make sure the day’s supply hasn’t already been met. If so, consider waiting until the next day. There are also many wonderful picks that just need another day of sunlight to be just perfect for picking.
While we are sure our astute readership doesn’t need to be told, we’ll include this tip just in case. Each fruit has a specific growing season. While grocers ship produce from all over the world in-store, making it appear these options are always growing and available, this is not the case. Each region has growing seasons for various produce and summertime is peach season! Peach season in Texas is generally considered mid-May through the first week of August. Mark it on your calendar. You don’t want to miss it. And crops are good given all the rain we’ve had in Central Texas this year!
How to Prepare
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We can’t provide you with all this good intel for acquiring the perfect peaches and then not give you ideas for serving them up! If rinsing and taking a bite feels too simple, here are some alternative approaches we love.
Red Hot Peach Bowls
This one is quick and easy and a nice recipe to end a weekday meal. Instead of laboring over a complicated concoction, try this simple one instead! Be warned, this one has a kick!
Recipe by: Melissa Trevathan-Minnis
Ingredients:
4 peaches
1 bag of Red Hots candy
Butter
Steps: Rinse and Cut peaches in half laying each half in a large oven-safe dish. Drop softened butter into the baking dish as well as one dollop into each peach half. Sprinkle a small handful of red hots into each peach half. Bake until the red hots are just melted. Let cool slightly but serve warm. Simple and delicious! Enjoy!
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Homemade Peach Ice Cream Using an Automatic Ice Cream Maker:
There are few things better than homemade ice cream. Homemade PEACH ice cream is basically the pinnacle of perfection! Eaten alone or paired with warm pie, this dessert can’t be beat! A porch or deck with a view and a reclining chair are recommended accompaniments for this recipe.
This recipe is by Sharon, and it can be found here at hillcountryportal.com.
Yield: 1 to 1.5 qts
Ingredients:
(Sharon recommends a Cuisinart Automatic Ice Cream Maker for this recipe)
1 or more cups heavy whipping cream
1 cup regular milk
1 can eagle brand milk
1 tsp vanilla
2 to 6 chopped peaches
Steps: Freeze the Cuisinart container. In a separate bowl mix above ingredients except for peaches. Cool mixture overnight in refrigerator. Put mixture into frozen Cuisinart container and mix for 15 minutes. Add peaches and mix five more minutes. Enjoy the ice cream then or empty into plastics freezer bowl and freeze.
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Yes, please!
Another summer peach bucket list item is peach tea, of course. Even just adding a couple of fresh slices to an already-made pitcher of tea can be just the right thing to make a nice summer evening just a little nicer. During this most abundant season of the peach in Texas, we wish you all the peachiest of summers, Texas Hill Country!
