It’s many Coloradans’ favorite time of year again: peach season!! Running from late June through early September, now is the time to grab a basket at your local farmers market (if you haven’t yet already). Most famously grown in Palisade, peach orchards thrive in the farmlands of Colorado’s Western Slope. The combination of this regions’ hot days and cool nights are what allow the sugars to develop in Colorado peaches, giving them that particular sweetness. If you love peaches, check out Palisade’s annual peach festival which will be held Aug. 15-18 this year!

About Peaches:

• The peach was first cultivated in China, at least 3,000 years ago!
• Peaches were brought to the U.S. from England by colonizers and then spread throughout the continent by indigenous peoples.
• Peach tree pollen is too heavy to travel by air alone – so they rely on honeybees for pollination.
• Peaches’ reddish skin color – technically called ‘the blush’ – is loaded with antioxidants. Don’t peel it, eat it!
• There are nine different varieties of peach in Slow Food USA’s Ark of Taste catalogue.
• When buying peaches, the rules are: go local, try samples, look for color, squeeze gently, and store carefully!
• There are many pick-your-own peach operations in Colorado – find one here.
• Have a peach tree in your backyard? They need to be pruned and thinned each year to stay healthy.
• Peaches are a good source of Vitamins A, C, and potassium.
• You can easily start your own peach tree from a pit!

Suggested Recipes:

The most popular recipe on the well-used myrecipes.com is this Easy Peach Cobbler: “straightforward and foolproof.”

Cool off with these 4-ingredient Peach Popsicles.

Spice up your chips and salsa routine with a Fresh Peach Salsa.

At the end of the season, try your hand at canning peaches to preserve the harvest for the whole year!